Designated Safeguarding Manager

About The Role

What does grassroots football mean to you? To us it is everything. We are passionate about our game, and we aim to ensure everyone who wants to take part, can do. This is the same for the people who work for us and with us, either in paid or voluntary roles. Our aim is to Support Staffordshire Football to create safe and inclusive environments where everyone can achieve their football aspirations.

Our Designated Safeguarding Manger plays a crucial role in our organisation. The role leads by example, it creates a safe, secure place where everyone who takes part in grassroots football is supported and cares for our paid and voluntary workforce. The role provides knowledge and experience alongside training and hands on support for all our Safeguarding work.

What will you receive from us?

A friendly, hardworking professional team who will support you in your role every day.
Professional ongoing support from colleagues and senior staff collectively and one to one personal development advice
Designated time to attend Training on a regular basis.
Gaining and developing experience of working in Grassroots football
Gaining knowledge of sport at a grassroots level with an oversight of other sectors
Enhancement of personal and professional skills
Networking with partners and gaining project support.

What will you need?

Passion and commitment to support grassroots volunteers and our team to deliver excellent customer service.

Attention to detail and knowledge of IT systems and the latest Technology.

Excellent personal organisational skills to be as efficient and effective as possible.

The ability to multi task and take pride in your work to help make a difference to Staffordshire Football.

What will you be doing?

Safeguarding Staffordshire football is one of the most important things we will ever do. This role strategically leads all of our safeguarding work and manages all process, ensuring compliance with all safeguarding protocols. The role helps protect our game, working with our volunteer Welfare Officer network, all local stakeholders, national organisations, our Board and Staff to protect everyone in grassroots football.

Leading our work to ensure the Staffordshire Football Association meets the FA 365 Safeguarding Standard and managing all safeguarding concerns is central to this role. Being reactive but proactive is also key to keep on top of all work being completed as efficiently as possible.

Training our voluntary workforce, leading by example and developing as an individual will ensure that everyone involved in Staffordshire football feels supported and well educated to help deal with any concerns. Building relationships with individuals, groups, families and colleagues will help you to develop strong support networks through club visits, attending meetings and events and establishing a strong annual programme of activity.

You will lead our programmes around Respect in the game including Respect Marshalls, Matchday observers alongside our pilots for league projects to reduce on and off pitch issues. You will support our Youth Engagement work with a focus on young people in the game, particularly within coaching, refereeing and voluntary roles.

Ensuring a quality support services to our England Football Accredited clubs will also be a part of your work to help provide development opportunities to create a long term legacy to help everyone feel safe and supported across the game.

The Benefits

Here at the Staffordshire FA, we ensure support is in place for all of our paid and voluntary workforce, ensuring a supportive, progressive culture to enable everyone to flourish in their role. We offer a flexible working environment to help meet the needs of Staffordshire Football and our workforce.

This is a hybrid role which provides opportunities to work remotely, from the Staffordshire FA office in Stafford, home and around the County as required. We are happy to discuss any working arrangements, and the weekly hours can be completed across 7 days per week.

The role will require flexibility in the approach and will have busy periods but also opportunities for taking time back as required.

The details:

5 hours per week
Permanent contract
£28,000 - £30,000
24 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays per year
Extra days annual leave on your birthday and Christmas Eve
Nike clothing and equipment for work and personal use
Opportunity to access and purchase England match tickets
Enrolment on to the company pension scheme
Health cash plan
Life insurance
Flexible working
Maternity and Paternity leave
Use of Staffordshire FA Vehicles
Online HR Management programme
All business expenses covered or reimbursement as required
Employee Discounts

About The Staffordshire FA

Founded In 1877, The Staffordshire Football Association Is The Guardian of our National Game in the County.

Responsible for efficiently governing and developing the local game, the Staffordshire FA strives to positively influence participation for all in football regardless of age, ability, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion and socioeconomic status.

Our aim is to make a positive difference within football, giving everyone the opportunity to access quality football opportunities and experience to fulfil their potential. We are keen to develop partnerships in order to promote the benefits of football and improve the facilities where football is played.

With over 2,300 teams, 30,000 players and 1000 match officials, the Staffordshire FA is responsible for providing a support structure that enables players, volunteers, coaches and match officials to develop individually or as part of a Club or League and most importantly, participate in a safe and enjoyable environment. We are a progressive County FA who celebrate our history and traditions, but we do not dwell on them. We are a dynamic, fast moving and evolving organisation which is passionate about our sport and its long-term success.

Why Should I Apply?

This challenging role will provide you with a fantastic opportunity to play a key role in the function of grassroots football in Staffordshire. There are more people playing football in Staffordshire than ever before which means our support for volunteers, administrators, match officials and coaches is increasing. This role will help us continue to forge strong links with everyone involved in Staffordshire Football and further show our commitment to them.

Ensuring grassroots football is played in a safe and respectful environment is key and this role will help uphold our values to see access to the game widen and to allow us to lead the game forward for many seasons to come.

The successful candidate will join a fantastic team who share the same desire to provide the best football experience for all. We are looking for a strong leader with experience of working in Safeguarding to enhance our Safeguarding work and customer support functions even further.

Being efficient in your work is key for success. Being able to self-manage your time and workload to meet the needs of the game will ensure you are successful. Managing deadlines, multiple contacts and maintaining a grip on technology will ensure you are happy and effective in the role.

We are keen to recruit a committed, conscientious, and ambitious person who is passionate about grassroots football and who is looking for an exciting challenge to thrive in this role. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service with communication skills being key to help influence and provide innovative solutions to enhance Staffordshire's Football and Respect across our game.

Designated Safeguarding Manager - Staffordshire FA