BF Board announces Club Welfare Officer Audit

In light of the recommendations of the Whyte Review the Board of BF has requested a report on the status of Welfare provision in all BF affiliated fencing clubs in order that BF can target support for improvements.

The welfare of all participants in fencing is a priority for British Fencing and trained Club Welfare Officers (required for all affiliated clubs) play a critical role in creating safe and inclusive environments where people can enjoy fencing.

The recently published Whyte Review (link can be found below) sets out recommendations which the BF Board is currently considering.

It is recognised that COVID has had an impact on our volunteer workforce and as such clubs may be experiencing challenges with recruiting and training Welfare Officers.  It is a priority to urgently identify and work with our clubs to address any gaps in provision.  The Board of BF therefore has requested an audit of the status of Welfare provision in fencing clubs in the UK.

Club Secretaries and Club Welfare Officers will be contacted directly by British Fencing and we thank you in advance for your support in this matter.

The Board of British Fencing

23/9/2022

More Information

The audit is not intended to be onerous or time-consuming. We will circulate a link to a form to complete in late October and clubs will have at least 6 weeks to return the information requested.

We will be asking community clubs to confirm the following information which will be cross checked with the information that BF hold on clubs, coaches and welfare officers to ensure that we have the most accurate information possible of the current status:

• A list of committee members and their safeguarding qualifications
• The name of their welfare officer(s) or lead safeguarding officer and their safeguarding qualifications
• A list of coaching staff and their safeguarding qualifications
• Any existing safeguarding action plan to improve welfare provision in their club (this should include any scheduling of training courses required to ensure Welfare Officers are fully trained)
• Any areas identified by the club where they would like additional support

As a reminder:

• All BF Affiliated Clubs offering fencing sessions to the community must have an identified Club Welfare Officer in place. (Please note that in Scotland this is called a Child Protection and Wellbeing Officer.) Welfare Officers should be on the Welfare Register – WELFARE OFFICER REGISTER – BRITISH FENCING
• The contact details of the Club Welfare Officer and their training certificates must be provided to British Fencing through the BF online platform https://bf.sport80.com/login.
• Contact details should also be displayed clearly within the club environment at every session.

More information

Welfare Guidelines & Resources for Clubs – BRITISH FENCING

Welfare Course Requirements (almost all courses are now available as face to face online or fully online)

Welfare Course Schedule & Bookings

The Whyte Review

https://www.whytereview.org/assets/downloads/The-Whyte-Review-Final-Report-of-Anne-Whyte-QC.pdf

Please note: The Review concerns some sensitive and upsetting information. For some, including those who have personal experience of harm or abuse, this may be distressing

Want to keep up to date with the latest news from BF? Subscribe to our weekly summary email – The Fencing Digest – featuring the previous week’s latest news and announcements. Sign up here.