BF Club Welfare Officer Audit Deadline 16th December 2022

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. 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 audit is not intended to be onerous or time-consuming. Club Secretaries and Club Welfare Officers have been sent the audit form and instructions directly by BF.

If you have not received this email and think you should have please message Hannah Gavin ([email protected]).

The deadline for completed forms is Friday 16th December 2022.

Please return only one submission per club. BF will be running a series of help sessions early December check the Community Discussion Page here for information.

What we need

We have asked 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:

• The name of their welfare officer(s) or lead safeguarding officer and their safeguarding qualifications along with qualification dates
• A list of committee members 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

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