Welfare & Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Accrington Stanley Women FC
As girls’ and women’s football continues to grow in strength, visibility, and participation, safeguarding must remain a central focus at every level of the game. At Accrington Stanley Women FC, we are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and empowering environment for all women and girls involved in football.
Our Commitment
Safeguarding protects players, coaches, volunteers, and visitors by ensuring that everyone feels safe and supported within our club. Vulnerabilities in safeguarding can be exploited by individuals who deliberately seek settings with weak or absent protections. Any gap in vigilance, accountability, or communication increases risk — which is why safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
We ask all players, parents, coaches, and volunteers to play their part in creating an environment where women and girls feel safe to participate and thrive.
Risks We Address
Women and girls may face specific risks and challenges, including but not limited to:
Gender-based discrimination and harassment
Inappropriate relationships or power imbalances
Online abuse and social media exploitation
Lack of access to safe reporting structures
Under-reporting due to fear of not being believed or risking progression
When we recruit coaches to work within women’s football, we assess not only their qualifications, but also their attitudes, behaviours, and experience working with females.
Our Safeguarding Culture
Creating a culture of openness, respect, and protection is critical — not just for safety, but for the overall development and wellbeing of our players, staff, and volunteers. Everyone has a role to play, whether you are a coach, volunteer, player, or parent.
By prioritising safeguarding, we:
Build trust
Ensure fairness
Protect the integrity of the game
Empower women and girls to play, coach, and lead with confidence
Reporting Concerns
If you have any concerns — no matter how small they may seem — please raise them immediately with your Team Welfare Officer or the Head of Welfare.
We have clear reporting pathways, and it’s important everyone knows who to speak to about concerns. We follow a strict safer recruitment strategy, ensuring:
All coaches are DBS-checked
Completion of FA-endorsed safeguarding courses
Compliance with FA safer recruitment standards
Safeguarding in Everyday Club Life
We want safeguarding to be visible in everyday club life — not just for our players, but also for visiting opponents and match officials. As more young people, both male and female, become referees, we have a duty to ensure they can officiate fairly and confidently without abuse, threats, or physical harm. Supported officials make better decisions, improving the quality and fairness of the game.
Join Our Safeguarding Team
We are currently recruiting Welfare Officers for several of our teams. This is a rewarding and vital role, ensuring that players are safe, supported, and able to enjoy football in a positive environment.
The club will:
Provide all necessary FA-endorsed training
Conduct a DBS check (costs covered)
Support you through our safer recruitment process
Safeguarding is at the heart of our hiring — it’s not just about filling a role.