Worcestershire FA is lending its full support to Play Safe – an ongoing national campaign led by The FA to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding in football.

Although it runs throughout the year, Play Safe really comes to the fore over a dedicated weekend, this year on Saturday 1^st October and Sunday 2^nd October.

The main focus this year is on parents and carers, with two key messages to convey:

• Awareness of the vital safeguarding role parents/carers play in football; and
• Encouragement to take the short, new and free online safeguarding course that’s been created specifically for parents/carers. You can access the course here.

We also have a Play Safe captain’s armband for every team in Worcestershire – contact us to collect yours by emailing: support@worcestershirefa.com

As you can see below, our staff are backing Play Safe.

Importantly, encouragement to take the new course has come from FASSSAG – The FA’s Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group:

“We have inputted into the course and helped frame its key messages from our collective experiences. It’s vitally important to us that every parent/carer understands they role they need to play in football. Taking this course can make a real difference – we are asking every parent/carer to commit to help ensure football is ever-safer.”

The support of FASSSAG has been welcomed by FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham, himself a parent and youth football coach. “The FASSSAG has been important in helping us create our new strategy moving forwards and we really appreciate their input into the new course.  I have taken the new course and encourage all parents/carers across football to take it too.

“Ultimately, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to ensure that everyone involved in football – particularly children and young people – has a consistently safe and positive experience of our great game.  Play Safe reminds everyone of that responsibility and keeps safeguarding front of mind, which is exactly where it should be.”

Worcestershire FA’s Chief Operating Officer, Ollie Williams, added: “We are delighted to support this campaign as part of our ongoing efforts to provide visible, tangible initiatives to allow football to be played in a positive environment. We are committed to working in partnership with our leagues, clubs and match officials, in addition to our social media campaigns, to promote safe, accessible and inclusive football for all”.

Play Safe is being run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship. It’s also supported and being run across every other level of the game.