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EST · ESSEXRomford United
Safeguarding
Every child,
safe and heard.
Football is only worth playing if children are safe while they play it. This page sets out what we commit to, who to talk to, and exactly how to raise a concern — including when to skip us entirely and call the police.
In an emergency
If a child is at immediate risk, call 999.
Do not wait for a coach, a committee member or an email reply. Call the emergency services first and tell the club afterwards. We would far rather hear about it second than have anyone hesitate.
Club welfare contact
Anything that is not an emergency goes here. It is read by the people responsible for welfare at the club, not by the whole committee.
welfare@romfordutd.comPrefer not to email? Use the contact page and mark your message as a welfare matter — it will be routed to the same people.
Our commitment
What we promise every family here.
Safeguarding is not a document nobody reads. These are the four things that should be visibly true at any Romford United session — and if they are not, we want to know.
The right adults, checked
Anyone in a role with regular contact with children goes through an enhanced DBS check arranged through the FA, plus safeguarding-children and first-aid training, before they take that role on. Helpers who are always supervised — nets, tea urn, photos at a tournament — work alongside a checked adult.
Nothing happens behind a closed door
Sessions are run in open, visible spaces. Coaches avoid being alone and unobserved with a child, and 1-on-1 sessions are booked through the club with a parent or carer welcome to stay and watch. Parents can watch any session, any week, without asking permission.
Communication goes through the club
Coaches contact players through their parent or carer, or through the club’s own channels — not private messages to a child’s personal account. Squad messages go to a group a parent is in. Messages sent through the portal can be reviewed by club staff where there is a safeguarding reason to, and every review is recorded against the person who carried it out. That is exactly why we ask you to keep club conversations on the portal rather than moving them to personal numbers — a message we cannot see is a message we cannot check.
Concerns get taken seriously, first time
You will not be told you are overreacting. Every concern raised with us is written down, looked into, and followed up with the person who raised it. Nobody is penalised — child, parent or volunteer — for speaking up in good faith.
Raising a concern
You do not need to be sure. Tell us anyway.
Most concerns turn out to be nothing. The ones that do not are almost always spotted by someone who nearly said nothing. Here is what happens, in order.
- 01
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999
If someone is at risk of serious harm right now, phone the police on 999 first. Do not wait to reach a club official — tell us afterwards. Emergency services are always the right first call in an emergency.
- 02
Tell the club welfare contact
For anything that is not an emergency — something you saw, something your child said, something that felt wrong — put it in writing to our welfare contact. Give the date, who was involved and what happened in your own words. You do not need to be certain, and it is not your job to investigate.
- 03
We record it and act
The concern is written down and handled by the club, which will involve the relevant County FA safeguarding team, children’s social care or the police where that is the right step. Information is shared only with the people who need it to keep the child safe.
- 04
You hear back
We will come back to you to confirm the concern was received and acted on. There are limits to what we can tell you about another family or another adult, but you will never be left wondering whether it went anywhere.
If you would rather not come to the club
You are entitled to go outside the club at any point, and you do not owe us an explanation for doing so. These services take concerns directly:
- Emergency services
999 — police, ambulance, fire. Use this if a child is at immediate risk.
- NSPCC helpline
0808 800 5000 — for adults worried about a child, 24 hours a day.
- Childline
0800 1111 — free and confidential, for children and young people themselves.
Coaching or helping out?
Safeguarding starts at the sign-up form.
If you are thinking about a role at the club, the checks and training are part of the process from day one — we start them early because they take time. The volunteering page explains exactly what is involved and who pays for it (we do).