Safeguarding

frequently asked questions

What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding children and young people is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding adults means protecting an adults right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. We adopt a consistent Club wide approach to all safeguarding matters and children’s safeguarding is equally as important as safeguarding Adults at Risk.

What do I do if I think someone is in immediate danger?
You should call the police.

Who is responsible for safeguarding at the Club?
The Club has a Safeguarding Board which includes partners from the Local Authority and Police. The Board is chaired by the Club’s Senior Safeguarding Lead and has representatives from our Academy and Saints Foundation, along with other key internal representatives. There is also a Club wide Safeguarding Working Group, with representatives from all departments and the group is responsible for making sure safeguarding is embedded across everything we do. We also have designated a Safeguarding Team and departmental Officers and Leads across the Club.

Will you tell anyone if I tell you I have been abused?
If we feel that you or someone else is at risk because of the information you tell us, we will need to pass this information on. We want you and others to be safe and that means making sure you have the best support available. Sometimes this may mean that we may have to contact the Police or Social Care Services. We will always try and ensure that you are involved and included in decisions.

If I contact Southampton Football Club will my safeguarding concern be taken seriously?
Yes, we take all allegations and concerns extremely seriously. We will do all we can to support anyone coming forward to raise a concern and we will treat information disclosed to us sensitively and in confidence.

Who should I speak to if I don’t think my safeguarding concern has been handled appropriately by the Club?
You can contact our Senior Safeguarding Lead or the Premier League’s Safeguarding Team. Their details are on our contacts page.

Do you get consent for taking photographs of children or young people?
Yes, any images and photographs will only be taken by Club photographers who have received appropriate safeguarding training and have been briefed by one of our departmental safeguarding Officers, Leads or by a member of the Media and Communications team. Before taking any images of children, young people and Adults at Risk we will always obtain the appropriate level of consent. For children and young people consent will be sought by an appropriate adult e.g parent or carer. Adults at Risk will be required to give consent themselves should they have the mental capacity to provide it. If they do not have capacity, then we will seek consent from their carer or an appropriate adult in writing. There is never any pressure to be photographed and we understand that this sometimes may mean individuals are not photographed for their own safety and protection.

Do you DBS check your staff?
We are fully committed to safer recruitment practices and there are a lot of employments checks completed before someone is employed with us these include;

• Self-declaration form;
• Criminal record check (DBS) of the appropriate level for their role (basic or enhanced barred list check);
• C.V. checks;
• Appropriate references (including as a minimum a reference provided by their last employer);
• Right to work in the UK check;
• Qualification check, if applicable.

All new employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers are required to complete a self-declaration form before the commencement of duties. All employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers in a position of trust are required to undergo regular DBS disclosure clearances. These will be completed once every three years as a best practice minimum or earlier if required. All employees working in Regulated Activity must complete an enhanced DBS check, with a barred list check, before they can start work in that Regulated Activity.

Do your staff receive safeguarding training?
Yes, all new members of staff have a formal induction where we cover a brief overview of safeguarding and introduce the Safeguarding Team but then we undertake more bespoke training for different areas of the Club. For example we have just trained a number of matchday stewards so they have a good understanding of what to look out for on a matchday and how best to support our fans and those visiting our stadium. The large majority of our Academy staff have all completed the FA Safeguarding face to face training.

What happens to a lost child on matchday?
Our stewards are fully trained to act quickly when a child is lost. We will keep the child in the location they are and radio through to our control room and a safeguarding steward will go and support the lost child along with the stewards on the scene. A number of security steps are then followed to reunite the child with their parents, carer or other appropriate adult.

What facilities are there available to fans with a disability at a match?  
We have wheelchair accessible spaces in all stands and we also have 98 seats in which visually impaired supporters can make use of radios and headsets for full match commentary provided by Hospital Radio. We also have a sensory room which provides a calming environment for fans who may find the stadium environment challenging.