DBS checks and Safer Recruitment

The FA's Policy on DBS Checks

As part of the safeguarding children strategy, The FA requires those working in eligible* roles with children and young people to pass a DBS Check. This is in line with legislation and government guidance and is standard practice.  

The FA provides the framework and guidance for DBS Checks in football. The leagues and clubs then have to implement this to ensure those required to have DBS Checks done have them.  

Where the DBS Check highlights relevant information, this is investigated further and a risk assessment is carried out to establish whether or not they will be accepted to work with children and young people in football.

Activities that require a DBS Check (Eligibility*)

* Eligibility is governed by legislation and government guidance. In brief this means a DBS Check is required for anyone aged 16 years or over who undertakes any potentially unsupervised roles working directly with children and young people under the age of 18. 

These activities include managing, training, coaching and supervising as well as giving advice or guidance on wellbeing, caring for children or driving a vehicle solely for children on behalf of a club or organisation. All coaches and managers working directly with under-18 players must hold a current, FA-accepted DBS Check. 

Anyone undertaking these activities in football MUST obtain a DBS Enhanced Criminal Record with Children’s Barred List Check.  

How to obtain a DBS check

Grassroots coach, manager, first-aider or any other club-based eligible role (i.e. anyone who has a role with under-18s): Speak to the Club Welfare Officer (CWO)

Club Welfare Officer: Speak to the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) Safeguarding@KentFA.com

Referee, referee mentor, referee coach, referee assessor and referee tutor in under-18 football: Contact your CFA Referee Development Officer (RDO) Referees@KentFA.com 

Working in a private soccer school or unaffiliated football: You may not be able to get an FA enhanced DBS Check: speak to your line manager or call 0115 969 4618 or email FAChecks@TheFA.com for advice

Information for CWOs/Applicants on how to complete a DBS check using Whole Game System:

Common things to check for and be aware of before beginning:

1- The Applicant has an email attached to their FAN and this email is only attached to the FAN
2- The Applicant can log into their WGS using wholegame.thefa.com
3- The Applicant has only one FAN ID (if they have duplicate FANs to contact info@kentfa.com)
4- The process is completed within the given time frame
5- To always check their Junk mail
 
The Club Welfare Officer (CWO)
 
• When you are logged onto WGS you will have a number of tabs down the left hand side
 
• Select the ‘safeguarding’ tab and it will offer you a further tab on the top called ‘ DBS Applications’
 
• You will then need to select club officials then “add official”
 
• This allows you to find the person that you want to add for DBS application.
 
• You will need their name, date of birth and postcode. (Problems will occur here if the applicant has multiple FAN numbers – we will need to de-duplicate them before you can process the DBS) 
 
• Once the applicant has been found they will need selecting. Do not create a new contact if a FAN already exists.
 
• This will then open up the application for them to apply on their personal FAN (An applicant cannot apply for a DBS without their Club Welfare Officer or verifier doing this)
 
The Applicant
 
• The applicant will then need to access their WGS
 
• Down the left hand side they will now see a tile ‘My DBS’ which they need to click on
 
• The next page will give them a green box ‘Select’ Once selected, this will activate the email for them to commence the check
 
Once they have entered their document details, you follow the process within the disclosures guidance to verify them.
 
The below also takes you through the process:-
 
https://grassrootstechnology.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/48000673300