BBC Breakfast News today broadcast an item about the new arrangements  - being progressively implemented over the next few years - for people working with children needing to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

The news item spoke, rather alarmingly, of parents-carers involved in giving children lifts to training or football matches being liable to fines of £5,000 if they were not registered with the ISA.

My understanding - which I am seeking to confirm with the County FA Welfare Officer - is that it has been agreed that the FA will not implement the new ISA arrangements until next year and that, in the meantime, the current arrangements for seeking CRB (Criminal Record Bureau checks) for relevant adults involved in children’s and youth football will continue.

I also understand that informal arrangements for lift sharing (i.e. agreed directly between parents-carers, rather than formally through a club official) would not be covered by the ISA arrangements (and so not raise any issues of anyone being fined!).

With the new season now upon us, I am arranging - with the help year group leaders - to update my list of adults who have agreed to volunteer to help coach or referee matches, etc so that I can arrange for any new or updated CRB checks to be done.

As soon as I receive a reply from the County FA Welfare Officer (hopefully early next week) I will publish it here on the website.

Tony

Tony Day
Club Welfare Officer