Welfare Officer Role Description
The Welfare Officer is responsible for promoting safeguarding within their venue and working with others to ensure a safe and inclusive environment is achieved. The Welfare Officer must not be a member of the venue’s coaching team and should not be related to a member of the coaching team.
Main duties
- Work with others in the club to promote safeguarding, diversity and inclusion and ensure compliance with the LTA’s minimum standards for venue registration
- Work with others in the club to ensure safeguarding and diversity and inclusion information, including policies, reporting procedures and details of the venue Welfare Officer are visible and available
- Work with others in the club to promote the venue’s Code of Conduct(s)
- Ensure safeguarding and diversity and inclusion is on the agenda at committee meetings
- Act as the first point of contact for all children and adults where concerns about welfare, discrimination, poor practice or abuse are identified
- Work with the LTA Safeguarding Team when concerns arise within the venue
- Maintain contact details for the LTA Safeguarding Team and key statutory agencies
- Contact the Local Authority children’s or adults’ social care teams and the police about concerns where appropriate
- Work with the LTA Safeguarding Team to facilitate audits of the venue in relation to the minimum standards
- Work with the Committee/Management and LTA to facilitate the completion of any action plan to address the results of an audit
- Work with others in the venue to ensure the relevant people at the venue have completed a satisfactory criminal records check
Skills and traits
- Tactful and discrete
- Able to resolve conflict
- Engaging and supportive
- Approachable and trustworthy
- Good listener and friendly
- Caring and understanding
- Professional and helpful
Training
- Safeguarding and Protection in Tennis (or another course approved by the LTA) – required
- Time to Listen – required
- Yearly updates – optional
Key relationships
- Chairperson and management committee
- Coaches
- Volunteers at the venue
- All members – junior and senior, plus parents/carers of junior members
Time commitment
- Attendance at key venue events, such as open days and junior competition
- Attendance at management committee meetings
Criminal records check
- Essential for this role – see here for more information