Dingley Junior Football Club
Child Safe
Empowerment Initiatives
In alignment with the implementation on the 7 Child Safe Standards as of the 1 January 2017, the Dingley Junior Football Club (DJFC) is working towards implementing strategies that align with the requirements of the Child Safe Standards.
Standard 7, Empowerment, is important to DJFC. The aim is to ensure we have a club environment where children feel confident and safe to talk up about any issues or concern. Empowerment is about helping the children find their voice by building a culture in which the players have opportunities to speak up, give input and be involved in decisions. It not only allows them to build confidence but also means that if an incident should ever occur they may be more willing to speak up because they know their voice will be heard.
Within this document are some initiative ideas that can assist in children feeling empowered around their club. The main goal behind these initiatives is to place children in situations or roles where they feel as though they have a voice within the club and that their membership within the club is valued, whether it is be to have them talking in front of their team or their efforts on game day acknowledged.
This is an evolving list but some of our current child empowerment initiatives at DJFC are listed below.
*Strategies leading to an increased awareness about child safety and children’s rights:
-Child Safety Officer (CSO) visits all teams at the start/end of training at the start of the season to introduce himself/herself (so players know there is a CSO and who he/she is);
-Child safety discussion at Coaches’ meeting and signing of code of conduct forms by all coaches;
-Child safety discussions at Team Managers’ Meeting and signing of Code of Conduct forms by all TMs
-Child Safety info in Club Newsletters;
-Child safety info on club’s social media pages;
-Posters informing kids of their Right to Enjoy Footy at club in change rooms and also on club website;
-Child Safety video on club website and on social media pages;
*Committee/Parent involvement strategies:
-Child Safety on the agenda at every committee meeting;
-Child Protection Training completed by more than ten committee members;
-Sport And Life Training (SALT) sessions and talks by Daniel Bolger on drugs, alcohol, mental health for kids and cyber-safety (for parents as well in younger ages);
*Player awards and leadership strategies:
-Different team captains in younger age group teams so everyone gets a turn to lead;
-Team captains elected by players in older age groups;
-Players involved in and represent their club at the ANZAC ceremony in Dingley Village (two male and two female players chosen to lay wreaths);
-Players’ achievements such as 50th or 100th game recognised in club newsletter;
-A ‘Best Teammate’ trophy given to one player on each team at Presentation Day. This player is elected by the players.
-In U8-U10, a "Player of the Round’ medal is presented to a player who has stood out for that round.
-Football Leadership – Players in U15-U17 are encouraged to be involved in key positions such as Runner/Assistant Coach in younger teams. They are also encouraged to coach at Auskick.
-Players contribute to their teams by choosing pump up songs for before the game, running drills at training etc.
Dated:
April 2019
Date for Review:
April 2021
