Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Children with disabilities - 
Employability - 
Personal developmentContext
Sport-for-good (SFG) practitioners work with children on a daily basis. However, according to a streetfootballworld network assessment, only 50% have a basic or intermediate knowledge of safeguarding and only 45% have a basic or intermediate understanding of children’s rights and the rights of child athletes. 85% want to receive proper safeguarding training and with 80,000+ adults working with vulnerable groups in the SFG sector, the need for training on this topic is evident.
Project content
The UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld (sfw) will take the lead in the sector by launching a safeguarding certification and capacity-building programme to ensure children’s fundamental rights across the world are safeguarded. The programme will benefit from regional, contextual, and cultural expertise by engaging five football-for-good (FFG) organisations working closely with children in their communities. Ultimately, the online safeguarding certification programme will be made available, through the UEFA Foundation for Children, to all SFG practitioners around the world.
Objectives
The overall goal of this programme is to minimise intentional and unintentional harm to vulnerable groups. UEFA’s previous safeguarding efforts will be used to develop a certification course for all practitioners working with children and at-risk youth and adults within the sport-for-good sector.
Project activities
- Implementing an online knowledge/training certification programme for FFG/SFG organisations.
- Identifying and working with five organisations (diversified globally and UEFA Foundation 2020 grant awardees) to co-create content and review it contextually and culturally.
- Training 75 staff members (15 per organisation) with the course.
- Involving 150 local parents in assessment of the contents.
- Together with the UEFA Foundation for Children, engaging in advocacy for sector-wide policy on training/certification of FFG practitioners.
Expected results
- One online course on safeguarding for SFG practitioners.
- 75 coaches and staff members from the five FFG/SFG organisations will gain a qualification in safeguarding in the SFG sector and build knowledge and skills regarding protecting children and at-risk youth.
- 150 parents will provide feedback to ensure local receptivity to the content.
- Evidence will be collected from the pilot programme to reflect, adjust, and advocate for a standardised approach at a policy level.
Partner
