UEFA launches child safeguarding toolkit

UEFA's child safeguarding policy and child safeguarding toolkit are available to view and download now.

Developed in conjunction with social responsibility partner Terre des hommes, and after extensive and thorough consultation with European football's 55 national associations, UEFA's new child safeguarding strategy is designed to provide a safe playing environment for the millions of children across the continent who take part in football, irrespective of age or ability.

Underlining UEFA's commitment to protect, promote and develop the game, this new set of free resources provides comprehensive guidance on how to develop and reinforce child safeguarding measures, setting out standard steps and best practice approaches to successful and sustainable policies.

Fostering secure playing field

Children playing in Switzerland©Tdh/Christian Brun

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "Fostering hope and solidarity means thinking about more than just ourselves. It means thinking of our society; of our children, our future generations and our planet.

"This is why, with the cooperation of our 55 member associations, and the help of Terre des hommes, an NGO specialising in this field, we have launched a child safeguarding programme designed to ensure children are never subjected to abuse of any kind in a football-related context."

In-depth training and resources

The new toolkit will help organisations to:

• Lay their own foundations for safeguarding
• Ensure organisational preparedness and prevention
• Raise awareness
• Work with others and report concerns
• Measure success

Youngsters chasing the ball in Croatia©Getty Images

UEFA, through its work with Terre des hommes, will also provide in-depth training courses and resources to help member associations develop bespoke tools for their own local needs and safely share best practices and experiences.

UEFA child safeguarding toolkit and e-courses are free and available in English, French, German and Russian.

Register now at www.uefa-safeguarding.eu to receive access to a range of online courses, including specially designed programmes for coaches, staff and volunteers.

Terre des hommes, the expert partner of UEFA on this project since 2018, is a leading child relief organisation. Each year, they provide assistance to over four million children and members of their communities in development and humanitarian settings, in more than 40 countries. Last year, Terre des hommes trained more than 35,000 professionals in child protection.