LFC Safeguarding Guide

The Guide below is for vulnerable adults to learn more about:

• What Liverpool FC does to keep vulnerable adults safe and well when they are participating in an LFC Activity or on a matchday
• What to do if you are worried about something
• What we do at Liverpool Football Club if we are worried about your safety or wellbeing 

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is putting the safety and wellbeing of anyone who is vulnerable at the centre of what we do. We aim to create an environment where they feel encouraged; listened to; feel able to reach their potential, and to make a positive contribution to society.

You have the right to be safe wherever you are; at home, at work, with friends or family, out and about or at football. We want to ensure all our young players are safe and happy. 

We recognise that some of our players can be vulnerable.

Everyone at Liverpool FC has responsibility to make sure that the wellbeing of vulnerable adults is put first.

What is a vulnerable adult?

An adult at risk is any adult aged 18 years and older who:

• Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)
• Is experiencing, or at risk of, harm, abuse or neglect or exploitation
• As a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect.

Some vulnerabilities are visible some are hidden. Some are pervasive and permanent, some are intermittent.

We also include in our definition of vulnerable adults those players at the Academies who are over 18. Also, any adult who conducts themselves in a manner that makes themselves vulnerable. This might be through their behaviour or circumstance.

Creating the Liverpool FC environment for Safeguarding

It is important that everyone at Liverpool FC feels safe and happy. We make sure that:

• We have an environment where you can feel comfortable to tell someone if something worries you.
• We take your concerns seriously
• Our staff have special training and guidelines on the best ways to work with children and vulnerable adults.

Abuse is anything another person does that causes harm. Abuse can happen in families, between friends or anywhere. Peer on Peer abuse is the most common sort of abuse. Below are some different types of abuse you may experience:

Physical Abuse including:

• Hitting, smacking, and slapping
• Burning or scalding
• Throwing things or spitting at you
• Shaking or suffocating you

Sexual Abuse including:

• Touching
• Saying things
• Making you watch, or
• Making you take part in things that make you uncomfortable
• Up-skirting, this is a criminal offence

Psychological Abuse

When someone makes you feel bad about yourself. They might ignore you or put you down. It can include;

• Putting you in a difficult situation or humiliating you.
• Calling you names or controlling you
• Being aggressive to you, your friends or family
• Preventing you from using services that help you in life
• Withholding information that would help you.
• Threatening or intimidating you.

Bullying:

Bullying is a repeated action that make you feel bad. It can be online or face to face and includes:

• Name calling
• Pushing
• Threatening you.

Neglect

Neglect is when people stop you having life’s essentials including:

• Food
• Medicine
• Somewhere to live
• Clean clothes.
• It also means not protecting you from harm. This is a problem when the person in question lacks the mental capacity to assess risk for themselves.
• Neglect can be intentional or unintentional. It can include self-neglect.

Financial Abuse including:

• People taking money from you
• Not giving you money, you are entitled to
• Using a person for financial gain i.e. putting pressure on them about wills, property, inheritance.

Domestic Abuse including:

• Any event or series of events at home that do not make you feel comfortable

Organisational Abuse:

• Any poor care from an organisation or group of people who should be caring from you. This could be in your home, care home or a hospital.

Discriminatory Abuse:

When you feel harassed or picked on because of who you are. This includes comments or jokes which are:

• Racist
• Sexist
• Homophobic
• Ageist
• Based on your disability.

Grooming

Grooming is defined as developing the trust of an individual and/or their family for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking.

Coercive Control and Modern Slavery

Coercive Control is a pattern of controlling behaviour incidents that occur over time for one individual to exert power, control or coercion over another, e.g. restricting movements, access to money, isolating victim from family and friends.

Modern Slavery

Modern Slavery encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic servitude.

Abuse can also take other forms such as child sexual or criminal exploitation, genital mutilation (FGM), hazing (initiation activities).

Abuse is not acceptable.

Being a victim of abuse is not your fault, don’t keep it to yourself.

We will help.

Liverpool FC will not tolerate activity of any sort which creates an environment for the radicalisation of individuals regardless of which extremist ideology it is based upon.

Radicalisation is “the process through which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist, especially where there is intent towards, or support for, violence.”

We aim to protect vulnerable individuals from being radicalised or exposed to extremism, by identifying who they are and providing them with support.

Extremism is defined as “the holding of extreme political or religious views”.

The strategy covers all forms of terrorism, including far right extremism, and some aspects of non-violent extremism.

All Liverpool FC staff have been trained to spot radicalisation and extremism and how to report any concerns that they might have if someone is showing extremist views or might have been radicalised.

Recruitment and Training

All staff who work with vulnerable adults go through a rigorous recruitment and induction process. This includes background checks before they start working. Interviewing them to ensure their values match the Liverpool FC values. Getting references to ensure they can do their job well. All Liverpool FC staff have specialist training, so they know what to look for, and what to do to safeguard all children.

Safety at Matches

We want your experience of watching Liverpool FC play football to be first class. To do this we ensure everyone follows safety procedures; All staff are trained; We employ Safeguarding Response Stewards who are specialists, they have a purple tabard or purple armbands that say ‘safeguarding steward’; Anyone under 16 years old must be accompanied to matches by a responsible adult.

Liverpool FC in the Community

Through parts of the club like LFC Foundation, Red Neighbours and International Academy Soccer Schools you might take part in a Liverpool FC activity. All our staff who work in the community are vetted, chosen and trained to be able you to have an enjoyable and safe time.

If you have any ongoing contact with Liverpool FC it is likely we will take some personal details, for example your name, address, date of birth.

This is so we know who you are and can contact you again.

We might also ask to take your picture. This will be for good reason, like to celebrate an event or an achievement. We might take pictures to help you develop your football technique. Either way we will ask you or your carer if you want to do this.

Normally if you give permission, we apply it to all situations where photographs might be taken. You can always opt out.

At the outset, or mid-way through you, or your carer can opt out, and withdraw your permission.

We store all information and images in line with data protection law. This means all information is;

• Collected with your consent
• Stored safely
• Deleted within the correct timescales.

Safeguarding Board

Safeguarding Leaders

How to report something you are worried about

Liverpool FC is somewhere where you can have a good time. It is also somewhere you can turn to to share your worries. These could be worries at home, with friends or family, or at LFC.

We will listen

It can be difficult to share things. You might worry that something is wrong, you might not be able to explain things well. This does not matter; Liverpool FC staff will listen and give you the time to talk, listen, act on what you say and to make sure you're safe.

It can be difficult to ask for help, here’s what you can do

You don’t have to share everything all at once. Tell them what worries you,telling someone is the most important thing. Choose an adult you trust. Someone who makes you feel safe and you know will listen.

It could be;

• A member of LFC Staff
• A member of the Liverpool FC Safeguarding Team
• A family member
• A family friend

Telling someone your worries might make you nervous. Don’t worry that is normal, but telling someone about things that worry you will make you feel better once you have spoken out. It might be hard to describe things, but we will listen and understand. You might prefer to write things down, that’s fine too.

Talk to us if you have any worries, you can report a problem in detail to LFC here this will go straight to the Director, Safeguarding. 

Are you worried about the conduct of a member of staff? Please report it here. It will go straight to the Safeguarding team who will investigate every concern thoroughly. We might contact you for further detail. We will keep you updated on any investigation. LFC Allegations policy is available, please email safeguarding@liverpoolfc.com