Safeguarding Manager (Boys Academy)

The Safeguarding Department is committed to creating a safe environment for all who engage with our Club. We are responsible for providing effective leadership and management, ensuring compliance with Premier League rules and government legislation, whilst maintaining key stakeholder relationships internally and externally.

To strengthen our current provision and deliver our next exciting phase, we are now looking for a Safeguarding Manager who will lead on the provision for our Boys Academy. You will have the opportunity to support a programme that ensures that our off-field support is structured and co-ordinated leading to creating the best possible experience and environment for our young players.

In this role, you will lead the safeguarding provision and champion best practice across the Boys Academy in line with the Club’s Safeguarding strategy, vision and policies to ensure a safe environment that nurtures, encourages and develops young people. You will be the first point of contact for responding and managing any safeguarding concerns within the Boys Academy and will provide guidance, support and advice to colleagues, players and parents/guardians. This will include attending relevant Boys Academy training sessions and matches, delivering local safeguarding inductions and working collaboratively with members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to support projects, initiatives and events from a safeguarding perspective.

You will also manage and co-ordinate our host families (care and accommodation providers) that our young players stay with. You will manage and co-ordinate the host family recruitment and be the liaison between the Club and the host families.

You will need to be personable, approachable and able to build and maintain relationships at all levels, particularly with parents and players, and be able to communicate effectively and clearly. You will need to be a safeguarding and/or a welfare professional with a relevant degree/professional qualification (or equivalent experience) and have worked or volunteered with children or young people, ideally in an elite sporting environment. You must be credible with expert level of knowledge and understanding of current safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and best practice including recording and handling clear and comprehensive records.

You will need to be organised, able to prioritise workload whilst being flexible and responding to dynamic situations displaying integrity and discretion as and when required. This will be a hands-on role attending relevant training sessions and matchdays and travelling to various locations including going to visit host families so you will need to hold a UK Driving Licence with access to your own vehicle. You will also need to be available to work flexibly, including working matchdays, evenings and weekends.

There has never been a better time to join Aston Villa Football Club. This season, we are celebrating our milestone 150th anniversary and our drive to succeed is visible on the global stage, we are building a family ethos and culture to be proud of and realising our ambitious plans for the expansion and improvement of our world-class facilities.

If you are already excited by this challenge and want to play your part in our historic Club, then you will be pleased to hear about our amazing staff benefits you will receive whilst working for us!

As part of your application, you will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following questions:

• Please outline your demonstrable experience of working or volunteering with children or young people (400 words maximum)
• Please describe your understanding and knowledge of the challenges and pressures young elite athletes face (400 words maximum)

The Club reserves the right to close any advertised vacancies earlier than the advertised closing date if sufficient applications have been received.

Aston Villa Football Club celebrates the diversity of its Club and embraces equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, sex and religion or belief.

Aston Villa Football Club is fully committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk across our Club. As such, we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes and for some roles a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service may be required prior to starting in a role at the Club.