Disability Access Officer in London

DEPARTMENT: Communications

DIRECT REPORTS: None

LOCATION: Main Locations: Stamford Bridge

CONTRACT: Permanent - Full Time

JOB FUNCTION: Working closely with key internal stakeholders, this role will champion disabled supporters and visitors, drive innovation and change, and promote disability awareness and inclusion across the Club. The role will aim to:

• Strengthen links between clubs and their disabled fans
• Diversify their fan base by engaging historically underrepresented groups
• Enhance the matchday experience in partnership with disabled fans
• Ensure projects are improving the communication between disabled fans and their club

Main Responsibilities:

• To be the Club’s appointed Disability Access Officer, as defined by the responsibilities set out in the Premier League guidance and for the purposes of UEFA Licensing
• To have a clear and precise understanding of all existing relevant legislation, guidelines, and best practice, including the Equality Act 2010 and the Accessible Stadia Guide
• To work closely with the Disability Liaison Officer, managing relationships and communication with disabled supporters and other Premier League clubs.
• To lead and manage the Matchday Access help point
• To keep up to date with new legislation, good practice guidance, and innovation in the accessibility space
• To build relationships with Chelsea FC’s disabled supporters, developing a collaborative approach to the improvement of facilities and services for disabled supporters and visitors
• Lead the consultation and ongoing dialogue between all disabled people, associations, groups, and the Club
• To promote the needs of disabled people within the club and “champion” disability issues and highlight the business benefits of creating and maintaining an accessible stadium
• To work with the Operations team to ensure that the club and/or stadium undertakes regular professional access audits and develops an Access Statement
• To liaise with other club DAOs, and external organisations such as Level Playing Field, UEFA, Premier League (and other relevant organisations) and encourage the sharing of good practice solutions and relationship building
• To work with the club to develop and deliver on projects and initiatives as they relate to disability and inclusion
• To provide guidance to the ticket office on the policy and management of disabled persons tickets
• Participate in conferences/meetings between DAOs across other clubs, shadow visits at other stadiums and further events with training and networking purposes
• The DAO shall be expected to attend match days regularly (both at home and away) to act as a contact person for disabled fans, helping to improve their match day experience.

For home matches, tasks may include:

• Coordination with other matchday club staff ahead of the match e.g. the Supporter Liaison Officer, the Safety Officer, Safeguarding lead
• Provision of relevant matchday information to the visiting team DAO, in good time ahead of the match
• Meeting the visiting team DAO before the match and supporting their requirements
• Being available and contactable, before, during and after the match for any disabled fans queries and feedback
• Attend pre-match safety briefings including those including Visiting Club Support staff

For away games, tasks may include:

• Contacting the away club DAO ahead of the match to collect all relevant matchday information
• Clarifying in good time the ticket allocation and policies for disabled fans
• Communication of all relevant matchday information on the club website, via newsletter and other media channels as early as possible ahead of the match
• Being available and contactable, before, during and after the match for any disabled fans queries and feedback
• Working with relevant club staff to organise away travel for disabled fans
• Meeting the home team DAO and joining pre-match safety briefings

Measures of Performance:

• Positive feedback and fan sentiment around the club
• Increased numbers of disabled fans engaging Chelsea FC services and products
• Reduced risk of legislative issues
• Influencing external stakeholders that help bring benefit to Chelsea FC

Delivery & Operation:

• Management of relationships between key supporter groups
• Attendance at both home and away matches for men’s and women’s games

Person Specification:

Experience:

• An understanding of and a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion and how they relate to the DAO role and the wider club EDI strategy
• Experience working or advocating for people with disabilities
• Strong relationship management experience
• Experience communicating well to a range of audiences, and using different mediums, with oral and written skills to a high standard
• Ability to work under pressure, making judgement calls and manage competing priorities
• An understanding of fan engagement and an ability to build rapport with fans
• Sound operational experience connected to major events. Knowledge of football stadiums and experience of working with football supporters is desirable
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
• Experience working with under-represented groups or on topics related to EDI would also be desirable
• Chelsea Football Club knowledge a bonus

Skills and Behaviours:

• High degree of customer service focus
• Highly visible individual with excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of the challenges in the football sector in respect of diversity and inclusion and is an advocate for change
• Able to work home and away matches (including evenings) and at supporter attended events outside of normal office hours
• Work closely with the supporter services team to view complaints/feedback that are logged by supporters
• Help create a safe environment for supporters

Our Expectations:

• To embody the club’s BLUE behaviours (Brave, Lead, Unity, Edge) in the approach to work and interaction with others
• To adhere to the club’s policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR.
• To act as an ambassador for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and demonstrate a positive commitment by treating others fairly in line with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels
• To create a safe environment and act to protect all young people and vulnerable adults that are either in your care or attending club premises, and report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead
• To report any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

At Chelsea we recognise that the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are taking positive action to ensure our existing colleagues and job applicants can fully be themselves and bring their own unique experiences and perspectives to Chelsea FC. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please reach out to your recruiter, who will be able to advise and support you.

Chelsea FC and the Foundation is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children, young people and adults at risk (vulnerable groups). We therefore require all successful applicants to complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment. Depending on the role, successful applicants may also be required to undergo other child protection screening where appropriate.

This Job Description is not intended to be exhaustive; the duties and responsibilities may therefore vary over time according to the changing needs of the Club.