BF Board Safety and Welfare Lead Role Description

Welfare and safety is a broad term encompassing safeguarding (adults and children); mental health and wellbeing (including psychological safety); anti-doping and integrity, but is not limited to these issues.

It’s not intended however to cover all responsibilities related to health and safety or property and facilities. In the context of fencing it does not cover those responsibilities delegated to the Safety Committee which covers the specialist safety rules surrounding equipment, nor those delegated to the  Medical Committee.

Board members have collective responsibility for all matters, including welfare and safety and for any decisions made in this regard in addition to this appointment.

In addition everyone in fencing has a responsibility to safeguard and protect young people and vulnerable adults.

The role of the Board welfare and safety lead is to provide a focus at Board level and to support the Board in ensuring that it has appropriate oversight of, and meets its responsibilities towards, the welfare and safety of its members and people (this will include employees, participants and volunteers and any other individuals which the organisation interacts with). The lead will also help to ensure that welfare and safety matters are factored into decisions, be the main contact on the Board for welfare and safety matters and will be supported by the team who manage day to day issues, with training provided as appropriate.

Role

(These are provided in addition to the General Responsibilities of a Board Director found here)

1. lead and inform welfare and safety discussions and planning within Board
   meetings
2. highlight welfare and safety implications of Board decisions and ensure that
   they are considered in decision making where relevant
3. check and challenge the Board and Executive on decisions that affect welfare
   and safety across the organisation
4. assist the Board in assessment of risk to the organisation in relation to welfare
   and safety issues and ensure that the Corporate/Strategic Risk Register
   adequately reflects welfare and safety risk to the organisation
5. ensure that reporting by the executive to the Board on welfare and safety
   issues, including reporting on patterns and trends and performance, is
   appropriate and sufficient to enable the Board to make informed decisions
6. act as a link between the executives who have responsibility for welfare and
   safety (e.g. the safeguarding lead) and the Board, providing non-executive
   support to executive staff on welfare and safety issues
7. ensure that effective pathways are in place to enable the views of participants,
   their parents/guardians and other members and people on welfare and safety
   issues are made known to the Board
8. act as an advocate for welfare and safety, highlighting its importance both with
   stakeholders and across the organisation and its participants
   support the organisation to maintain appropriate welfare and safety standards
   for members and other people (this will include employees, participants and
   volunteers, and other individuals which the organisation interacts with)
9. act as an alternative route in relation to any welfare and safety concerns from
   people for whom the organisation is responsible
10. develop personal knowledge and skills in relation to welfare and safety by
    undertaking training where appropriate and support other Board members in
    developing their own knowledge and skills.

Experience and Knowledge

(These are provided in addition to the General Responsibilities of a Board Director found here)

Essential

1. Understanding of the importance of welfare and safety within the context of a
   organisation providing sport and/or physical activity
2. Commitment to the development of an organisational culture which supports
   and embeds welfare and safety across all organisational activity
3. Commitment to developing an understanding of welfare and safety, including
   safeguarding and other integrity issues (for example anti-doping), within the
   context of an organisation providing sport and/or physical activity.

Desirable:

1. Basic understanding of BF’s safeguarding structure and procedures
2. Strategic insight into safeguarding and child protection issues
3. Basic knowledge of BF’s policy and procedures related to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and adults at risk
4. Basic knowledge of BF’s role and responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and the roles of the various levels of Welfare Officer
5. Basic knowledge of roles and responsibilities of local statutory agencies (Social Services, Police and LSCB)
6. Basic knowledge of equality issues and child protection
7. Basic knowledge of core legislation, government guidance and national framework for child protection and adults at risk

Training

The Board Safeguarding Champion must attend the following workshops which will provide them with much of the background information that is needed for this role:

• En Guarde Ready – an introduction to British  Fencing’s Welfare Pack
• Sportscoach UK’s Safeguarding and Protection Workshop (or equivalent in Scotland and NI)
• BF’s Welfare Officer Training or Time to Listen Training
• Board Safeguarding Training

For more information click here.