Workforce, competences and training

UEFA webinar recording: Working with football clubs on child and youth protection

Supportive environments positively impact participation, performance, and personal development of young football players. Since 2020, the UEFA Social & Environmental Sustainability Division has taken significant strides in relation to good governance and human rights, including child rights. All UEFA member associations have a designated child and youth protection officer in place and whilst more than half of the associations have a policy, others are working towards this goal.

Webinar summary: The profile of under-18s and how to communicate effectively with them in football settings

Overview

Adults working with children and young people in football are responsible for ensuring a safe, and empowering environment for all children and youth to play football. This includes planning developmentally appropriate and inclusive opportunities to play and enjoy the game.

UEFA online course: Involving children in child safeguarding in football

Children have the right to freely express their views and participate in decisions that affect their lives (Art. 12 and 13 of the Convention in the Rights of the Child). Adults working with children in football therefore have a responsibility to encourage and support children’s participation. This includes efforts to keep children and youth safe while involved in football.

The Albanian Football Association and Terre des hommes Albania sign a cooperation agreement for the protection and safety of children in football

On 9 February 2023, the Albanian Football Association (AFA) and Terre des hommes Albania (Tdh) signed a cooperation agreement in the field of child protection in football, in line with UEFA's initiative to develop national child protection policies for each of its 55 members. The agreement comes as a continuation of the previous collaboration to improve the quality of child protection in football, including Tdh's contribution to the drafting of two important documents of the AFA: the child protection policy in football and the code of ethics.

The Albanian Football Association and Terre des hommes Albania conduct training on child and youth protection in football

In December 2022, the Albanian Football Association (AFA) in partnership with Terre des hommes Albania organised a training session on “Child Safeguarding in Football”. Since a long time, the AFA has been committed to developing and implementing its policies for the protection and preservation of the safety of children in football, also based on the guidelines of UEFA and FIFA.

Ahead of World Children's Day, UEFA hosted the first Summit on Child and Youth Protection in Football

The first UEFA Child and Youth Protection Summit took place on 17-18 November in Tubize (Belgium), at the Royal Belgian Football Association's (RBFA) new headquarters. Forty-nine UEFA member association’s child and youth protection officers were joined by keynote speakers of the European Commission and the Council of Europe, as well as leading researchers and experts in child and youth protection.

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