The Premier League checks club safeguarding by sending an appointed representative to assess compliance. The club must give access to the required records and to the people involved, and each visit leads to written feedback for the club and a written report to the league.
What a monitoring visit covers
Here is what a monitoring visit involves.
| Element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Access to records | All records the safeguarding rules require the club to keep |
| Access to people | Club affiliated individuals, parents, children, academy players, adults at risk and their carers |
| Written feedback | Given to the club after each visit |
| Action plan | Agreed with the club where that is appropriate |
| Report | Written to the league, with a copy to the club |
The purpose of the visit is to assess how far the club complies with the safeguarding rules. The person carrying out that assessment is a representative appointed by the league for that purpose.
What access a club must give
A club must make sure the representative can see all records that the safeguarding rules require it to keep. The access is not limited to selected documents or a club-chosen sample.
The club must also make sure the representative can meet the people connected to the safeguarding work. That includes club affiliated individuals, parents, children, academy players, adults at risk, and their carers. The process is built around both documentation and direct access to people.
What happens after the visit
After each monitoring visit, the representative gives the club written feedback. That is a set part of every visit.
Where appropriate, the representative agrees an action plan with the club setting out what the club will do to comply with the safeguarding rules. The representative also reports on each visit in writing to the league, and the club receives a copy of that report.
When the league can run a case review
The league may, at its absolute discretion, run a case review if it becomes aware of significant or repeated breaches of its safeguarding standards, abuse of or unsuitable behaviour towards a child or adult at risk by a club affiliated individual, or concerns about how a club has handled a safeguarding matter.
The review can be carried out by the league on its own or together with The Football Association. In that review, the league is entitled to the same access to records and to the same people as in a monitoring visit. After the review, the league may direct the club or propose measures for the club to put in place, and the club must adopt them in full.
FAQ
Does the Premier League inspect club safeguarding?
Yes. It does that through a monitoring visit by a representative the league appoints to assess compliance.
The club has to support that process by giving access to both required records and relevant people. It is not only a paperwork exercise.
What does a club receive after a safeguarding visit?
The club receives written feedback after each visit. Where appropriate, it will also agree an action plan with the representative.
A written report also goes back to the league after each visit, and the club gets a copy of that report. So the outcome is documented on both sides.
Can the Premier League investigate a safeguarding concern at a club?
Yes. The league may run a case review when serious or repeated safeguarding breaches come to light, when there is abuse or unsuitable behaviour towards a child or adult at risk by a club affiliated individual, or when the league has concerns about how the matter was handled.
That review can be run by the league alone or with The Football Association. In either setup, the league has the same access to records and people as it does on a monitoring visit.
Does a club have to follow a Premier League safeguarding direction?
Yes. After a case review, the league may issue directions or propose measures for the club to put in place.
The club must adopt them in full. The rules do not leave room for partial adoption.