Disclosure and Barring Service Checks
Welfare Officers must have an FA-accepted Criminal Record Check (CRC), also known as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check, which has to be renewed every three years.
Other roles in football that require a DBS include:
Your role in football | Action to take |
Grassroots U18s coach, manager, first aider or any other club based eligible role | Speak to your Club Welfare Officer |
Club/League Welfare Officer | Speak to the CFA Safeguarding Team |
Referee, referee mentor, referee coach, referee assessor and referee tutor in U18 football | Contact the CFA Referee Development Officer |
Licensed coach applicant | Call 0845 210 8080 or email FAChecks@TheFA.com for advice |
Working in a private soccer school or unaffiliated football | You may not be able to get an FA enhanced CRC - speak to your line manager or call 0845 210 8080 or email FAChecks@TheFA.com for advice |
Working in a Premier League club | Contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer at your Club. |
Working in an English Football League Club | Contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer at your Club, or contact 0845 210 8080 or email FAChecks@TheFA.com for advice |
Unsure what you should be doing | Call 0845 210 8080 or email FAChecks@TheFA.com for advice |
The FA's Whole Game System enables club welfare officers (CWOs), assistant CWOs and club secretaries to track and manage club members who are required to do a check and safeguarding children training.
To register your club to use the online disclosures CRC service or to make enquiries not covered by the guidance provided below, please contact The Safeguarding Team or contact FAChecks@TheFA.com and either team will be happy to assist.
Guidance Leaflets
The FA has created a series of guidance leaflets to assist you and your club with the processing of criminal records checks. Click on the links below for further guidance:
- Clubs - Criminal Record Check - Guidance Leaflet
- Coaches - Criminal Record Check - Guidance Leaflet
- Referees - Criminal Record Check - Guidance Leaflet
- Tutors - Criminal Record Check - Guidance leaflet
- CRC Guidance notes for Applicants
- Guidance for Grassroots Clubs - Eligibility of Roles Oct 2013
- CRC Guidance notes for Club Welfare Officers
- Online Disclosures - User Guide
- CRC Verifiers ID Guidance and Recording Sheet
- Guide to The FAs Online Safeguarding Service
- Criminal Records Checks - FAQs - Jan 2014
- The FA's Policy Statement on the recruitment of Ex-Offenders
- The FA's handling of DBS certificates policy