In 2005 it became a British Gymnastics Requirement that registered clubs appoint a Welfare Officer to strengthen their provision of care for children.

In many cases this meant that clubs recruited volunteers who were new to the role. Although specific training is given, Welfare Officers can find themselves dealing with situations, which they did not anticipate. In the process of resolving these, the Welfare Officer often reaches a point where advice from a colleague would be of real benefit. Typically, however, the Welfare Officer works on their own, with no immediate possibility of drawing on the experiences of others. This can make the Welfare Officer feel at isolated at times.

To help over come this and to improve on the support to Welfare Officers, the South East Gymnastics Association have set up Welfare Officer Forums in each county. These meetings are held once a term and all Welfare Officers are invited. The agendas typically include a review of the latest British Gymnastics requirements and procedures, items of news regarding child welfare, followed by case study discussions, where various experiences are talked about. A number of these forums have been held and the feedback from them has been very positive. One Welfare Officer commented that "It was really gratifying to know that others would have done the same in the case I had, and a couple of ideas were suggested which will come in useful".

One direct benefit of these Forums is that Welfare Officers, by agreement, have each others contact details, so help and advice can now be a phone call away. Welfare Officers are also encouraged to form local networks where there is a cluster of clubs.

A direct result from these Forums has been the production of a ‘Welfare Officer's Guide To Case Handling'. This is a working guide intended to provide the Welfare Officer with a practical pathway to follow, to ensure that all cases are dealt with thoroughly and to full completion.

Welfare Officer Forums have become part of our support service to our volunteers and have enhanced their ability to effectively look after the interests of the children.

by Andy Piekarski
Development Officer, South East Region