News

The Trust has expanded rapidly and this has been made possible by sponsorship, hundreds of volunteers from the various communities, FAW Football Development Officers , Senior and Junior officers in SW Police and other police areas, The Millennium Stadium management who have also been vital in our growth. We currently play on 6 pitches for the 48 teams in the Final. The Trustee’s plan to expand their activities to include the North Wales Police area which will involve 64 teams playing in the Final hopefully within 2 years. The Tournament will then be re-named Youth Champions of Wales and this will increase the number of children taking part to 16,000. The Home Office and Police support this expansion and we will do our utmost to achieve this. The should improve youth football and reduce anti-social behaviour among players and spectators.

Forms of Child Abuse Sexual Abuse

Both boys and girls can be sexually abused in the following ways:

• full sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex and fondling
• showing children ponographic books and videos.
• asking children to take part in making videos or taking pornographic photographs.

Physical Abuse:
Physical abuse can be in the form of injuries sustained through hitting, shaking, squeezing, biting or burning in certain situations, abuse may occur when the nature and intensity of training exceeds the capacity of the child's body.

Neglect:
Where adults:

• fail to meet a child's basic physical need e.g. food, warmth and clothing
• constantly leave children alone and unsupervised
• constantly or refuse to give children love, affection or attention.

Neglect might also occur during organised activities if young people are placed in an unsafe environment, are exposed to extreme weather conditions or are at risk from being injured.

What to look for:

• pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in genital area
• stomach pain
• discomfort when walking
• unexplained sources of money
• inappropriate drawings, language or behaviour
• aggressive, withdrawn behaviour or fear of one person.
• unexplained or untreated injuries
• injuries on unlikely parts of the body
• cigarette burns, bite or belt marks, scalds
• fear of parents being contacted, going home or receiving medical advice
• flinching when touched
• covering arms and legs
• poor personal hygiene
• constantly hungry
• inappropriate clothing or dress.
• constantly tired.
• lonely, no friends
• underweight
• no parental support or interest
• dishevelled appearanc

Emotional abuse
What to look for:
This form of abuse includes:

• over-reaction to mistakes
• persistent lack of love or affection
• sudden speech disorders
• frequently shouting at children
• extremes of emotion
• taunting children
• self-mutilation
• over-protective which can lead to poor social skills.

Emotional abuse may include situations where parents, coaches or organisers subject children to constant criticism, bullying or unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations

What to do if a child or young person tells about abuse

• most importantly, you should listen attentively and let him/her know it was right to tell someone about their worries
• stay calm and make sure that the child feels safe and knows that he/she is not to blame for what has happened
• explain that you will have to tell someone about the abuse it it is to stop
• try to establish the basic facts but leave detalied questioning to the professionals
• make a note of what the child said and the date and time of your conversation
• dont act without seeking help from your organisation's Child Protection Officer if you have one or from Social Services or the Police, who must be informed about all suspected cases of child abuse
• seek advice before telling parents or carers about the conversation or let any person suspected of abuse know what/s happened - you could be putting the child in greater jeopardy by doing so
• don't worry that you may be making things worse by reporting your concerns - few things are worse than allowing child abuse to continue. Many children are devasted by the experience of abuse and, in the most serious
  cases, may be seriously harmed.

The Child-Safe Code for staff and volunteers:
Do:

• treat all young people with respect and take notice of their reactions to your tone of voice and manner
• always seek the parent's and child's consent if he/she is very young or disabled and needs help to go to the toilet
• remember that it is okay to touch children in a way which isn't intrusive or disturbing or threatening
• make sure that any allegations or suspicions are recorded and acted upon.

Do Not:

• engage in rough physical games including horseplay
• touch a child in an intrusive or sexual manner
• make sexually suggestive comments to a child, evan as a joke
• do things of a personal nature that a child can do for themselves, such as going to the toilet or changing clothes

Try to avoid:

• spending too much time alone with a child
• giving a child a life in your car
• taking a child to your home

If some of these situations are unavoidable, try to get parental permission first. If this isn't possible make sure you let parents known what has happened as soon as you can.