Player Care Co-ordinator

**Job Title - Player Care Co-Ordinator**

**Location - Cobham**

**Permanent Role**

**Hours - 40 hours per week**

**About Us**:
As a member of the Chelsea team you will become part of a long and proud history in the heart of iconic west London, which dates back to the club’s founding in 1905. Since that time the club has won every major domestic and international trophy, being crowned English, European and world champions in the process.

Chelsea are a club which proudly strives to be the best in everything we do, on and off the pitch, as shown by the further success of our Women’s and Academy sides, as well as the excellent work in the community undertaken by the Chelsea Foundation, while engaging with our many supporters from a wide range of backgrounds at home in the UK and around the world.

If you’re motivated and want to help us win more trophies, you’ve got a place here at Chelsea

**What We’re Looking For**:
The Player Care Co-Ordinator will be an integral part of an interdisciplinary team within the Academy. Your main responsibility will be the delivery of the Academy’s player welfare strategy across the Foundation Phase (U9-12) and Youth Development Phase (U13-16) age groups, whilst also supporting work with the professional development phase age groups when required. Responsibilities include supporting a robust, holistic player support programme, player downtime activities, parent engagement and player transport support when required. This is a frontline role with a focus on promoting and developing best practice around player welfare.

**Brief description and duties**:
U9-U16 Player Care Co-ordination:

- Co-ordinate a player care provision that promotes welfare and holistic development of players in the foundation and youth development phases, through working effectively and building trusted relationships with players, staff and host parents where applicable.
- Assist with the planning and delivery of the football education programme for players that is age appropriate, bespoke and contemporary.
- Represent player care in CSR meetings to discuss player development.
- Support the delivery of a robust player downtime programme, including house visits and group downtime activities for players on the Full Time Programme.
- Manage working schedule to be able to attend part time player activities, including training, fixtures, trips and tours and activities.
- Effectively log, manage and record player interactions.
- Work alongside the Clubs safeguarding department to ensure best practice and Premier League standards are met.
- Support with player transport needs when required.

Parent Engagement:

- Establish and maintain trusted relationships with parents, through proactive engagement, and regular communication.
- Give the parents a voice at the academy through listening to their comments and feedback. Use this to inform conversations with the Head of Player Care and Programme Lead to overview the key themes raised by parents.
- Play an integral part in the development and delivery of the Academy parent education programme.

Player Induction and Exit:

- Support the recruitment department with the induction process after signing players in the U9-16 age groups.
- Represent Player Care at the new season age group induction events.
- Create a robust process for supporting player and parents through the retain and release process, working together with the Head or Player Care, Phase-Lead Coaches, Sport Psychology lead and other key stakeholders to ensure that support is individual, and appropriate to the needs of the player and family.
- Maintain the relationship with players and parents after they have left the club to offer support and guidance where necessary.
- Support the Head of Player Care in developing the Academy Alumni.

**Must Haves/qualified by demonstrable experience to the level required**:

- Full valid driving licence
- Experience in working with elite young athletes or adolescents.
- Additional professional qualifications that would complement the role (i.e TALS, MHFA, Relevant Psychology degree, CBT qualification)
- Ability to demonstrate adaptable communication through strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to empathise with player, parent, and staff
- Ability to understand the emotional and well-being challenges.
- Ability to work in a flexible way, including evenings and weekends to meet the needs of the service.

**Nice to haves**:

- Significant knowledge of the high-performance sporting environment.
- A strong understanding of the pressures and challenges faced by young athletes.
- Experience and understanding of working in culturally diverse communities.
- Experience of working with sensitive and confidential information.
- A commitment to continuing professional development

**What We Offer**:
**Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion**:
At Chelsea we recognise that the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are taking positi