Academy Player Care

**Hours**: Full time, 42 hours per week, over 7 days, including Academy match days.

**Location**: The Neil Dougherty Training Ground, Nottingham, NG2

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, enthusiastic, meticulous, hardworking and determined Player Care and Wellbeing Lead to join our business and perform a key role within our prestigious Academy at Nottingham Forest Football Club.

The role will have responsibility of all player care and wellbeing matters for our players within the Academy at Nottingham Forest FC. Ensuring there is a comprehensive delivery of pastoral care by developing and managing a high-quality player care and life skills provision across the Academy programme.

This is a great opportunity to join NFFC at an exciting time and be part of a successful Club that is passionate about its people.

**Benefits of joining us**
- Complimentary staff tickets to our home games
- Store discount
- Company sick pay
- Great team environment

*

Key Tasks and Responsibilities*
- Responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of the player care programme in line with the academy performance plan across the three phases of the academy.
- Lead on the coordination and arrangements for host families and living accommodation for all scholars and trialists.
- Lead on the academy mental and emotional wellbeing strategy and development plan.
- Lead on the academy life skills programme including the education of players, parents, academy staff and host families.
- Act as the lead staff member for the academy SWEP team. Responsible for co-ordinating the staff members through implementing the referral pathway, reporting and actions of all necessary concerns.
- Act as the first point of contact within the academy for all welfare and wellbeing concerns. Liaise and manage welfare concerns of players, parents, host families and academy staff accordingly adopting a proactive approach.
- Liaise with the Senior Safeguarding Manager for all necessary safeguarding concerns and ensure that we meet all the legal requirements of players under the age of 18 living in club accommodation.
- Lead on the player care, welfare and wellbeing aspects of academy audits that are carried out e.g., PGAAC, Ofsted, Premier League and EFL.
- Provide one-to-one support for academy players as required to ensure that they are aware of internal and external support available to them.
- Work closely with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure holistic development and that players personal development and wellbeing is at the centre of player support.
- Develop the induction process of newly registered players into the academy as well as existing players who progress through the pathway.
- Engage with academy players and parents through consistent regular dialogue and visits to support each players development off the football pitch and development an education programme for both.
- Build and maintain an effective relationship with host families and facilitate communication with player parents as well as designing, developing and implementing an education programme for our host families.
- Working with the Head of Academy Recruitment and Lead Phase Coaches to create and maintain an induction and monitoring process to include support for players on trial with the academy.
- Develop the process for player transition through age groups, player release and progression from the Academy.
- Attend where appropriate tours and trips, leading on all player care, welfare and wellbeing matters pre, during and post trips.
- To liaise with schools and parents in relation to all aspects of player care, welfare and wellbeing.
- To lead the parent and player voice initiatives and parent education programmes.
- Be the principal point of contact for the EFL/PL and relevant governing bodies for all matters relating to areas within player care, welfare and wellbeing.
- Supporting the Education and Welfare Officer and Senior Safeguarding Manager with safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in our care across the player pathway.
- Implementing the academy’s reporting and recording procedures and a point of contact for the academy.
- To design and develop a player mentoring programme for all players in the pathway.
- Working with the Head of Education and Welfare to develop our Alumni programme, ensuring regular contact with previous academy players.
- To maintain player information confidentiality and professional distance from all playing staff acting within professional codes of conduct and scope of practice at all times.
- To act, at all times, in a manner appropriate to a representative of Nottingham Forest FC.

**Required Qualifications and Experience**:

- Previous experience in a Player Care/Safeguarding role.
- Knowledge of the CPSU’s standards in Child Protection in Sport
- FA Safeguarding Children
- A recognised qualification in Safeguarding Children or equivalent
- Excellent timekeeping, attendance and is reliable.
- De