The Centre of Excellence at Grimsby Town Football Club acknowledges, and accepts, as its main responsibility, the well-being and safety of those children and young persons who are on trial at the Centre of Excellence, or who are registered at the Centre of Excellence as students.It does so in the belief that placing their welfare at the centre of its concerns provides a solid foundation for the development of the young players of the future and for effective Child Protection practice.

The Centre of Excellence

• Promotes and supports good outcomes in terms of health, development and educational achievement for its students.
• Enables parents and other members of the student's family to be as involved as is practicable in a working relationship with the Centre of Excellence.
• Recognises the significance of ethnic and cultural diversity.
• Acknowledges its responsibility to set high football, academic and social standards.
• Expects that all adults having contact with students will provide good models of behaviour, be honest and take the feelings of others into account.
• Seeks opportunities for celebrating students' success and recognise achievement, effort and good behaviour.
• Recognises that good behaviour will be achieved if all those involved in the Centre of Excellence have a clear and mutual understanding of the aims of the Centre of Excellence and if systems of training are implemented efficiently.
• Provides a disciplined environment where students will work together taking a pride in themselves and their surroundings.

Child Protection

The Football League Centre of Excellence of Grimsby Town Football Club adopts the policy of The Football League on Child Protection.Following consultation with the North East Lincs Social Services Dept, the Centre of Excellence adopts the guidelines and procedures on child

protection given in the North East Lincs Council's Safeguarding Children's Board Guidelines publication.

The Football Centre of Excellence recognises that the Social Services Department, the NSPCC and the Police have a statutory duty to protect children and young persons at risk.The Football Centre of Excellence accepts that it must work in partnership with these agencies when child protection issues arise.

At the Football Centre of Excellence Martin George, Child Protection Officer, is the designated person to whom any cause for concern about a child's well-being must be reported.

The protection of children is the proper concern of everyone in a position to help.All staff and volunteers at the Centre of Excellence, who are involved with children and young players, will be made aware of how to recognise child abuse and make appropriate referrals to the Designated person.The Centre of Excellence will provide training in this.

Experience confirms the importance of apparently small matters needing to be taken seriously, listened to and addressed.A recurring pattern of "minor" complaints could indicate deep-seated problems that need to be addressed.All staff and volunteers at the Centre of Excellence, who are involved with children and young persons, should take complaints seriously and report them to the designated person.Students should have direct access to the designated person and complaints should always be acknowledged and logged.