Short, plain-English summaries of how we keep people safe, handle money, and operate our community sessions. Full governance frameworks are filed formally with Companies House, the CIC Regulator, and our insurers. All provisions are reviewed at least annually. Questions or adjustments: [email protected].
These policies apply universally to all Plymouth Kickabouts sessions, Everyone Plays CIC activities, and Everyone Plays FC infrastructure.
Each document below is the binding, unabridged framework currently ratified by board resolution. Updated following any statutory legislative shift or governing body directive.
Everyone Plays CIC holds a strict, absolute commitment to defending the physical, digital, and emotional welfare of every participant.
Our designated welfare lead is Director Martyn Blight. For any safety, protection, or boundary concerns: [email protected].
For acute child protection emergencies or immediate physical risk to life, call 999 first, then alert our CWO.
All directors, programme leads, and matchday Gamekeepers with regular proximity to under-18s will undergo formal Enhanced DBS Checks with a Children's Barred List check via The FA Club Portal upon affiliation (currently in progress).
Our session leads hold current FA qualifications including Safeguarding Children in Football (expires February 2028), Introduction to First Aid in Football (expires February 2029), Player Welfare in Open Age Football, and Safeguarding Adults. All mandatory qualifications are renewed in line with FA renewal schedules.
We exist to break down social barriers and make recreational football accessible to individuals who have historically been excluded from the game. Our commitment to equality under the Equality Act 2010 is non-negotiable.
We enforce an absolute safe space regardless of age, disability, neurotype, gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, body size, physical fitness, or prior footballing background.
Young people aged 16 and 17 are legally children and are fully protected by youth safeguarding rules within our open-age Thursday recreational sessions.
Minors cannot book or pay until a parent or legal guardian completes our digital consent process. The system locks registration until the guardian confirms via the secure link sent to them.
Guardian contact details are mapped permanently onto the player profile and visible to matchday Gamekeepers on the live session manifest.
All chronic medical conditions, severe allergies, or accessibility requirements must be logged at registration.
Under-18s may only enter session WhatsApp groups if explicit parental consent is given at registration. Any group containing a minor must have a minimum of two adult administrators alongside the parent or guardian.
Adults are strictly forbidden from direct one-to-one private messaging with under-18 players. Gamekeepers apply our Three-Strike Redirection Protocol, moving all queries to the monitored parent group chat.
A monitored parent communication group is maintained for all participants under the age of 18. The group includes the player's parent or guardian, the Club Welfare Officer, and at least one additional club representative. This group constitutes the sole authorised channel for welfare-related communications involving under-18 participants.
Where an under-18 participant initiates direct one-to-one private contact with a club official, staff member, or gamekeeper, the recipient must not respond through that private channel. The recipient must redirect the communication to the monitored parent group at the earliest opportunity, acknowledging receipt to the player without engaging substantively with the content of the message in the private channel.
The sole exception to this redirection requirement is where the content of the communication discloses or implies an immediate safeguarding concern, risk of harm, or a matter requiring urgent statutory escalation. In such cases the recipient must follow the safeguarding escalation procedure set out in the Club's Internal Safeguarding Procedures (D7) and notify the Club Welfare Officer immediately, regardless of channel.
By booking a session and stepping onto an Everyone Plays CIC pitch, you agree to:
Slide tackling is strictly prohibited across all sessions to eliminate structural injury risks.
Shin guards are strongly recommended for adult players and are strictly mandatory for all under-18 participants. Any minor arriving without shin guards fully covered by football socks will not be permitted to play.
Full refund or booking credit if you cancel more than 24 hours before kickoff via your online dashboard.
Within 24 hours of the session start time, your slot is locked and no refund or credit is available.
If a session is cancelled by Everyone Plays CIC due to severe weather, facility failure, or venue closure, an automated 100% refund is processed to your payment card.
Contact [email protected].
A fully checked, unexpired first aid kit is positioned pitchside at every session.
Our session leads hold current FA Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF) qualifications. Steve Rowlands (expires February 2029). Martyn Blight (qualification confirmed, details updated post-registration).
All physical impacts, concussions, and lacerations beyond basic cuts are logged in the restricted database panel within 12 hours of the event.
We strictly enforce "If in doubt, sit them out." Any player suspected of a head injury is immediately removed from play and barred from returning or driving home on that day.
Everyone Plays CIC carries public liability insurance covering our community sessions (currently men's football: Monday 18-60, Thursday 16-60). Details available at [email protected].
Our location-specific emergency action plan for Stoke Damerel Community College covers emergency vehicle routing, AED location, ambulance access, and incident reporting. Available on request at [email protected].
We periodically capture photographs and video during sessions for our website, social media, and grant-funding impact assessments.
You can opt in or out during registration and update your preferences in your account settings at any time.
Under-18 players are never photographed or filmed without explicit written parental consent validated in our system.
Cameras and recording devices are completely prohibited inside all changing rooms, toilet blocks, and showering facilities.
No public photograph of a minor will ever be tagged with their real name. Youth kit must never display a player's real surname.
Your data privacy is protected under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We only collect information required to run your bookings safely, verify your age group, track health conditions relevant to your safety, and provide emergency contact details pitchside.
We operate a zero-sale data policy. All information is held in encrypted, access-controlled databases restricted to the active Club Welfare Officer and Executive Board.
You have the right to access your data, request corrections, or demand permanent deletion at any time. Contact [email protected].
Everyone Plays CIC is registered as a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee.
No private shareholders, no corporate dividends, no private distribution of capital.
100% of session surpluses, revenue, sponsorships, and grants are reinvested into our community mission.
Our assets and cash reserves are protected by a statutory asset lock monitored by the UK CIC Regulator, guaranteeing all value remains permanently dedicated to community benefit.
If you experience a system failure, a breach of our code of conduct, or poor practice during a session:
Every policy summary is audited and updated at least once every 12 months by our Board of Directors. Extraordinary reviews are triggered immediately by an internal safety incident, insurer feedback, or an FA Safeguarding framework update. Significant changes are notified to all registered members by email.