Safeguarding overview for medical staff

Full walkthrough: Safeguard your members in the guide covers this step by step.

Most medical events in Clubhouse are exactly what they look like — a sporting injury that needs assessment and recovery. A small number aren't. This is the index for everything you need to know about recognising, escalating, and understanding the framework around safeguarding concerns surfaced through medical work.

If you have an immediate concern, go straight to the escalation workflow. The other articles in this section are reference. Don't read them while a child is at risk.

1. Recognising safeguarding concerns — the clinical and behavioural indicators that should make you stop and consider escalation. Read this proactively, before you ever need it.

2. Escalation workflow — what to do now — the step-by-step actions in Clubhouse and outside it when you've formed a concern. The "act now" article.

3. Club policy and roles — FA, OCG, MPIO, mandatory reporting — the legal and policy framework you're working within in NSW. Read this once so you understand the system; refer back when you need definitions.

If something feels wrong and you're not sure whether to escalate — escalate. The right standard is reasonable grounds for concern, not certainty. The MPIO is the right person to triage ambiguity, not you. False positives are recoverable; missed positives are not.

You are protected under the Children's Guardian Act 2019 (NSW) when you raise concerns in good faith, regardless of whether they are ultimately substantiated.

Football Australia and FA NSW have employee assistance and peer support resources. Use them. If you ever feel out of your depth, that's the right signal to involve more senior support — your TD, the MPIO, or external clinical supervision.

This guidance is not a substitute for your training as an MPIO or the specific advice of the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian.