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How we keep children safe
Who the companions are, how we choose them, and what must be in place before any child joins.
The people beside them
Every child deserves someone in their corner.
Football is fun. Adventures are exciting. But the people we share them with are what make them memorable.
Rifāq is being built around small groups with the same trusted adults, from the first day to the last — people who will learn every child's name, encourage them, notice when someone is left out, and lead by example.
We call them companions.
Before anyone stands beside a child
Good intentions aren't enough.
What every companion will go through
- An interview with two of us.
- Two references, and we telephone both of them ourselves.
- Training before they meet a single child.
- Never alone with a child.
What is true today
- No companion has been appointed and no child has been registered.
- We have decided to build on recognised international child protection standards rather than rules of our own.
What must be finished before any child is registered
- The full safeguarding policy, written and published.
- Every check, reference and interview completed, for every companion.
- Training delivered, and one named person responsible for safeguarding.
Could you be one of them?
We are looking for people we would want beside our own children. If that might be you, tell us now rather than next spring — references, checks and training all take time, and the first summer depends on having the right people long before it begins.