12/08/2026
⚠️ IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS - PRIVATE FOOTBALL COACHING ⚠️
There has been a noticeable increase in individuals and businesses offering paid one-to-one and small-group football sessions in and around the Peterlee area.
Additional coaching can be beneficial, and there are some excellent private coaches operating properly. However, a social media page, branded tracksuit or statement that somebody is “FA qualified” is not, by itself, evidence that the appropriate safeguards are in place.
Before allowing your child to attend a private session, parents should ask the provider for:
- A public liability insurance certificate that specifically covers paid youth football coaching
- Confirmation that their insurance covers the venue being used, and they simply haven't found just any grassed area from which to operate
- Evidence of their current football coaching qualifications
- Evidence of safeguarding and first-aid training
- Details of an Enhanced DBS check appropriate for working with children
- Written landowner permission or a confirmed booking for the pitch or facility
- A safeguarding and child-protection policy
- A clear procedure for reporting concerns, injuries or complaints
- Parental consent and emergency-contact arrangements
Parents should be allowed and encouraged to remain present throughout any one-to-one session. Durham FA identifies one-to-one coaching without supervision or another adult present as poor safeguarding practice.
Communication about sessions should also go through the parent or carer. A private coach should not be privately messaging a child or asking them to keep conversations, injuries or events from their parents.
Please do not assume that somebody is properly covered simply because they coach or volunteer for a local football club. Private paid coaching is a separate commercial activity and is not covered by that club’s FA purchased insurance.
Unless a session has been confirmed through Peterlee Town Juniors AFC’s official channels, parents should not assume it is being delivered, approved or insured by the club.
A responsible coach will welcome these questions and provide the evidence without becoming defensive. If you have an immediate safeguarding concern, contact the police on 999.
Other concerns can be reported to:
Durham County Council First Contact: 03000 267 979
Durham FA Safeguarding: [email protected]
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
This is not about attacking legitimate coaches. It is about ensuring that anyone being paid to work with children can demonstrate that they are competent, insured, accountable and operating with proper safeguarding arrangements, so that should serious incidents occur you and your child are fully protected.
