SportGems Platform, Safeguarding & Player Welfare Policy

1. Our Purpose

SportGems exists to help talented young footballers gain visibility and access to genuine opportunities while providing a safer, more transparent and professional environment for players, parents, scouts, clubs and football professionals.

We recognise that youth football can be an exciting but sometimes difficult environment for young players and their families.

A player may be looking for their next opportunity after being released from an academy. A parent may be trying to understand whether an approach from a scout or club is genuine. A scout may be looking for players with specific qualities. A club may want to identify emerging talent.

SportGems aims to provide a trusted link between these parties.

Our approach is based on three principles:

• The best interests and welfare of young players come first.
• Professional relationships should be transparent and accountable.
• Young players should not be exposed unnecessarily to private or inappropriate contact from unknown adults.

SportGems is not intended to replace existing club safeguarding, welfare, recruitment or player-care procedures. Instead, we aim to complement them.

2. Safeguarding Children

SportGems recognises that children and young people require additional protection when using online services.

Where a player is under 18, SportGems expects appropriate involvement from a parent or legal guardian.

We will take reasonable and proportionate steps to:

• protect young players from inappropriate contact;
• reduce opportunities for adults to contact children privately;
• verify professional users where appropriate;
• provide mechanisms for reporting concerns;
• respond to safeguarding concerns seriously;
• restrict or remove users who breach our safeguarding standards;
• protect children's personal information;
• promote transparent communication between players, parents, scouts and clubs.

The welfare of a young person will take priority over the commercial interests of SportGems, a scout, a club or any other platform user.

3. Parents and Guardians

Parents and legal guardians play an important role on SportGems.

Where a player is under 18, parents or legal guardians may be required to create, approve, manage or oversee the player's profile and participation.

Parents and guardians should:

• provide accurate information about themselves and the player;
• ensure that information uploaded to a player's profile is accurate;
• supervise communications and opportunities where appropriate;
• ensure that the player understands the nature of any opportunity offered;
• report anything that appears inappropriate, misleading or unsafe;
• never feel pressured to accept an approach, trial, meeting or opportunity.

SportGems will never suggest that a parent should allow their child to meet an unknown adult privately.

Parents should independently verify any proposed trial, training session, club, scout, agent or football organisation before agreeing to participation.

4. Players

SportGems is designed to give young players visibility, not to create unrealistic expectations.

A player's profile may contain information such as:

• football position;
• age group;
• playing history;
• statistics;
• achievements;
• video footage;
• photographs;
• football-related information;
• development objectives.

Players should never be required to provide unnecessary personal information simply to improve their visibility.

Players under 18 should not use SportGems to arrange private meetings with adults they have met through the platform.

Players should report anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, pressured, threatened or unsafe.

5. Released Players and Player Aftercare

SportGems was created with player aftercare as one of its core values.

We understand that being released from an academy or football programme can be a difficult experience for a young player and their family.

Being released does not necessarily mean that a player's football journey has ended.

With appropriate parent or guardian involvement, a player may create or maintain a SportGems profile, showcase their ability and potentially become visible to other clubs, scouts and verified football professionals.

SportGems does not promise that a player will:

• join another academy;
• receive a trial;
• receive an offer;
• obtain a professional contract;
• be selected by a club;
• progress to a particular level of football.

Every player's journey is different.

Our objective is to provide visibility and potential opportunities while supporting a young person's confidence and development.

Player aftercare is not about reversing or challenging a club's decision to release a player.

It is about helping the young person move forward positively after that decision has been made.

6. Scouts

SportGems aims to provide scouts with access to genuine football talent while maintaining appropriate safeguards around young players.

Because scouting can involve contact between adults and children, access to SportGems as a scout is subject to verification.

Depending on the nature of the role and information provided, verification may include:

• identity verification;
• confirmation of professional contact details;
• confirmation of club, agency or organisation affiliation;
• professional registration information;
• relevant football credentials;
• relevant safeguarding information;
• other checks considered appropriate by SportGems.

Verification does not mean that SportGems guarantees or endorses a scout, club, agency or organisation.

A verified status means only that SportGems has completed the verification process applicable to that user at the relevant time.

7. Scout Conduct

Scouts using SportGems must act professionally and responsibly.

Scouts must not:

• misrepresent their identity, qualifications or affiliation;
• claim to represent a club or organisation when they do not;
• make misleading promises to players or parents;
• pressure a player or family into accepting an opportunity;
• request unnecessary personal information from a child;
• request private photographs or videos that are unrelated to legitimate football scouting;
• engage in sexual, romantic, abusive, discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate communication;
• attempt to bypass SportGems safeguards;
• encourage a child to move communication to a private channel without appropriate parent or guardian involvement;
• arrange private meetings with a minor without appropriate safeguarding arrangements and parental/guardian involvement;
• offer payment or benefits in exchange for inappropriate access or information;
• attempt to obtain passwords or account credentials;
• use player information for purposes unrelated to legitimate football activities;
• scrape, copy, sell or redistribute player information;
• use the platform to recruit players in breach of applicable football regulations.

Any approach involving a minor must comply with all applicable laws, football regulations and safeguarding requirements.

Where a person is acting as a football agent rather than simply a scout, they are responsible for ensuring that they hold all required licences, registrations and authorisations.

SportGems does not itself grant authority to act as a football agent.

8. Football Agents

SportGems distinguishes between scouting activity and football-agent activity.

A user must not represent themselves as a football agent unless they are properly authorised to do so.

Where applicable, agents must comply with the rules and regulations of the relevant governing bodies, including FIFA and The Football Association.

In particular, agents dealing with minors must comply with all applicable requirements concerning:

• age restrictions;
• parental or legal guardian consent;
• licensing;
• authorisation to work with minors;
• safeguarding;
• representation agreements;
• disclosure of their status and role.

SportGems may request evidence of relevant authorisation before permitting an agent to use certain platform functions.

9. Communication Between Scouts, Clubs, Players and Parents

SportGems is designed to reduce the need for unknown adults to contact children privately.

Where a scout or club expresses interest in a player, SportGems may provide a structured communication route through the platform.

Where appropriate, the parent or legal guardian will be informed of:

• who has expressed interest;
• the organisation or club represented;
• the nature of the interest;
• relevant information about the person making the approach.

SportGems may restrict direct communication with minors where we consider this necessary for safeguarding.

Users must not attempt to circumvent these safeguards.

For example, a scout must not obtain a player's private contact details through SportGems and then use those details to bypass the platform's communication controls.

10. Clubs

SportGems recognises that clubs already have established Player Care, Welfare, Safeguarding and Recruitment processes.

Our intention is to work alongside those processes.

SportGems is not intended to:

• question a club's recruitment decisions;
• pressure a club to retain a player;
• interfere with a club's internal safeguarding procedures;
• replace a club's welfare team;
• replace a club's recruitment process.

Instead, SportGems aims to provide an additional resource that can help clubs and families manage player transitions and identify potential talent.

Clubs using SportGems must ensure that their representatives comply with their own safeguarding policies and all applicable football regulations.

11. Club Verification

SportGems may verify clubs and football organisations before providing access to certain platform features.

Verification may include:

• official club contact information;
• organisational details;
• website/domain verification;
• identity of representatives;
• football governing body information;
• other information reasonably required by SportGems.

A verified club status does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee by SportGems.

12. Prohibited Behaviour

SportGems has a zero-tolerance approach to serious safeguarding concerns.

The following behaviour may result in immediate suspension or removal:

• grooming or suspected grooming;
• sexual communication with a minor;
• sexualised or inappropriate requests;
• harassment;
• bullying;
• threats;
• intimidation;
• discrimination;
• impersonation;
• fraudulent activity;
• deliberate misrepresentation;
• exploitation of a player or family;
• attempts to bypass safeguarding controls;
• inappropriate private contact with minors;
• sharing confidential player information without permission;
• malicious use of the platform.

SportGems may preserve relevant records and, where appropriate, refer serious concerns to the relevant authorities, football governing body, safeguarding organisation or law-enforcement agency.

13. Reporting a Concern

Anyone using SportGems can report a safeguarding or conduct concern.

Concerns may include:

• inappropriate messages;
• suspicious behaviour;
• impersonation;
• misleading scouting claims;
• inappropriate requests;
• harassment;
• discrimination;
• concerns about a scout or club;
• concerns about a player's safety;
• misuse of player information.

Reports should be sent to:

• General support: info@sportgems.co.uk
• Safeguarding email: info@sportgems.co.uk

Where there is an immediate risk of harm, users should contact the appropriate emergency service or safeguarding authority rather than relying solely on SportGems.

SportGems will assess reports proportionately and may take action while an investigation is ongoing.

14. Confidentiality and Personal Information

SportGems recognises that player information can be particularly sensitive where children are involved.

We aim to collect and disclose only information that is reasonably necessary for the operation of the platform and legitimate football-related purposes.

Player contact information should not be publicly displayed unless appropriate permission has been obtained.

Users must not attempt to obtain, copy or distribute personal information belonging to another user.

The processing of personal data is governed by the SportGems Privacy Notice.

Where children's personal information is involved, SportGems will apply appropriate additional safeguards.

15. Player Images and Video

Parents, guardians and players must ensure that they have the appropriate rights and permissions before uploading photographs, videos or other content.

Users must not upload:

• content they do not have permission to use;
• content that infringes another person's rights;
• inappropriate or sexualised images of minors;
• content containing unnecessary personal information;
• material that is defamatory, abusive or discriminatory.

SportGems may remove content that breaches this Policy or our Terms & Conditions.

16. Equal Opportunities and Respect

SportGems is committed to maintaining a respectful environment.

Users must not discriminate against another person on the basis of protected characteristics or engage in abusive or degrading behaviour.

SportGems may restrict access where behaviour is inconsistent with our standards of respect and inclusion.

17. Verification Does Not Guarantee an Opportunity

SportGems provides a platform for discovery and communication.

We do not guarantee that:

• a scout is interested in a particular player;
• a club will respond to a player;
• a player will receive a trial;
• a trial will result in selection;
• an opportunity will result in employment or a contract;
• a player will progress to professional football.

Families should carefully assess every opportunity independently.

18. Our Right to Restrict Access

SportGems reserves the right to:

• refuse verification;
• restrict platform functionality;
• suspend an account;
• remove an account;
• remove content;
• restrict communication;
• request additional verification;
• investigate reported concerns;
• refer concerns to appropriate organisations or authorities.

We may take action where we reasonably believe that a user:

• poses a safeguarding risk;
• has provided false information;
• has breached this Policy;
• has breached our Terms & Conditions;
• has acted unlawfully;
• has behaved inappropriately;
• has attempted to circumvent platform safeguards.

19. Cooperation With Authorities

Where SportGems receives a serious safeguarding concern, we may cooperate with:

• the police;
• safeguarding authorities;
• football governing bodies;
• clubs;
• schools or educational organisations where appropriate;
• other relevant professional or regulatory bodies.

Information will be shared only where we consider there is an appropriate legal basis or safeguarding justification for doing so.

20. No Replacement for Professional Advice

SportGems is a technology and football opportunity platform.

It does not provide:

• legal advice;
• financial advice;
• medical advice;
• professional football-agent representation;
• guaranteed career management;
• psychological or clinical treatment.

Users should obtain appropriate professional advice where required.

21. Policy Review

SportGems may review and update this Policy periodically to reflect changes in:

• legislation;
• safeguarding guidance;
• football regulations;
• platform functionality;
• industry practice;
• identified risks.

The latest version will be published on the SportGems website.

Our Commitment

SportGems was created around a simple principle:

A young player's football journey should be supported by opportunity, but opportunity should never come at the expense of safety.

We want to make it easier for genuine scouts and clubs to discover talent while giving players and families greater transparency, control and confidence.

SportGems — Your journey isn't over. It's just begun.