Perth Saints FC have been recognised as Football West’s Club Changer Club of the Month for September.
September’s theme highlights clubs who are strengthening their governance and building structures that support effective, responsible and sustainable club operations.
Good governance is about more than having policies and procedures in place at Perth Saints. It is about ensuring the people responsible for delivering football understand their roles, know what is expected of them and have clear processes to follow when issues arise.
With approximately 700 members and a significant junior playing base, establishing consistent practices is particularly important. And one area where Perth Saints have demonstrated this approach is through its safeguarding and Member Protection framework.
The club has established clear safeguarding, child safety and Member Protection expectations, Working with Children Check requirements for relevant coaches, managers and volunteers, and a designated Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) who provides members with an accessible point of contact for information and concerns.
Clear processes are also in place for matters to be reported, documented and escalated where required.
While these measures play an important role in creating a safe environment for members, they also demonstrate some of the fundamental principles of good club governance — clear accountability, defined responsibilities, compliance, risk management and appropriate decision-making processes.
Perth Saints also recognises that policies are only effective when the people responsible for implementing them understand what they mean in practice.
Safeguarding and Member Protection expectations are communicated through the club’s volunteer and team management structures, including requirements around appropriate behaviour, professional boundaries, respectful communication and the reporting of concerns.
Coaches and managers are also provided with relevant Football West safeguarding policies and guidelines to ensure club practices remain aligned with broader football requirements.
Perth Saints are now looking to strengthen this approach further through the development of a dedicated pre-season onboarding module for relevant volunteers and team officials.
The proposed module would provide volunteers with a consistent baseline of knowledge before commencing their roles, including information on responsibilities and boundaries, Working with Children Check requirements, reporting processes, Member Protection, appropriate communication and practical situations they may encounter in community football.
Rather than relying solely on volunteers reading policies, the club intends to use realistic football scenarios to demonstrate how its expectations and procedures should be applied.
The initiative reflects a broader governance principle for Perth Saints: club policies should not simply exist on paper — they should be understood and embedded into everyday operations.
Congratulations to Perth Saints, Football West’s September Club Changer Club of the Month.
