Safeguarding

CLUB WELFARE OFFICERS.

Each affiliated club requires a welfare officer. They carry out functions relating to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

A welfare officer requires three specific qualifications :-

1. a current CRB check
2. attended a ‘Safeguarding & Protecting Children’ workshop
3. attended a ‘Time to Listen’ or ECB ‘Safe Hands’ C.W.O. workshop

All three qualifications are renewable every three years.

COACHES.

Every Cricket Coach should have the following four qualifications :-

1. a recognised cricket coach qualification
2. a current CRB check
3. a current 1^st aid qualification
4. attended a ‘Safeguarding & Protecting Children’ workshop

Qualifications b) + c) + d) are renewable every three years.

COUNTY WELFARE OFFICER

John Leafe    07947 783545

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE ANY CHILD PROTECTION CONCERNS.

http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/safeguarding-children-and-child-protection/incidents-or-concerns/

‘SAFE HANDS’

http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/safeguarding-children-and-child-protection/safe-hands/

KEY EXTRACTS.

“Adopting and implementing this policy continues to be a requirement of affiliation to the ECB for all cricket clubs……..”
David Collier ECB Chief Executive. ‘Safe Hands Introduction.’

“This manual and the policy statements, guidance notes and practical advice contained within it, is meant for use by all within cricket.”
ECB Guidance concerning the use of ‘Safe Hands’

“The Safe Hands Safeguarding policy operates on both a national and local level and is written to be applicable to all levels of the game across all areas of the country. Safe Hands must be adopted and implemented by every cricket club affiliated to the ECB.”
ECB Guidance concerning the use of ‘Safe Hands’

“The ECB has produced an overall policy for Safeguarding & Protecting Children in the game of cricket and each individual cricket club must also produce a safeguarding policy.”
Safeguarding and a club’s ‘Duty of Care’

“It is a mandatory requirement that all county boards, affiliated leagues and clubs must adopt and implement the ECB ‘Safe Hands’ policy and they will be supported to do so through education and training.”

“It is a mandatory requirement for all ECB affiliated clubs to make a constitutional adoption of the ECB Safe Hands Safeguarding Policy.”
The ‘Safe Hands’ Safeguarding & Protecting Policy Statement

“Any individual, organization, club or County Cricket Board has a duty of care to ensure the safety and welfare of any child involved in related activities, to safeguard them and protect them from reasonably foreseeable forms of harm.”
A Club’s Duty of Care

SAFE HANDS & HOW TO DEMONSTRATE ‘DUTY OF CARE.’

“To demonstrate this duty of care, all cricket clubs

• Must constitutionally adopt the ECB’s “Safe Hands” Policy
• Must define their Club’s own Safeguarding Policy Statement
• Must follow the ECB reporting mechanism for concerns and additionally define and publish a process for club members to respond to, record & report concerns
• which might arise either within the club, or outside of the club which links to the ECB reporting mechanism.
• Must recruit, appoint and organise the training of a Club Welfare Officer
• Must have a “player profile system” to enable adults to exercise their duty of care in an emergency situation.
• Must adopt the ECB Code of Conduct for Members and Guests
• Must adopt the ECBCA Code of Conduct for Coaches
• Must ensure that the following policies and procedures exist within the Club:
  
  
  • Procedures for recruiting and appointing appropriate volunteers and / or paid staff including training and support for these volunteers or staff
  • Procedures for Health & Safety / Risk Assessment, including the adherence to ECB policies / guidance on the wearing of helmets, fielding regulations, net safety, bowling directives, first aid, fluid intake, junior players participating in adult games & other similar matters
  • Discipline procedure – which MUST include guidance on the referral of any matters involving any person under the age of 18 and an appeals mechanism
  • Anti-bullying policy and procedures for dealing with bullying
  • Changing rooms and showering policy
  • Photography, video and the use of images policy (including press & website guidelines)
  • Transport policy
  • Supervising children at cricket sessions policy
  • Missing children policy
  • Procedures for managing children away from the club
  • Procedures for working with external partners; (i.e. Club personnel undertaking cricket activities in Schools or for Local Authorities or similar organisations, on a voluntary or paid basis)
  • E-Safety Guidelines on communication & interactive  technologies
  • If working with disabled children : Guidance on working with disabled children

JUNIORS PLAYING IN ADULT CRICKET.

The ECB offer guidance on selecting juniors to participate in adult cricket. The full guidance can be found on the ECB website.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE CRICKET BOARD POLICY.

3 December 2011

To all Nottinghamshire Leagues/Clubs.

NOTE:

Following considerable discussion the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board and its OMG (Operational Management Group) resolved to advise all its Leagues/Clubs within the County that the 2011 season should reflect that of 2010 in respect of young cricketers playing the game and that:

• players in the Under 12 age group (U12 on 31^st August  in the year preceding the season / in Year 7  of Secondary Education or below) MUST NOT take part in Open Age Cricket;
• young players in the Under 13 age group (Year 8 at Secondary School) MUST have explicit written consent from a Parent/Guardian to play in Open Age Cricket and
• all young players Under 18 years of age in all cricket – junior and senior – should have written consent from a Parent/Guardian before participating in matches or practice sessions.

Mervyn Griffiths (NCB Secretary).

This policy remains in force until further notice

Please Note

‘Explicit written consent’ means a parent or guardian has signed some type of consent form to participate in ‘Adult Cricket’.

The standard ECB template which uses the phrase ‘taking part in the activities of the club’ was designed for use in junior cricket only.

 

Fielding regulations

The following are ECB regulations covering the minimum fielding distances for young players in all matches where a hard ball is used:

Fielding Regulations

The ECB has regulations covering the minimum fielding distances for young players in all matches where a hard ball is used.

• No young player in the Under 15 age group or younger shall be allowed to field closer than 8 yards (7.3 metres) from the middle stump, except behind the wicket on the off side, until the batsman has played at the ball.
• For players in the Under 13 age group and below the distance is 11 yards (10 metres).
• These minimum distances apply even if the player is wearing a helmet.
• Should a young player in these age groups come within the restricted distance the umpire must stop the game immediately and instruct the fielder to move back.
• In addition any young player in the Under 16 to Under 18 age groups, who has not reached the age of 18, must wear a helmet and, for boys, an abdominal protector (box) when fielding within 6 yards (5.5 metres) of the bat, except behind the wicket on the off side. Players should wear appropriate protective equipment whenever they are fielding in a position where they feel at risk.
• These fielding regulations are applicable to all cricket in England and Wales.

Age groups are based on the age of the player at midnight on 31st August in the year preceding the current season.

More information can be found within the ‘directives & guidelines’ on the ECB website. http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/directives-guidelines/

C.R.B. Checks.

The ECB have published a list of roles which require CRB checks. This applies to paid or unpaid roles. http://static.ecb.co.uk/files/010kb-11273.pdf

The ECB no longer recommends ‘Self Declaration Forms’. All individuals who should be vetted due to their work with children should undertake the vetting process before appointment.

Most common positions eligible for CRB check are: Junior Cricket Coach, Junior Team Manager, Junior Team Manager, Cricket Scorer (juniors/open age), Cricket Umpire (juniors/open age), Club Welfare Officer, First Aider (juniors/open age)