NORFOLK COUNTY CRICKET CLUB – SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT
The County Club operates under all the relevant regulations and controls of the England and Wales Cricket Board (“the ECB”) as articulated in their Safe Hands policies and publicised on their Safe Hands website.
The Norfolk County Cricket Club is committed to ensuring that all children (i.e., all persons under the age of 18) participating in cricket have a safe and positive experience.
We will do this by:
- Recognising that all children participating in cricket (regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, or disability) have a right to have fun and be protected from harm in a safe environment
- Ensuring that individuals working for the Club provide a safe, positive and fun cricketing experience for children
- Adopting and implementing the ECB “Safe Hands –Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children” and any future versions of this
- Appointing a County Club Safeguarding Officer who is overseen by The Norfolk Cricket Board lead, ensuring that they attend all current and future training modules required by the ECB, so that they have the skills needed to undertake their roles effectively
- Ensuring all people who work for the Club (such as staff, coaches, team managers, volunteers and officials) understand that the “Safe Hands Policy” applies to them according to their level of contact with children in cricket
- Ensuring that all those working for the Club are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB guidelines and relevant legislation
- Ensuring that all those working for the Club are provided with support, through education and training, so that they can adhere to good practice and code of conduct guidelines defined by the ECB and the Board
- Ensuring that the name and contact details of the Club Safeguarding Officer:
- As the first point of contact for the Club staff and volunteers and for children involved in the Board’s activities and their parents
- As a source of procedural advice for the Club committee
- As the main point of contact within the Club for the ECB Safeguarding team and as the main point of contact within the Club for relevant external agencies in connection with child safeguarding
- Ensuring correct and comprehensive reporting procedures exist for raising and managing child safeguarding concerns. Such procedures should recognise the responsibility of statutory agencies and be in accordance with the pre-defined child safeguarding procedures as set down by the ECB, statutory agencies and Local Safeguarding Children Board guidelines and policies
- Providing everyone connected with the Club (including children and parents) an environment where they can voice to the Club Safeguarding Officer on a range of issues including possible suspected child abuse / neglect and / or poor practice.
- Ensuring that all suspicious concerns and allegations are taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately
- Ensuring access to confidential information to child safeguarding matters is restricted to the Club Safeguarding Officer and the appropriate external authorities such as the Local Authority Designated Officer, as specified within the ECB child safeguarding procedures.
Kevin Denmark
NCCC – Safeguarding Officer, August 2022