Firwood Bootle Cricket Club is committed to ensuring all children (i.e. all persons under the age of 18) participating in cricket have a safe and positive experience. We accept the moral and legal responsibility to provide a duty of care to, safeguard the welfare of, and offer a right to protection from abuse for, all children, young people and vulnerable adults, irrespective of age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/ or sexual identity.

Scope: This policy applies to all Firwood Bootle Cricket Club Committee, Staff and Volunteers.

Responsibility: Operational responsibility for the implementation of the policy lies with the Club Chair, Committee, Welfare Officers and coaches and are all required to support and uphold the policy.

We will do this by:

• Recognising all children participating in cricket (regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability or disability) have the right to have fun and be protected from harm in a safe environment.
• Ensuring individuals working within cricket at, or for our club provide a welcoming safe, and fun experience for children.
• Adopting and implementing the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) ‘Safe Hands – Cricket’s policy for safeguarding children’ and future versions of this.
• Appointing a Club Welfare Officer and ensuring they attend all current and future training modules required by the ECB.
• Ensuring all people who work in cricket at, or for our Club (such as staff, officials, volunteers, team managers, coaches and so on) have a responsibility for safeguarding children and understand how the ‘Safe Hands Policy’ applies to them.
• Ensuring all individuals working within Cricket at, or for the club are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB guidelines and relevant legislation.
• Ensuring all individuals working within cricket at, or for the club are provided with support, through education and training, so they are aware of, and can adhere to good practice and Code of Conduct guidelines defined by the ECB and the Club.

1. Ensuring the name and contact details of the club welfare officer(s) is available.
2. As the first point of contact for parents, children and volunteers/staff within the club
3. As a local source of procedural advice for the club, its committee and members
4. As the main point of contact within the club for the ECB County Welfare Officer and the ECB Safeguarding Team, and
5. 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 safeguarding concerns.
• Providing an environment where the views of children, parents and volunteers are sought and welcomed on a range of issues.  This will help us create an environment where people have the opportunity to voice any concerns (about possible child abuse/neglect, and /or about poor practice to the club welfare officer.
• Details of the County Welfare Officer will be made available, or the concern relates to the Club Welfare Officer
• Ensuring all suspicions, concerns and allegations are taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately
• Ensuring access to confidential information relating to child safeguarding matters is restricted to those who need to know in order to safeguard children— including the Club Welfare Officer and the appropriate authorities, such as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) as specified within ECB child safeguarding procedures.

SAFEGUARDING CONTACTS