Safeguarding Policy

Derbyshire County Cricket Club (DCCC) acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care, and is committed to ensuring that all children and young people participating in cricket activities have a safe and positive experience.

We subscribe to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “Safe Hands – Crickets Policy for Safeguarding Children” (and will continue to subscribe to any future versions of the policy) and endorse and adopt the Policy Statement contained in that document.

We 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 within cricket at or for DCCC provide a safe, positive and fun cricketing experience for children.
• Adopting and implementing the ECB’s “Safe Hands – Crickets Policy for Safeguarding Children”.
• Appointing a Club Welfare Officer and ensuring that they attend all current and future training modules required by the ECB & the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), so that they have the necessary skills to be able to undertake their role effectively.
• Ensuring that all people who work in cricket at DCCC, (such as staff, officials, volunteers, Team Managers, Coaches, etc) understand that the policy applies to them according to their level of contact with the children and/or young people in cricket.
• Ensuring that all individuals working within cricket at or for DCCC are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB guidelines (refer DCCC “Policy for Recruiting & Appointing Appropriate Volunteers and/or Paid Staff”).
• Ensuring that all individuals working within cricket at or for DCCC are provided with support through education and training so that they are aware of and can adhere to good practice and code of conduct guidelines defined by both the ECB and DCCC.
• Ensuring that the name and contact details of the Club Welfare Officer for DCCC is available:
  • as the first point of contact for parents, children, volunteers and staff within DCCC;
  • as a local source of procedural advice for DCCC, its committee and its members;
  • as the main point of contact within DCCC for the ECB Child Protection Team; and
  • as the main point of contact within the club for relevant external agencies in connection with child welfare.
• Ensuring that correct and comprehensive reporting procedures exist for raising and managing safeguarding and child protection concerns. Such procedures recognising the responsibility of the statutory agencies and in accordance with pre-defined safeguarding and child protection procedures as defined by the ECB, statutory agencies and Local Safeguarding Child Board (LSCB) guidelines and policies.
• Providing everyone connected with DCCC (including parents, children and volunteers) with the opportunity to voice any concerns which they have (about possible suspected child abuse, and/or about poor practice) to the County Welfare Officer.
• Ensuring that all suspicions, concerns and allegations are taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.