Best Practice Procedures
Walmley Cricket Club and Sports Club hereby notifies Parents/Carers that: Parents/Carers are responsible for the safe delivery and collection of their child to and from matches and or training. Walmley Cricket and Sports Club will distribute information as soon as practicable relating to all planned away fixtures or competitions to provide Parents/Carers with an opportunity to make appropriate arrangements. Coaches and Club Staff will be responsible for the Children in their care when on the Club premises or on arrival at opponents’ cricket grounds. It is not the responsibility of the Coach or Team Manager to transport, or arrange to transport, the children to and from the Club or match. Team Managers, Coaches or Walmley Cricket and Sports Club itself, are not liable or responsible for any private transportation arrangements organised by parents/carers with, other family members, friends or even other club members in connection with getting their child to and or from club fixtures or training sessions.
Parents/Carers are advised that when arranging lifts for their children with third parties, it is their responsibility to check that appropriate and up-to-date insurances and licensing documentation is held by the owner/driver of the vehicle. It is Walmley Cricket and Sports Club’s policy that players do not leave the playing facility whether at home or away without notifying the Coach or Team Manager. It is also the policy of the Club that parents/carers do not take their children away before the ground is tidied away (where required) and the Coach is able to release the players in a controlled way. Parents/carers who knowingly are going to be late delivering or collecting their children must take reasonable steps to inform the Coach/Team Manager as soon as possible, so suitable arrangements can be made. In the case of no such communication the Coach or Team Manager will take reasonable steps to contact the parent/carer or alternative adult contact (as detailed on the Youth Member Consent Form) to make alternative arrangements. Parents/guardians should have a contact number for the Club/Coach to inform them of emergencies and possible late collections.
Best practice is clearly to avoid transporting a child alone, but Walmley Cricket and Sports Club recognises that in some circumstances it is an essential part of a child’s participation in training and competition. If all alternatives have been exhausted and an adult has to transport a child there are a number of safety measures that need to be in place to minimise the risk:
- The driver like all coaches/volunteers who have access to children should hold a current DBS vetting check
- Parents should be informed of the person who will be transporting their child, the reasons why and how long the journey will take
- A person other than the planned driver should talk to the child about transport arrangements to check they are comfortable about the plans.
- The driver must ensure that they have insurance to carry others, particularly if they are in a paid position or claiming expenses.
- The driver should attempt to have more than one child in the car.
- When dropping children off after a match or training session coaches / volunteers should alternate which child is dropped off last. Ideally two children would be left off at an agreed point i.e. one of their family homes.
- The person who takes children home should be alternated; this would reduce the risk of any one individual from always being alone with the child.
- The driver should have a point of contact and mobile phone should they break down.
- Ensure that children are aware of their rights and they have someone to turn to or report any concerns they may have. If a culture of safety is created within your club then the child is more likely to talk to another person if they are feeling uncomfortable about a situation.
- Children should wear seat belts at all times. The following is guidance on the seat belt law introduced in September 2006. for more information please visit Seat Belts Law
Things to Consider
In brief (things to consider): Children must use an appropriate child restraint or seat belt when travelling in a car or goods vehicle. Depending on their weight under 3s must use a baby seat or a child seat Those under 12 and 135cm tall must use the right type of booster chair or booster cushion.
Older children should use an adult seat belt. Drivers are responsible for making sure that all children are safely strapped in at all times. Parents and guardians of children up to 135cm (or about 12 years old) will have to make sure their children are always safely strapped into the right type of seat or booster. Passengers on minibuses will be required to wear seat belts where fitted and the driver will be responsible for making sure that all children use their seat belts.