Walmley Sports and Cricket Club (The Club) is committed to ensuring all Children (i.e. all persons under the age of 18) participating in sport have a safe and positive experience.
We will do this by:
- Recognising all children participating in sport (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 sport 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“, the the FA’s “Grassroots Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures”, and any Safeguarding Policies by any other Sport Governing Bodies and any future versions of these
- Appointing a Club Welfare Officer and ensuring they attend all current and future training modules required by the National Governing Bodies (NGB)
- Ensuring all people who work in sport 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 sport at, or for, the Club are recruited and appointed in accordance with NGB guidelines and relevant legislation
- Ensuring all individuals working within sport 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 NGB, and the Club
- Ensuring the name and contact details of the Club Welfare Officer is available:
- As the first point of contact for parents, children and volunteers/staff within the club
- As a local source of procedural advice for the Club, its committee and members
- As the main point of contact within the Club for the NGB County Welfare Officer and the NGB 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
- 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 suspected child abuse/neglect, and/or about poor practice) to the Club Welfare Officer. (Details of the County Welfare Officer will be made available, in case the Club Welfare officer is unavailable, 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 external authorities, such as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), as specified within NGB child safeguarding procedures.