Dorset Cricket is committed to safeguarding and protecting children, young people and adults, to enable them to enjoy the game of cricket. Everyone that participates or watches our game should do so safe in the knowledge that we see our responsibility to keep them safe and protected as our paramount consideration.
It is our commitment that every individual and club should have the appropriate tools and confidence to create a supportive and safe environment in which children can flourish. A welcoming, inclusive, and diverse environment is at the heart of this commitment.
If you have a concern, when in doubt or in need of guidance, contact
Tel: 07407 619676
Email: Message Vanessa May
Safeguarding is everybody's responsibility.
Please don't assume that someone else will report it. We can all be anxious about what to do when something isn’t right. Sharing that concern will make decision making much easier! In the first instance, you can speak to your Club Safeguarding Officer. They are trained to support you and to know what to do next with the information you have shared. If they are not available, then share information with your County Safeguarding Officer:
Vanessa May, County Safeguarding Officer
Call or message on 07407 619676
Email Message Vanessa May
Addressing low-level concerns positively at an early stage can prevent more concerning behaviours from developing and provide staff or volunteers with the support and training they need to ensure that they can maintain the highest standards in their practice. Dealing with these concerns effectively not only protects children and adults but also protects those working within our organisation from allegations and misunderstandings.
For more information on examples of low level concerns, click here
If together, we decide that the incident meets the threshold to be raised to the ECB Cricket Regulator (CR), then their form will be completed. This will often be because the concern requires another organisation to be notified ie the LADO (if the concern relates to someone working with children) or MASH (if we believe someone is at risk of serious harm).
The CR form can be found using the link below, however, always share this with your County Safeguarding Officer first to ensure that all the essential details have been included.
If you have immediate concerns about the safety of any individual then please contact:
POLICE on 999
Dorset Children’s Services 01305 228866
NSPCC 0808 800 5000
Every ECB affiliated club and organisation must recruit, appoint and train a Club Safeguarding Officer. A Club Safeguarding Officer is an essential first point of contact for safeguarding matters and crucially, to ensure the club is adopting and implementing Safe Hands.
Dorset Cricket commits to supporting every amazing person who takes on this essential role!
When appointing a Club Safeguarding Officer, clubs must follow ECB guidance on safer recruitment for individuals who work with children. The role of Club Safeguarding Officer meets the legal definition of Regulated Activity. This means the club MUST ensure their Safeguarding Officer is properly vetted by way of an ECB DBS check. The ECB DBS check must always remain current (e.g. renewed annually through the DBS update service). It is recommended that the Club Safeguarding Officer should not hold any other roles within the club. Independence is essential to this role.
Safeguarding Level 2 E-Learning (approx. 1 hour)
The Club Safeguarding Officer must complete the ECB online course Level 2
The certificate of completion is available for printing at the course conclusion.
It is recommended that, where possible, this is displayed publicly in the club.
This course must be renewed every three years and is accessible via your County Cricket Board.
Course booking is available here
Safe Hands Workshop Level 3
The Club Safeguarding Officer must attend a face to face Safe Hands workshop which is run by the local County Cricket Board.
The course is delivered by ECB trained tutors.
The certificate of completion will be provided by the tutor at the course conclusion. It is recommended that this is displayed publicly in the club and includes the Club Safeguarding Officer’s contact details.
This course must be renewed every three years. Contact your County Safeguarding Officer for dates of the next course.
The Club Chair and Committee have ultimate responsibility for safeguarding. The Chair must ensure the Club Safeguarding Officer has been appropriately recruited via a safer recruitment process. This will include the need for appropriate references and completion of the ECB vetting process.
Once appointed the name and contact details of the Club Safeguarding Officer should be communicated to the County Safeguarding Officer.
The Club Safeguarding Officer’s name and contact details must be made known to club members and other persons associated with the club and displayed on the club notice board.
Visibility is key. Where possible, the Club Safeguarding Officer should be present at welcome events and registration sessions and inform people of their role at these events. It is best practice, where possible, for the Club Safeguarding Officer to have a presence during junior sessions and matches.
For more safeguarding resources, see the ECB KITBAG RESOURCES
It is the responsibility of every Cricket Club, no matter how small, to ensure that every role that has responsibility for children (U18) MUST have an ECB DBS certificate at the appropriate level.
An individual must not take on one or more roles which involve working with children, unless and until their ECB DBS (Vetting) check is confirmed by the ECB as ‘Completed’.
The roles in cricket that require an ECB DBS check are:
· Age Group Team Manager,
· All Stars / Dynamos Children’s Activator,
· All Stars / Dynamos Children’s Helper,
· Assistant Coach,
· Captain / Vice captain of Open-Age Teams,
· Club Safeguarding Officer,
· Coach,
· Junior Supervisor,
· Physiotherapist,
· Team Manager,
· Umpire,
· Volunteer Coordinator
· Disability Cricket Manager,
· Psychologist,
· Strength/Conditioning Coach
Applying for an ECB DBS check is straightforward, and the process is now all online – there are no paper applications involved. For volunteers the process is free and for Paid roles a fee of £49.50 is payable to the DBS upon application.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the policy of the ECB to check an individual’s DBS status every 12 months.
Please enrol onto the Update Service. This will mean that if an individual’s details do not change, they may never have to do another DBS application in cricket. Again, this is free for volunteers, however there is a fee of £16 per annum for paid applicants.
If you require an ECB DBS certificate, please contact your Club Safeguarding Officer in the first instance to request that your application is initiated. If they are unsure how to do this, the County Safeguarding Officer can help them. Umpires may be able to contact their panel administrator.
Once your application is initiated, you will receive an email with easy-to-follow instructions to help you make your application.
The next step is to contact a ‘verifier’ who will need to meet with you (face to face) and see the original documents you listed in your application in order to verify your application. You will be sent a list of ‘local’ verifiers or you can contact Dorset Cricket who may be able to support you.
Your application is then sent to the DBS team. When the DBS have concluded their checks, you will receive a paper copy of your certificate in the post. Any content on your DBS, must be shared with your club / employer in order to be considered for your role.
For renewal of your DBS on the Update Service, you will receive TWO emails annually, from the ECB & The DBS service, both requiring you to log in and give consent to be rechecked and also confirm your personal details, such as: Role / Club / volunteer or paid status.
Please see the ECB TRAINING MATRIX to understand the training requirements for every role in your Club. The people associated with these roles must be uploaded onto your Safe Hands Management System.
Safeguarding Level 2 (SGL2) E-Learning (replaces the safeguarding for specialist roles)
The course takes around 1 hour to complete and will be accredited for 3 years following completion. You will be required to complete the Safeguarding Level 2 course when your Safeguarding for Specialist Roles accreditation has lapsed which is 3 years from the date of when you completed the course.
This course is mandatory for the following roles in every club:
Course booking is available here
Safe Hands Workshop (SGL3) Face to Face
The Club Safeguarding Officer must attend a face to face Safe Hands workshop which is run by the local County Cricket Board.
The course is delivered by ECB trained tutors.
The certificate of completion will be provided by the tutor at the course conclusion. It is recommended that this is displayed publicly in the club and includes the Club Safeguarding Officer’s contact details.
This course must be renewed every three years.
Safe Hands safeguarding Policy
Every Cricket Club in Dorset is required to put in place a Safeguarding Policy. The ECB Safe Hands Safeguarding Policy must be adopted by all Dorset Affiliated Clubs. Please download, complete and adopt this policy; show that it has been adopted at a Club Committee Meeting and display it on your website. It is the responsiblity of all clubs to demonstrate compliance with the policy and to ensure that the culture of the club supports positivity, safety and inclusion.
Our Junior Players are the future of Cricket. Being part of a Club where they feel welcome, safe and seen can make the difference to their love of the game.
Club Committees can reach out to local schools and communities. Holding new member days and events where the Club Safeguarding Officer is present, is a great opportunity to show the Club’s culture of inclusion, support and safety. Welcome letters to Parents and Carers and membership forms can reinforce your commitment to safeguarding and that cricket, at your club, welcomes and supports everyone.
Coaches need the right support and qualifications to ensure that children are nurtured and encouraged to have fun and reach their potential.
Parents and carers need to feel confident that the Club can care for and support their children appropriately. Make sure your Club Safeguarding Officer attends your new membership days and events. Make your welcome letters as informative and supportive as possible. Ensure parents and carers know your safeguarding policy, your Code of Conduct expectations, your coaching ratios and your rule of 2 – both online and face to face.
Children can thrive when they have fun and can contribute to their Club. Give them a voice by being able to contribute ideas and feedback – through a suggestions box, QR codes, sticky notes posters and being on the Club Committee!
Please view these documents to see how best to support your Junior Members:
· Coaches Working with Children
· Coaching and Supervision Ratios
· Managing Children Away from the Club
· Staff and Volunteers Working with Children
· Transporting Children to Cricket Activities
· Junior Players in Open Age Cricket Consent Form
THE RULE OF TWO
The goal of the Rule of Two is to ensure all interactions and communications are open, observable and justifiable Its purpose is to protect all participants and volunteers, U18s and adults, in potentially vulnerable situations by ensuring more than one adult is present The exception to the rule is in emergency situations.
The rule of 2 also applies online. Coaches and Club Officials must never communicate directly with children. Parents and Carers must be the social media and messaging link between the Club and their child.
These Regulations apply to all cricket activity within a Club, including training activities, matches and net practices for players participating in Junior Cricket and/or Open Age Cricket.
These Regulations apply from the Effective Date to all cricket activity at a Club, including training activities, matches and net practice for players participating in Junior Cricket and/or Open Age Cricket.
These Regulations give key information for all Clubs with regards to current safety expectations and MUST be adhered to.
ECB RECREATIONAL SAFETY GUIDANCE
First Aider means any individual aged 18 or over who has received a qualification for completing an in-person First Aid course within the last three years where that course lasted at least three hours and covered treatment for the following conditions: (a) head injuries (including concussion); (b) spinal injuries; (c) treating unconscious casualties and those having seizures; (d) basic life support (including the recovery position and practical CPR); and (e) skeletal injuries, including breaks, fractures, strains and sprains.
The ECB recommends that:
(a) each Club appoints at least one First Aider; and (b) each Club ensures that at least one First Aider is present when any cricket activity is taking place at the Club (whether training or matches, and whether using a hard ball or a soft ball).
First Aid Equipment and other Provision ECB Recreational Cricket Safety Guidelines:
The ECB recommends that clubs have a fully stocked First Aid kit and that this is easily accessible on each occasion that cricket activity is taking place at the Club. British Standard 8599-1:2019 outlines the required contents of a First Aid kit.
Risk Assessments:
It is recommended that Clubs carry out a risk assessment to determine the risks associated with a particular activity at their Club. It is recommended that these risk assessments inform the safety procedures put in place by a Club, including the number of First Aiders that should be present on each occasion that any cricket activity is taking place at the Club.
To make any event at your club safe, please use this MEAP (Medical, Emergency, Accident Plan)
This relates to the updated concussion guidelines provided by the ECB. Please familiarise yourself with these documents and share with club volunteers in key roles such as Age Group Managers, Coaches, Captains / Vice Captains etc.
All concussion guidelines have been updated by the ECB for the 2024 season in accordance with the Government UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport
We recommend that clubs appoint a lead volunteer on concussion guidelines and complete this free ECB training module
You can find ECB Concussion resources HERE on the ECB website.
There is a handy pocket concussion recognition tool that can be printed off and distributed across key volunteers.
HERE is a poster that can be displayed at your club, on your website and shared with parents as clear guidance on concussion protocol.
Here is a Parent and Player Concussion Fact Sheet you can include in your junior membership promotional materials.
Here is a Return To Play Guide for Adults and Children
At all levels in all sports, if an individual is suspected of having a concussion, they must be immediately removed from play. IF IN DOUBT, SIT THEM OUT!
Cricket is routinely played in the hottest months of the year. Overheating is a risk for all participants, but particularly for players bowling at pace or batting for prolonged periods (especially with protective equipment).
Heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to cool itself properly. In these cases a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself. The impact of high temperatures can be made worse by increased humidity and a high UV index.
Signs of heat exhaustion include: tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick or being sick, excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, cramps in the arms, legs and stomach, fast breathing or heartbeat, a high temperature, being very thirsty and weakness.
It is a priority for the ECB and Dorset Cricket that cricket has a safe club network, and the Safe Hands Management System (SHMS) is an important tool for clubs to be able to manage all of their information in one place.
SHMS is an online Club Management Tool whereby the ECB requires all County Boards and Clubs to input the details of individuals in key regulated roles or those with responsibilities for the management and running of County and Club activities.
Ensure SHMS is accurate and regularly reviewed with all volunteers and roles updated on the system with qualifications and DBS checks in place, prior to the start of the season.
For guidance on the SHMS, please visit https://safehands.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011921017-Safe-Hands-FAQ-s where you will find advice and videos on how to use the system and make it work for you.
We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
