Boxmoor Cricket Club - Safeguarding and Protecting Children Policy Statement 

Boxmoor Cricket Club (The Club) is committed to ensuring that all Children* participating in cricket have a safe and positive experience. *The word “Children” should be taken to mean all persons under the age of 18.

We will do this by:

• Recognising that 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 that individuals working involved with cricket within Hertfordshire provide a safe, positive and fun cricketing experience for children.
• Adopting and implementing the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children” and any future versions of the policy.
• Appointing a Club Safeguarding Officer and ensuring they attend all current and future training modules required by the ECB, so that they have the necessary skills to be able to undertake their role effectively.
• Ensuring that all people who work in cricket in Boxmoor Cricket Club (such as Staff, Officials, Volunteers, Team Managers, Coaches etc.) understand that the Safe Hands Policy applies to them according to their level of contact with children in Cricket
• Ensuring that all individuals working within cricket within Boxmoor Cricket Club are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB guidelines.
• Ensuring that all individuals within cricket within Boxmoor Cricket Club 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 the ECB, Hertfordshire Cricket and Boxmoor Cricket Club.
• Ensuring that the Club Safeguarding Officers, name and contact details are available as the first point of contact for Club Safeguarding Officers, and volunteers and staff of Boxmoor Cricket Club, as a local source of procedural advice. The main point of contact within Hertfordshire Cricket for the ECB Child Protection team, and the main point of contact within Hertfordshire Cricket 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 Children Board LSCB guidelines and policies.
• Providing everyone connected with cricket in Boxmoor Cricket Club (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 Club Safeguarding Officer.
• Ensuring that all suspicions, concerns and allegations are taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
• Ensuring that access to confidential information relating to child welfare matters is restricted to the Club Safeguarding Officer and the appropriate external authorities as specified within ECB Safeguarding and Child Protection procedures.

Bi-Annual Review Conducted March 2024