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The
interests of all juniors under the age of eighteen will be of paramount
importance, regardless of gender, ability, culture, language, racial origin
or religious beliefs.
The
Club Committee has approved this policy with a requirement that it is given
high profile in terms of awareness. It covers the four forms of abuse:
physical, neglect, emotional and sexual. Juniors who play in adult cricket
are also covered.
Volunteers (a description which includes team managers, coaches, other adult
helpers and adult team captains) will be given guidance in respect of any
allegations made against them.
All
volunteers and club members are bound by this policy as a condition of
membership.
The
principles adopted incorporate the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB),
"Fast Bowling Directive" and "Safety Guidance on the Wearing of Cricket
Helmets by Young Players" (February 2000).
The
General Committee will appoint a Child Welfare Officer ("CWO") to consider
and take appropriate action on all matters affecting conduct and child
protection including (i) the potential involvement of adults in junior
cricket activities and (ii) complaints. The CWO will be responsible for
acting as a focal point and keeping volunteers aware of best practice. All
information including notes of conversations and decisions will be kept
confidential and only be communicated on the basis of "need to know."
Conduct
BWCC
expects high standards of conduct, both on and off the field from all its
junior cricketers. Volunteers have an important role to play by setting high
standards of sportsmanship and conduct and leading by example. Parents and
guardians are also expected to support the club and volunteers in this
regard by displaying integrity in relation to all aspects of conduct.
Membership does not give a right to selection or any level of involvement in
matches.
A
condition of membership is that the CWO has the right (subject to appeal to
the Club Committee) to suspend or terminate (without refund of subscription)
any junior or family membership in the event of unacceptable behaviour,
including drug abuse, bullying, verbal abuse (including so called
"sledging") and any other form of bad sportsmanship.
Health
The
club wishes to support the development of young players of all abilities
including, whenever possible, those with health and learning difficulties.
It is a requirement that appropriate medical advice is first obtained and
the club shall rely on the information from parents in this regard. It is a
condition of membership that parents or guardians provide the relevant
information on the medical consent form and report any changes as and when
they occur.
Wherever possible more than one adult should be in attendance when
administering first aid to injuries. First aid equipment will be available
at the club’s premises and at away fixtures. All injuries must be recorded
in the Accident Book. Parents and guardians should be informed of any
injury or illness. Whenever there is potentially serious injury or illness,
particularly if contagious illness is suspected, the Child Welfare Officer
should be immediately informed.
Volunteers will be encouraged to attend first aid courses.
Premises, Coaching and Playing Environment
Wherever
practicable volunteers should avoid being alone with a junior in the
changing rooms or working with a junior in completely unobserved areas.
No
child playing in teams containing adults will be put under pressure to
change with the adults. The parents of all children playing in the same
teams as adults must complete a CHANGING CONSENT FORM.
Everyone involved in club activities has a responsibility towards safety.
Coaching and playing areas will be made as safe as possible while
recognising that accidents may happen. Volunteers involved in coaching and
team management will be encouraged to obtain recognized coaching
qualifications.
No
child will be allowed to play hardball cricket without appropriate adult
supervision. Specifically, practice at the nets can only be conducted with
the authority of team managers or coaches, which is subject to the junior
cricketer's abilities. Otherwise attendance in the net area by any junior is
discouraged.
Appropriate protective clothing and kit must be worn. Volunteers have the
right to prohibit any junior from playing or practicing if they are not
satisfied that this requirement is met. The club cannot accept
responsibility for loss of personal items of clothing and kit, which should
be labelled with the member's name. Where juniors require help on dressing,
two adults should supervise, whenever possible.
All
juniors must wear a helmet when batting, wicket keeping or fielding within 5
metres of the bat. All batsmen must wear a protective box.
Transport
Parents or guardians are responsible for the transport arrangements of their
children to the venue of matches and practice sessions. Parental consent is
required whenever volunteers and other adults transport a junior. This will
be by way of a written authority.
Although volunteers will help in the arrangement of transport, neither they
nor the club can be held liable for any accident that occurs during the
journey. It is the responsibility of the parents and guardians of the
juniors to ensure that children are supervised both at the time of dropping
off and taking home, i.e. when dropping off young children at the clubhouse
or other location, it is essential to ensure that the particular event
(match / practice) has not been cancelled and that adult supervision has
arrived. Children under twelve should not be left unsupervised in any
location at any time.
In
relation to the transporting of junior cricketers, volunteers and other
adults should where possible:
(i)
avoid giving a lift to a single child;
(ii)
avoid taking a child home or to any other location;
(iii)
avoid asking a child to wait in a vehicle with them alone
(iv)
avoid sending a child home with another person without permission.
(v)
ensure that vehicles are roadworthy and insured;
(vi)
ensure that children wear seatbelts and where possible sit in a back seat.
All
volunteer drivers must be CRB checked.
Volunteer Selection Procedures
The
CWO / Youth Development Co-ordinator will decide on the suitability of
prospective volunteers within the context of this policy. They will be
entitled to rely on the screening procedure described below and any other
information in their possession. Screening will involve a procedure to be
implemented based on self-disclosure from volunteers who are regularly in
close contact with the junior members. This will be a mandatory requirement
for team managers and coaches. There will be borderline cases, for example
the many helpers whose involvement in coaching and team management is
occasional and not on a regular basis; these adults are encouraged to
provide the specific information referred to below.
A
volunteer covered by this requirement must be given a copy of this policy
document and submit a self-disclosure form to the Child Welfare
Officer on certain information about criminal convictions, sanctions and
Social Services Department listings. Volunteers will be encouraged to obtain
a certificate of criminal record checks from the Criminal Records Bureau.
Complaints Procedures
All
complaints should be reported to The Child Welfare Officer. Adults or
juniors who wish to make a complaint may prefer first to talk to a team
manager who will, along with the CWO complete a WELFARE INCIDENT FORM. A
panel consisting of the CWO and a minimum of two Club Committee members will
determine the appropriate action to be taken. Where this panel decides on
disciplinary action the BWCC Youth Development Officer must be consulted
first. Members subject to disciplinary action have the right to appeal in
writing to the Club Committee, who may cancel, increase or vary any penalty.
Unless there are reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence may
have been committed, appeals will be heard by the Club Committee. The CWO is
not responsible for determining whether abuse has taken place but to
consider the substance of complaints and decide the most appropriate
response.
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