Brook Cricket Club (the Club) is committed to
ensuring that all children (being those persons under the age of 18)
participating in cricket have a safe and positive experience. The Club’s
Safe Hands policies and procedures include the following guidelines on:
-
transport to and from matches
and training,
-
managing children away from the
Club, and
-
missing children.
A. Guidelines on Transport to and From Matches and Training
1. Parents/Carers are responsible for the safe delivery and
collection of the child to/from matches and training.
2. Junior away fixtures are set out in the Club’s fixture
card and on the Club’s website.
3. Club coaches and volunteers will be responsible for
children in their care when on the Club’s premises/ground and when at
opponents’ grounds provided that the parent/carer has delivered the child to
a coach/volunteer.
4. Parents’/Carers’ consent will be obtained for a child to
participate in an away match.
5. Pick-up and drop off of children participating will be at
the Club’s ground unless expressly agreed by the parent/carer with the team
captain, coach, Welfare Officer or Secretary.
B. Guidelines on Managing Children Away from the Club
1. The Club will appoint a Team Manager for each junior
team, including teams in the Surrey Trust League. The Team Manager will have
responsibility to:
-
establish and communicate the
following information to parent(s) as may be appropriate:
-
why the trip is planned (its
reason/purpose);
-
when the trip will take place
(date, times including time of departure and estimated time of return);
-
where the trip is to
(destination and venue);
-
meeting points (at the home
and/or the away venue as appropriate);
-
staffing arrangements (including
the name and contact details for the Team Manager responsible for the
trip);
-
kit/equipment requirements;
-
cost implications (i.e.
competition fee, spending/pocket money and any cost of transport);
-
name and contact number of the
person acting as the ‘Club Home Contact’ (see below); and
-
arrangements for food and drink;
-
ensure they have a written copy
of the relevant emergency contact details and any medical information with
them during the away trip, for all children who are taking part in the
trip for whom they have a duty of care;
-
determine appropriate staffing
and training arrangements in accordance with the Club’s Safe Hands Policy;
-
ensure that there is a ‘Club
Home Contact’ – i.e. a member of the Club who is not travelling away, who
will act as a contact point if required in an emergency situation and
ensure that the ‘Club Home Contact’ is provided with the following
information to enable them to fulfil their role should they need to do so:
-
the names of the players and
staff on the trip;
-
emergency contact names and
phone numbers for each of the above persons;
-
details of any medical or
physical needs any of these persons may have;
-
contact numbers for the Team
Manager and another volunteer on the trip; and
-
telephone numbers for the Police
local to the home club.
2. For trips that include an overnight stay, the Team
Manager will ensure that detailed planning for the trip takes place,
including:
-
identifying suitable venues and
facilities for both the cricket and any accommodation;
-
conducting a risk assessment;
-
analysing the insurance cover
that is required;
-
contacting the staff at the
accommodation to:
-
outline that all accommodation
must be clean and with access to sufficient toilet and bathing facilities;
-
confirm that it will not be
acceptable:
-
for players to share a bed;
-
for male and female players to
share a room;
-
for staff to share a room with
players; or
-
for players of vastly
differing ages to share a room;
-
establish if rooms are equipped
with satellite TV, and whether inappropriate programmes may be available.
(It may be possible to arrange for these programmes to be disconnected.);
-
check the accommodation policy
for extras on bills, breakages and lost keys;
-
ensure that the needs of players
with disabilities are met. For wheelchair users, it is important to check
access to the buildings, bedrooms and bathroom facilities;
-
check the whereabouts of
accommodation which will be allocated to the staff who are accompanying
the party, so as to enable children to be able to know which rooms the
coaches and volunteers are in and contact them if required;
-
where possible, ensure that
rooms are not scattered around the hotel on different floors but grouped
together;
-
discuss the Club’s code of
conduct and discipline policy; and
-
ensure that all dietary
requirements are catered for;
-
arranging a meeting with the
parents and children to provide details of the trip, and communicate the
following additional information to parents, doing so in writing:
-
an itinerary giving as much
detail as possible;
-
the duration of the trip;
-
details of the accommodation
with address and contact number;
-
the names of all cricket coaches
and volunteers;
-
codes of conduct for both
coaches, volunteers and players;
-
emergency procedures and
telephone contacts;
-
welfare and child protection
procedures;
-
details of insurance;
-
date for paying deposit; and
-
details of transport;
-
obtaining the following written
and signed information from parents/guardians/carers:
-
signed consent form accepting
the code of conduct and detailing:
-
any specific medical
information i.e. allergies, present medication;
-
special dietary requirements;
-
consent for emergency medical
treatment;
-
agreement to pay the fee; and
-
that contact details have not
changed;
-
that the Tour Manager and
coaches meet with the players prior to the trip to agree:
-
expectation of the players;
-
clothing list;
-
codes of conduct/behaviour –
this should be signed by all young players with their parents' permission;
-
their responsibility for their
own property;
-
staff roles and
responsibilities;
-
emergency procedures; and
-
support if they become homesick,
are unhappy, or need to speak to someone in confidence;
-
that the “Club Home Contact’ is
provided with the following additional information:
-
contact numbers for the
accommodation; and
-
telephone numbers for the Police
local to the accommodation.
3. The following guidance and protocols will be followed as
required during the tour concerning the general safeguarding, medical
welfare and protection of players:
-
medical details and relevant
information must be carried by the Team Manager or a designated volunteer;
-
the Team Manager and other
designated volunteer must be aware of any specific medical conditions that
may occur (e.g. epilepsy, asthma and diabetes);
-
the Team Manager and volunteers
should have access to calling the emergency services and the minimum first
aid provision;
-
a first aid kit should be
carried; and
-
the Team Manager or one or more
volunteers must act appropriately in an emergency and take life saving
action in extreme situations.
4. If an emergency occurs, the Team Manager will:
-
establish the nature of the
emergency and names of any casualties;
-
ensure the rest of the team are
safe and supervised;
-
ensure all members of the party
are aware of the situation and are following emergency procedures;
-
ensure that a Volunteer
accompanies any casualties to hospital;
-
notify the Police if necessary;
-
complete an ECB incident
reporting form;
-
ensure that no one in the group
speaks to the media. All media enquiries will be managed through the ECB
Corporate Communications Dept. at Lord’s;
-
contact the ‘Club Home Contact’
who will:
-
contact Parents and keep them
informed about the situation;
-
liaise with the Club Officers,
and if necessary the ECB;
-
liaise with the media contact if
applicable; and
-
report the incident to the
insurers.
C. Missing Children
If a child for whom the Club has responsibility goes
missing, the following actions will be taken. The captain, Team Manager,
coach or other responsible member of the Club will:
-
ensure the other children in the
Club’s care are looked after appropriately while a search is organized for
the child concerned;
-
inform the child’s
parents/carers if they are present at the event, or nominate an
appropriate person to telephone them and advise them of the concern;
-
organise all available
responsible adults by areas to be searched;
-
search the area in which the
child has gone missing including changing rooms, toilets, public and
private areas and the Club grounds;
-
request all those searching
report back to a nominated adult at a specific point;
-
ensure the nominated person will
remain at this specific reference point and will make a note of the
events, including detailing a physical description of the child including
approx. height, build, hair and eye colour as well as clothing the child
was wearing and where / when they were last seen, as this will be required
by the police. If the search is unsuccessful the police will be informed;
-
ensure a report will go to the
police no later than 20 minutes after the child’s disappearance is noted,
even if the search is not complete;
-
if the police recommend further
action before they get involved, ensure the Club follow their guidance;
-
at any stage when the child is
located, ensure that the Club informs all adults involved including the
parents, searchers and police if they are by then involved; and
-
notify at the very earliest
opportunity the Club Welfare Officer, who will immediately notify the
County Welfare Office, who will then notify the ECB Child Protection Team.