Club Safeguarding

Natasha Coates

Club Safeguarding Officer

For those who don’t know me, my name is Natasha Coates and I am the Club’s Safeguarding Officer. As Club Safeguarding Officer I act as first point of contact for any person who has a concern about child or adult safeguarding and protection – please feel free to contact me on 07967 293589 or email me at any time using safeguarding@oxforddowns.com. I attend most Wednesday and Friday evening junior training sessions, as well as some Saturdays, so hope to meet many of you then.

I would just like to add that ODCC is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all cricketers, young and slightly older and, as such, my role within the Club is to promote the importance of safeguarding all involved with our sport by following the ECB’s Safeguarding Strategy, and to ensure that all Club members, captains, vice-captains, coaches, players, parents and volunteers are fully aware that we ALL have a duty of care to ALL members young and old.

Safeguarding Policy Statement

Oxford Downs Cricket Club (the Club) is committed to ensuring everyone participating in cricket does so in a safe, friendly, secure, and enjoyable environment. Everyone at the club, whether as a player, coach, official, administrator, staff member, volunteer, spectator, parent, or carer has a role to play. Individually and collectively, it is our actions, both on and off the field which can help create a positive and inclusive culture.

We will do this by:
• Having the right people in place
• Creating the right culture and environment
• Ensuring clear processes are in place for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns
• Adopting the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and Guidance

Having the Right People in Place

Whilst everyone at our club has a responsibility for Safeguarding, we also have a designated Club Safeguarding Officer who has completed specialist Safe Hands training provided by the ECB.

The Club Safeguarding Officer is:

• The first point of contact for all children, parents/carers volunteers, and members at the Club
• Responsible for ensuring that everyone who is working with children at the Club is subject to appropriate safer recruitment
processes
• A member of our committee
• A source of safeguarding advice for the Club, its committee, and members
• The Club’s main point of contact for the County Safeguarding Officer, the ECB Safeguarding Team and other external
safeguarding agencies
• The person responsible for ensuring correct and comprehensive reporting procedures exist for raising and managing
safeguarding concerns.

Creating the Right Culture and Environment

All participants in cricket, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability of disability, have the right to enjoy
the game in an environment that is safe from abuse of any kind. The Club recognises that safeguarding starts with setting high standards and promoting a positive culture which provides the best environment for participants to enjoy themselves and the game of cricket.

Anyone in a specialist role within the Club is also required to complete the Safeguarding for Specialist Roles training with the relevant additional module. This includes Captains and Team Managers, Coaches and Activators, Officials (Umpires and Scorers) and Committee Members.

• We encourage all of our members to complete the ECB online Safeguarding Induction, which can be accessed here
• We ensure that all individuals working at or for the Club are provided with the necessary support through education, training and continued professional development (CPD)

Club Safeguarding Policy Statement

• We ensure that all individuals working at or for the Club are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB Safer
Recruitment guidance and relevant legislation and are committed to providing a welcoming, safe, and fun experience for
children
• We promote a listening culture where the views of children, parents/carers, volunteers and other club
members are proactively sought and acted upon. This helps us to create an environment where people have the opportunity and confidence to raise concerns, including concerns about poor practice, abuse and neglect
• We seek to create a partnership with parents/carers so that they know what to expect from us and what we expect of them
• We ensure that external organisations who are delivering services on behalf of the Club have safeguarding measures in
place which meet the requirements of Safe Hands.

Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

It is our aim that everyone at the Club should feel confident to raise a concern, no matter how small. We believe that raising and dealing with concerns quickly, when they occur, supports a proactive safeguarding culture at the Club.

All suspicions, concerns and allegations will be taken seriously. We will follow the 3R’s with every concern: Responding
appropriately, Recording confidentiality and Reporting where necessary, ensuring that concerns are dealt with in a fair and
prompt manner.

The Club recognises that it is not the responsibility of club members to determine or investigate if abuse has taken place, but to act upon and report any concerns promptly.

We ensure that confidential information relating to safeguarding matters is shared appropriately and only with those who need to know. Information may need to be shared with the County Safeguarding Officer, Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team, or local agencies with statutory responsibility for safeguarding. If we are unsure, we will seek advice from our County Safeguarding Officer.

Adopting the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and Guidance

• The Club has formally adopted the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and guidance as part of our constitution
• The Club works within the ECB Safeguarding Procedure for the management of safeguarding investigations
• We ensure that all individuals who work and volunteer at or for our Club understand how Safe Hands applies to them.