Safeguarding Latest News

Welcome to November's Safeguarding Newsletter

I know it isn’t a time of year when cricket is top of everyone’s agenda, but there are a few important updates and pieces of news. Please feel free to pass this on to any members of recreational clubs in Sussex.

We have made great progress in safeguarding across the county in 2024 and I am confident that with our existing club safeguarding officers (and no doubt some new people nominated at club AGMS) we can make cricket both fun and safe for all involved.

Safe Hands Courses:

Please remember that there are in-person, Safe Hands courses coming up and that there are still places on the course at Ifield CC on Wednesday 20 November at 6.30pm and on Thursday 28 November at 6.30pm.

Your Club Safeguarding Office should sign up here if they have not done a course within the last 3 years: SAFEGUARDING TRAINING | Sussex Cricket

Safeguarding Online Update on Thursday 9 January 2025

I will be hosting an on-line update for Club Safeguarding Officers (and any other relevantvolunteers) from 6.30pm to 7.45pm. We have a healthy attendance already but there is room for more – so contact nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk if you wish to join (and haven’t previously been in touch with me about this).

We will cover DBSs, the Safe Hands Management System amongst other safeguarding matters, to help all clubs get ready for the 2025 season.

Safeguarding Training Requirements for Recreational Cricket:

Please see the attached document (below) from the ECB, which explains what the expectations are for recreational clubs.

DBS Payment increases (for paid Coaches):

Data & Barring Services (DBS) enhanced checks are FREE from volunteers working in cricket through the ECB.

However, for paid coaches there is a fee. Please see the following message from the ECB:

On 4th November 2024, Parliament approved an increase in cost for an Enhanced DBS check and the Update Service annual subscription, from £38 & £13, up to £49.50 & £16, which takes effect as of 2nd December 2024. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dbs-fees-are-changing-in-december 

These changes will only affect those in a paid role and the cost increase decision has been made by the DBS. The ECB does not pass any administration costs onto paid or volunteer applicants. 

ECB DBS checks and subscription to the Update Service will continue to be free for volunteers. 

These updates will be reflected by the 2nd December 2024, in the Safe Hands Help Centre. Atlantic Data (ECB’s DBS service provider) will update their homepage, the application form & all associated communications, to reflect these new prices, so applicants are aware. 

Welcome to August's Safeguarding Newsletter

I hope your season is going well.

The quality of the safeguarding reports being sent to me continues to be extremely
good. My intention is to ensure that Sussex Cricket always provides sensible and
proportionate advice and support to volunteers in vital safeguarding roles in cricket
across the county.

Safeguarding is a legal duty and not a “nice to have” in cricket and I am impressed,
whether I’m watching junior or open age cricket across the county, by the sensitive and
caring safeguarding approach taken at recreational clubs.

“Safe Hands” in-person training courses for Club Safeguarding Officers (CSOs)
resume in November 2024. The details are here: SAFEGUARDING TRAINING | Sussex
Cricket

Registration will open in the second half of August.

I would encourage all CSOs to look at who within their clubs needs a DBS: DBS |
Sussex Cricket. I would also remind you that the turnaround for ECB DBS checks is very
short in the autumn and winter, so it does pay to be organised.

ECB Helpdesks are contactable as below and provide a good and helpful service:
For all DBS queries: dbs@ecb.co.uk

For gaining access to the ECB’s online training: elearning@ecb.co.uk

For any questions related to the Safe Hands Management System (SHMS):
safehands@ecb.co.uk (there will be more focus on clubs being compliant with all
safeguarding requirements of the SHMS in 2025).

All the above give an automated response time of “within 5 days”, but in fact the
response is usually quicker than that.

Please keep doing what you are doing and if you ever need advice or are wondering
how to deal with a concern at your club, pick up the phone and call me on 07463
225701 or e-mail me on nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk or
safeguarding@sussexcricket.co.uk

All advice and guidance on SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket is update regularly.
“IF IN DOUBT, GET IN TOUCH”.

Welcome to June's Safeguarding Newsletter.

I hope the season has started well for your respective clubs around the county. 

Matches in The Sussex Cricket League, The Aldridge@BACA Women’s League, junior leagues, and friendly cricket are all under way across Sussex.

Thank you for the work you all do as volunteers within recreational cricket in the county. I know that being a Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO) can be time-consuming and a rather thankless task at times.

Sussex Cricket and the Sussex Cricket League is extremely fortunate in the calibre of people doing the CSO role, so please keep doing what you are doing and if you ever need advice or are wondering how to deal with an issue at your club, pick up the phone and call me on 07463 225701 or e-mail me on nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk or safeguarding@sussexcricket.co.uk       “IF IN DOUBT, GET IN TOUCH”.

I’d like to share two links with you this month.

The first is to the Sussex Cricket website (Safeguarding pages) : SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket 

The second is to the very latest updated policy templates “Kitbag” from the ECB Safeguarding Team: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - The Official Website of the ECB

The ECB policies have all been reviewed very recently, are excellent and a great resource that will save you all time and effort.

Best regards,

Nick May

Welcome to April’s Safeguarding Newsletter.

Some of you receiving this newsletter will be new to role of Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO), whilst others will have been in the role for their clubs for many years.

Whichever category you fall into, then thank you!

Without CSO volunteers, Sussex Cricket could not fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities within recreational cricket, so the role you play is critical for your club and the future of cricket in the county.

As your County Safeguarding Officer, Nick May,   nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk or safeguarding@sussexcricket.co.uk is your key link to Sussex Cricket, so please get in touch with Nick if you have any questions or safeguarding concerns.

Are you ready for the 2024 season?  

Nick May, the County Safeguarding Officer, will be running an on-line pre-season briefing for Club Safeguarding Officers on Wednesday 17 April 2024 from 6.30 to 8pm.

Nick will run through his top tips for CSOs in preparing for a new season and there will be time for a Q&A session.

Please sign up for this on-line event here:  https://booking.ecb.co.uk/VxX8Ge   You will then be sent a link to join the meeting shortly before the date of the meeting.

This will be a great event to meet other CSOs to reassure you that you are not alone. If you are unsure of any safeguarding matters, then it is likely that others will behaving the same concerns!

It will be an informal meeting and a chance to ask Nick any questions.

ECB on-line Safeguarding Training.

At Sussex Cricket we will always do our best to help you resolve issues with on-line safeguarding training, questions about DBS checks and the Safe Hands Management System (SHMS).

However, these are ECB systems, and it is always worth asking the questions of their helpdesks, as there is often nothing that Sussex Cricket staff can do to resolve these issues.

DBS@ecb.co.uk  

SafeHands@ecb.co.uk  (Questions about Safe Hands Management System, SHMS)

elearning@ecb.co.uk  (this is the address to try if you don’t receive a link to Safeguarding courses you have registered for, such as Safeguarding for Specialist Roles, or have any other issues with ECB on-line learning.

Up-coming Safe Hands Courses (in-person):

Both of the courses below have places available.

IfieldCC

Monday 15th April 2024 - 18:30 to 21:30

BOOK HERE

1stCentral County Ground, Hove

Thursday 6th June - 18:30 to 21:30

BOOK HERE

Thanks again for your work in keeping cricket in Sussex safe and enjoyable. Have a great season.

Nick

Dear Club Safeguarding Officers,

A belated happy new year from me!

I am sure your minds are now turning to the 2024 season and getting ready to
ensure that your respective clubs are as safe and as enjoyable as they can be for all.

Please see the below “Top Tips” document. It will, I hope, be especially helpful for
new Club Safeguarding Officers. It can also act as a checklist for some of you with more
experience in the role.

I have refreshed the Safeguarding pages of the Sussex Cricket website:
SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket

The site contains the dates of the forthcoming Safe Hands in-person courses and links
to the ECB on-line training which is required for a Club Safeguarding Officer.

There are also some other useful links and contacts.

The ECB have reviewed many of the safeguarding policies and templates over the
winter and these are available here: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - The
Official Website of the ECB

Finally, for now, you are all invited to an on-line Club Safeguarding Forum from 7pm
to 8.30pm on Thursday 21 March 2024.

The focus will be on getting ready for 2024, the Top Tips document and DBS checks. I
will be advertising the session in due course, but please save the date and time.

Thank you for taking on this vital voluntary role in recreational cricket. Without Club
Safeguarding Officers, recreational cricket could simply not continue. Safeguarding is a
legal duty, and each one of you performs a very important role.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to discuss any issues at your
club.
 

Best regards,
Nick

Welcome to November’s Safeguarding Newsletter.

You’ll all be pleased to know that I’m keeping this brief, as cricket will not necessarily be your number-one priority at this time of year.

Club Safeguarding Officer sessions (online):

I am running the 3rd of my Club Safeguarding Officer online “Drop in” sessions on Wednesday 29 November 2023 from 7 pm to 8.30 pm.

This session will focus on “Listening to Children” in cricket and how we can improve the experience for young people coming into recreational cricket. We all want cricket to be both fun and safe for children, so I really want to hear what clubs are doing to achieve this. I will also be sharing the ideas we are implementing for the Pathway squads this year.

The first couple of sessions have been popular with those who attended, but it would be great to see more CSOs signing up and joining this online session. If you can register below, then you will receive the Zoom link a day or two before the event.

I am planning to run 2 or 3 further sessions in the new year between January and March, so please let me know if there are any topics you’d like to see covered.

REGISTER HERE

Safe Hands Courses (in person):

I will be running Safe Hands courses (obligatory for CSOs) on the following dates. Please sign up on the links as there are still places on both courses.

I will offer some further sessions around the county in the spring (dates and locations to be confirmed).

Ifield CC

Wednesday 16th of November 2023 18:30 to 21:30

BOOK HERE

Sussex CCC

Monday 27th of November 2023 18:30 to 21:30

BOOK HERE

Please contact me (nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk) if you have any safeguarding questions or issues, or have a look through the Safeguarding website pages: SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket

Message from Nick May, County Safeguarding Officer:
 
As we reach the end of the season, I wanted to thank all Club Safeguarding Officers (CSO) at recreational clubs across the county for their great work in cricket this summer. Safeguarding is regulated under law and cricket must be able to show how seriously we take safeguarding all those involved in the game to ensure it is a safe and fun environment for all. Safeguarding should be a golden thread running through everything we do.
 
Can I ask that Club Safeguarding Officers review their own qualifications and then ensure you do the same for those with relevant roles in your club.
 
A Club Safeguarding Officer needs 3 qualifications:

1. A current DBS (and ideally be signed up for the update system).
2. Completion of the ECB e-learning course for “Committee Members and CSOs”  Personal Information - Safeguarding For Committee Members - Sussex (ecb.co.uk) This has replaced the previous in-person Safeguarding Young Cricketers (SYC) course.
3. Attendance in-person at a Safe Hands Course which are held around the county. See this link for the next courses: Safeguarding Training | Sussex Cricket

 
 Drop- in sessions for Club Safeguarding Officers:
 
I am running a series of on-line drop-in sessions for Club Safeguarding Officers during the autumn on the following dates:
 
Tuesday 26 September    - “Low Level” Safeguarding Concerns    
 
Thursday 19 October – DBS queries   
 
Wednesday 29 November – “Listening to Children at your Club”
 
Each session will run from 7pm to 8.30pm. Please complete the registration form below, so I know how many people to expect at each event. You are welcome to attend all 3!

REGISTER HERE

   
Coaching alone
 
Please remember that it is a basic requirement in cricket for all coaching sessions and matches involving children that a minimum of two responsible adults are always present.  As Club Safeguarding Officers, please ensure your coaches are not put in vulnerable situations and please ensure your coaches are supported in reporting such situations to you.
 
 
Concussion
 
The ECB have lots of information on their website relating to concussion-
 
The following link is a 30-minute module on concussion awareness which I hope you find useful;
 https://concussionlearning.ecb.co.uk/#/lessons/OndqGHj8YZe33LqFUJqlkROpqycwcLd-
  
  
If you have any concerns or questions about specific cases or safeguarding in cricket in general, please do not hesitate to contact the Sussex County Safeguarding Officer, Nick May on 07463 225701.
 
nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk or safeguarding@sussexcricket.co.uk

Welcome to the August Safeguarding Newsletter.

I hope your season is going well.

Since I came into the role I have had a number of really good conversations with Club Safeguarding Officers from across the county. Some are looking for advice and reassurance, while I have also been referred to more serious concerns which have been passed on to the ECB Safeguarding Team for further investigation.

In all cases, the safeguarding officers have been diligent and thorough and are seeking to keep cricket a safe game and ensure all concerns are referred and dealt with at the appropriate and proportionate level. So, thank you to those I have spoken to.

The important thing for Club Safeguarding Officers or others that have concerns is that I am available for those initial conversations, to provide some direction and sometimes even take the matter out of your hands. I have worked in safeguarding roles for many years and I know how difficult and challenging some safeguarding scenarios can be, especially for volunteers with non-cricketing lives to lead as well as their roles in recreational cricket.

Please have a look at the updated Safeguarding pages on the Sussex Cricket website. I am reviewing and updating policies and seeking to keep them concise and practical for everyone involved in cricket in the county:  SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket

To support Club Safeguarding Officers I will be running 3 Safeguarding forums online during the autumn. 

The dates will be:

Tuesday 26 September 7pm – 8.30pm
Thursday 19 October at 7pm – 8.30pm
Wednesday 29 November at 7pm – 8.30pm

Please put these in your diary. The Zoom link for the meetings will be sent in the September newsletter and will also be available in the “Training” section of the Safeguarding section of the Sussex Cricket website (see link above).

I intend to review some of the patterns in this season’s referrals in the first session, with some anonymised scenarios.  If you have any other items you would like me to cover in these meetings, then please drop me an e-mail.

We have identified a small number of clubs where the DBS of the Club Safeguarding Officer has recently expired. Can I ask all clubs to double-check that they do not fall into this category. It is essential that we are fully compliant on this to assure parents and those playing cricket that we take safeguarding seriously in cricket. It is also one area where the ECB conducts regular audits and so is important for the county’s funding arrangements.

Finally, for now, the next in-person Safe Hands training, which is obligatory for Club Safeguarding Officers, will be taking place in the autumn. There will be 4 sessions around the county details of which are below.

Heathfield Park CC
Wednesday 11th of October 2023 18:30 to 21:30
BOOK HERE
 
Middleton CC 
Tuesday 17th of October 2023 18:30 to 21:30
BOOK HERE

Ifield CC
Wednesday 16th of November 2023 18:30 to 21:30
BOOK HERE

Sussex CCC
Monday 27th of November 2023 18:30 to 21:30
BOOK HERE

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer in your cricketing and non-cricketing lives,

Message from the County Safeguarding Officer, Nick May.

 I have been in post for two months and have met and spoken to many club safeguarding officers and other volunteers in the recreational game. It is fantastic to see the dedication and commitment of volunteers across the county. It is essential that the game is safe and fun for all children and adults of all abilities and without you, this cannot be achieved.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me on the number or e-mail addresses below if you have a safeguarding concern. I am getting to grips with the DBS processes and other systems and will always help where I can.
 
From the start of July, I will be working 4 days a week in the role and will be looking to visit recreational clubs during the season and also spend some time at Blackstones and BACA, with those involved in the development pathway.
 
I plan to provide some online forums for Club Safeguarding Officers over the winter, starting in late September. These will be monthly virtual “drop-in” sessions and will also include some training and professional development. I will circulate dates and details over the summer.
 
Please have a look at the updated policy statement on the website by following this link:  SAFEGUARDING | Sussex Cricket
 
Finally, there will be further Safe Hands Training courses at Buxted Park on Wednesday 21 June and at Pagham CC on Monday 17 July.  Safeguarding Training | Sussex Cricket
Please book your place on one of the courses, which both have spaces.
 
Further courses will start again in the autumn.
  
Contact Nick on:  07463 225701 safeguarding@sussexcricket.co.uk or nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk

ECB LIVE STREAMING GUIDANCE

The ECB produced guidance in 2021 about live streaming.  Safeguarding and GDPR responsibilities must be considered here if you are thinking of live streaming your matches or taking players (children, adults and adults at risk) to matches that will be live-streamed. 

ECB-Live-Streaming-Guidance-September-2021-.pdf

On 10th January 2023, following an internal review taking on board guidance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and our DBS provider (Atlantic Data) and additionally feedback from the cricket network, the ECB introduced some improvements to the way our DBS application system integrates with the Disclosure and Barring Service update Service.

The improvements will streamline the registration and annual check process for both volunteers and paid applicants and will ensure the ECB has the most up to date information regarding the roles people are undertaking in cricket and are complying with the DBS Code of Practice.

Please read the following to understand the changes in more detail:

https://safehands.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10003405416733-DBS-Renewal-Update-Service-Changes-January-2023

For further information related to the DBS renewal process, please visit our DBS Renewal FAQ’s or if you have any queries regarding these changes, please contact the ECB Customer Support Team via the Help Centre.

We want everyone to feel safe and welcome at cricket in Sussex.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. The ECB has a dedicated website to assist clubs in ensuring best practice is undertaken at all times which can be viewed here.

Are you ready for 2023? Below we have listed five key points your club should be addressing at the start of season regardless of whether you have a junior section or not. 

1. Do you have a registered and trained Club Safeguarding Officer?

It is a requirement that all clubs affiliated to the Sussex Cricket, have a fully trained Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO).

Training for this role is run by Nick May, the County Safeguarding Officer, and the “Safe Hands” qualification lasts for 3 years. You must ensure that Nick is aware of who is your clubs CSO and provide contact details and of any changes to nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk

There are regular “Safe Hands” courses throughout the year and across the county.

2. Do the people in key roles in you club have a DBS certificate?

All Captains, coaches, umpires, scorers, junior managers, All Stars Activators and junior helpers must have a current DBS certificate. A DBS lasts 3 years and if your own club’s CSO cannot start the process then you should contact the Nick May or your SCF Territory Manager to assist you.

All coaches require valid coaching DBS certificates. In addition, coaches and managers of junior teams need to have valid ECB DBS in place. Please check ECB’s safer recruitment and DBS checks (click here to view).

If you are in any doubt then please contact Nick.

3. Do you hold current contact details for all your club members?

This applies to all the juniors and seniors at your club. Imagine the worst-case scenario, where a club member is taken to hospital - would you know who to contact to inform their parents/family/partners? Who has this information and how easy is it to access? How do you record details of your club members? Does anyone have an underlying medical condition that should be communicated in an emergency?

4. Safe Hands Management System (SHMS)

Most cricket clubs in the county are now on the ECB’s Safe Hands Management System (SHMS). Indeed it is a requirement for clubs with the “Clubmark” accreditation or which runs a junior section (including All Stars and Dynamo's).

The Sussex Cricket League requires full compliance for divisions 1-4 (inclusive) of the League pyramid.

This system helps to evaluate whether your club is safeguarding compliant. To be compliant your club should have entered all key personnel onto this system which will then check whether they have the appropriate qualifications, such as a DBS and Safe Hands accreditation for Safeguarding Officers.

All clubs should be aiming to be compliant, in order to demonstrate a clear commitment to safeguarding.

For further information on SHMS or “Clubmark” please contact our Sussex Lead: Hamish.Russell@sussexcricket.co.uk 

5. Risk Assessment

Your club not only has a duty of care to all members and visitors. A risk assessment should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure all equipment is safe and working correctly while also inspecting the ground for things that could cause injury such as holes, broken glass or animal mess.

Does your club undertake risk assessments and how often are these performed? Are there trained first aiders at your club and how are they identified?

We hope you have an enjoyable season and please remember there is safeguarding support available from the County Safeguarding Officer nick.may@sussexcricket.co.uk