Kent Cricket Board Policy

The Kent Cricket Board has produced a Child Protection and Welfare Policy document which all Clubs are free to download and adapt for their own use.

It can be downloaded from here.

If you have any further questions about Child Protection and Welfare, Dave Nash is the County Welfare Officer and his contact details can be found on the Personnel page of this website.

ECB Welfare Policy - Safe Hands

Kent Cricket Board and the Kent County Club have adopted the ECB’s ‘Safe Hands-welfare of young people in cricket’ policy since early in 2004.  You can download a copy by clicking this link for Parts 1 and 2 and then this one for Part 3.

Dave Nash was appointed the part-time County Child Welfare Officer, having had previous teaching and professional football club experience, the latter including a role of Welfare officer in a wider educational remit.  As Dave has also been a very active committee member, captain and player at a senior cricket club (in Essex though!) he does appreciate the difficulties clubs face in coping with all the administrative demands made on them and the lack of willing volunteers.

All county clubs with youth sections must embrace the ECB ‘Safe Hands’ policy.
This includes the appointment of a Club Welfare Officer and the training of that person through ‘Safeguarding and Protecting Children’ (SPC) (formerly Good Practice and Child Protection [GPCP]) and ‘Time to Listen’ courses.  These are organised on a fairly regular basis by KCB amongst others.  Most clubs have appointed Welfare Officers.  Please note that the GPCP course should be completed first before attending the TTL course.

If a club has a few regular under 18 players but no youth section it can opt to have its District Welfare Officer or local Focus club CWO representing its child welfare issues.  If your club is one of these please let Dave Nash know.

After appointing your Welfare Officer the club should ensure the ‘Safe Hands’ policy is adopted in the club constitution and the CWO has a place on the club committee. A club child welfare policy should be written and displayed:  the KCB policy as in the advice booklet can be adapted. All relevant personnel should be CRB cleared and finally the club should adopt policies/proceedures relating to transport, photography, use of changing rooms, code of conduct, health and safety as well as anti-discrimination.

An incident log should be kept by each age group manager/coach and the CWO at the club.  Not only is all of this necessary as decreed by the ECB and supported by KCB and every county board, but is essential for all clubs aiming for the ‘Clubmark’status.  It is extra work but it will give clubs greater standing in the community and will help them attract and retain youngsters.

All information relating to policies, contact details, courses, overseas coaches and CRB checks can be found in the KCB advice booklet.  Most clubs will have one of these but if not the content can be downloaded from the website (links to follow), from the ECB website or you can contact Dave Nash - details on the personnel page of this website - and he will send you a copy.