10 Jul 13
Brook Cricket Club
Pirrie Hall, Haslemere Road, Brook GU8 5UJ
www.brookcricketclub.co.uk
E-SAFETY GUIDELINES: FOR COACHES,
MANAGERS AND OTHERS IN A POSITION OF TRUST AND RESPONSIBILITY IN RESPECT OF
CHILDREN
The Internet is an amazing tool it
opens up so many educational and social opportunities, giving you access to,
quite literally, a world of information and experiences.
Whilst these technologies provide exciting opportunities, they are
accompanied by dangers and negative consequences if abused by users.
Brook CC is keen to promote the safe, and responsible, use of
communication and interactive communication technologies within cricket. The
following guidelines have been put together to ensure the message of safe
and responsible use of communication and interactive technologies is
understood and are followed within cricket.
Social networking opens up more threats to all users including:
Bullying by peers and people they consider ‘friends’
Posting personal information that can identify and locate a child
offline
Sexual grooming, luring, exploitation and abuse contact with strangers
Exposure to inappropriate and/or illegal content
Involvement in making or distributing illegal or inappropriate content
Theft of personal information
Leaving and running away from home as a result of contacts made online
In order to safeguard all children within cricket and to avoid any
misinterpretation of online activity by coaches, managers and others Brook
CC does not advocate social network contact between and children under 18.
The following of adults in cricket by children and following children by
adults on Twitter is strongly not recommended.
If a coach/manager believes this is the best way to share information
regarding the team – match times/venues etc they can set up a face book page
in the name of the team which the children can then become members. Any
photographs of the coaches will be representative of them and their phone
numbers will be included in the page (as they are in the fixture book).
1. Guidance for
,
coaches, managers and others in a position of trust and
responsibility in respect of children in Brook CC:
Take responsibility for their
own use of communication and interactive technologies, making sure they use
new technologies safely, responsibly and legally within the context of
cricket.
No communication device or
service, including interactive communication services such as social
networking may be used to bring the club, its members or cricket into
disrepute
No communication device or
service, including interactive services such as social networking may be
used for inappropriate behaviour online within the context of cricket
including the bullying or harassment of others in any form, defamation,
obscene or abusive language, the uploading of material which is libellous,
defamatory, obscene, illegal, shows nudity or is violent
Report any known misuses of
communication and interactive technologies within the context of cricket,
including unacceptable behaviour, inappropriate contact with children online
and illegal content including sexual abuse/indecent images of children,
according to the relevant club and ECB safeguarding policies and procedures
Need to be aware that any
report of the misuse of communication and interactive technologies within
the context of cricket will be investigated according to the club’s policy
and procedures and may result in the club’s sanctions being enforced.
Depending upon the seriousness of the incident legal action may be taken and
where suspected criminal activity has taken place a report will be made to
the police where a club provides network access or communication devices all
members and guests will:
Protect passwords and personal
network logins and log off the network when leaving web stations/devices
unattended. Where available security settings should be set on mobile
devices. Any attempts to access, corrupt or destroy other users’ data in any
way using technology is unacceptable In addition to the above club officers
and appointed volunteers will:
2. In addition to the above all, coaches, managers and others in a
position of trust and responsibility in respect of children in Brook CC :
Take responsibility for their
professional reputation in the online environment, making sure they follow
e-safety advice, adhere to privacy and safety settings and report any
concerns in accordance with club and ECB policies and procedures
Not ask for email addresses,
mobile phone numbers or social networking profiles of junior members (less
than 18 years of age) or search for junior members on social networking
services/search engines without the prior consent of parents and in line
with the club’s policy on the use of information including emergency
situations
Members in a position of trust
and/or responsibility should not develop an online relationship with a young
player with the intention of meeting them offline to engage in sexual
activity. Sexual exploitation, including grooming a child under the age of
16 for the purpose of meeting to engage in sexual activity, is a serious
criminal Offence.
Should a young person within
your club request to become a named friend on your Social Networking Page or
request that you become a named friend on the young persons Social
Networking Page you should decline if any of the below apply:
1. You are in a position of responsibility in respect of that child.
2. You hold a position of trust and responsibility in the club.
3. Your contact with the child is through Brook CC and the
parent/guardian of the child does not give their consent to such contact.
Not view, possess, make or
distribute sexual abuse/indecent images of children. This is a serious
criminal offence
Guidance to coaches who have children that are members of the Brook CC
where they coach:
The issue has been raised that parents are becoming members of social
networking sites that their children sign up to for security reasons in
order to ensure the wellbeing of their own child by being able to view their
child’s site. This will give the parent access via their child’s site to all
children listed as friends of their child. It would not be appropriate for
Brook CC to prevent a parent who is also a coach in his/her child’s club
from using this form of protection of their child’s online activities.
Therefore in such cases the coach can:
1. Have players in the club on the site/he she is accessing providing the
Brook CC under 18 year old club members on the site are listed as friends of
his/her child.
2. The coach concerned does not have direct contact with those players
through the social networking site;
3. The coach does not accept such players as friends on his/ her home
site; and
4. The coach should inform the Club Welfare Officer of this arrangement.
Coaches/managers and officials who are under 18
Brook CC recognises social networking sites can be a useful tool for
coaches, and officials within Brook CC to share information with other
coaches, managers and officials. If, however, the coach, manager or official
is under the age of 18 while they may be a colleague, the requirements of 1
and 2 above must be adhered to. However, for young people aged 16 or 17 it
is the view of Brook that to restrict the ability to share professional
information with them from other coaches, managers or officials may be
detrimental in their professional development in their role within Brook CC.
Therefore such cases if the parent of a young person in a position of
responsibility aged 16/17 and the young person themselves requests to have
contact with an adult club officer or coach for the purposes of sharing
professional information relevant to their role the club should:
1. Gain written consent of the parent/guardian and young person to have
Such contact naming the individual adult and social networking site
concerned;
2. The name adult must sign an agreement to keep the contact with the
young person to the discussion of matters relevant to the young person’s
professional role in the club;
3. All such communications should be shared with an identified 3
rd
person
(e.g. the young person’s parent/guardian of CWO;and
4. If the young person or the adult is found to breach the above
agreement
action must be taken by the club to address the concern and/or the
breach referred to the CWO or the statutory agencies if appropriate.
If you have any concern about the use of social networking sites please
report as follows:
Any concern: Club Welfare Officer
Illegal sexual child abuse
images should be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation (http://www.iwf.org.uk)
and to the police.
Reports about suspicious
behaviour towards children and young people in an online environment should
be made to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (www.ceop.gov.uk).
Law enforcement agencies and the service provider may need to take urgent
steps to locate the child and/or remove the content from the internet.
Where potentially illegal material including sexual abuse or indecent
images of children or activity is found or suspected on technology provided
by, or where the club has access to, the evidence should be made secure and
preserved. The police or the IWF can provide further advice on this when a
report is made. In the case of reports about suspected illegal material
including sexual abuse or indecent images of children held on personally
owned devices by members the report should include where the suspected
illegal material can be found e.g. a website address where possible.
Potentially illegal material, including sexual abuse or indecent
images, should not be circulated or distributed within the club. Those
involved in making a report should be kept to an absolute minimum.
For further guidance of E-safety have a look at the following websites
for some helpful tips:
BBC Stay Safe,
Think you Know,
Kids Smart