Brook Cricket Club (the Club) has adopted, and will
provide a copy of, the ECB Guidance for coaches working with children (being
those persons under the age of 18). This guidance covers the following
areas:
The guidance is intended for all those involved in coaching
whether they hold coaching qualifications or not.
1. Promoting Good Practice
1.1 Child abuse and harassment can take place in many
situations, from the home and school to a sporting environment. As a cricket
coach you will have regular contact with children; you should adopt the
highest standards of practice and be responsible for identifying those in
need of protection.
1.2 As a coach they will look up to you and if a child
decides to talk to you about abuse, you need to know what to do.
1.3 You also need to understand your duty of care
towards young cricketers, current guidance on good practice, and you must
act responsibly when you are around children. This will protect the children
you coach and reduce the potential for misunderstandings and inappropriate
allegations being made. The following guidelines should help you know what
to do if you are worried about a child, and demonstrate how you can create a
positive culture in cricket.
1.4 Good practice means:
1.4.1
ensuring that
cricket is fun, enjoyable and fair play is promoted;
1.4.2
treating all
children equally, with respect and dignity;
1.4.3
being an excellent
role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol whilst coaching;
1.4.4
always putting the
welfare of children first, before winning or achieving goals by encouraging
a constructive environment where healthy competition, skill development, fun
and achievement are promoted in equal measures;
1.4.5
always working in
an open environment (e.g. avoiding being alone with a child, and encouraging
open communication with no secrets);
1.4.6
building balanced
relationships based on trust which enable children to take part in the
decision-making process;
1.4.7
in line with Home
Office guidelines, if you are in a position of trust and authority, not
having sexual relationships with 16-17 year olds in your care;
1.4.8
not tolerating acts
of aggression;
1.4.9
recognising the
needs and abilities of children, avoiding too much training or competition
and not pushing them against their will;
1.4.10
giving positive
and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism;
1.4.11
working to the ECB
guidance on physical contact, where children are always consulted and their
agreement gained before any contact;
1.4.12
keeping up-to-date
with technical skills, qualifications and insurance in sport;
1.4.13
ensuring that if
mixed sex teams are taken away, they are always accompanied by a male and
female member of staff;
1.4.14
while on tour, you
do not enter a child’s room or invite them into your room – except in an
emergency i.e. when very unwell;
1.4.15
finding out if any
children you are coaching have medical conditions that could be aggravated
whilst playing or training;
1.4.16
keeping a written
record any time a child is injured in your care, along with the details of
any treatment provided;
1.4.17
promoting good
sportsmanship by encouraging children to be considerate of other athletes,
officials and club volunteers and by being modest in victory and gracious in
defeat; and
1.5.1
helping the ECB to
work toward eradicating harassment and abuse of children from cricket.
1.5 The following are examples of poor practice, and
therefore you should never:
1.5.1
spend excessive
amounts of time alone with children away from others;
1.5.2
take or drop off a
child at an event;
1.5.3
take children to
your home or transport them by car, where they will be alone with you;
1.5.4
engage in rough,
physical or sexually provocative games;
1.5.5
share a room with a
child;
1.5.6
allow or engage in
any form of inappropriate touching or physical abuse;
1.5.7
take part in or
tolerate behaviour that frightens, embarrasses or demoralises a cricketer or
that affects their self esteem;
1.5.8
allow children to
use inappropriate language unchallenged;
1.5.9
make sexually
suggestive comments to a child, even in fun;
1.5.10
make a child cry
as a form of control;
1.5.11
allow allegations
made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or ignored;
1.5.12
do things of a
personal nature for children or vulnerable adults that they can do for
themselves; or
1.5.13
shower with a
child.
Any of these can leave you open to allegations.
2. Practical Coaching Guidance on Physical Contact
2.1 The following guidance is about safeguarding
children whilst they learn to play cricket. It will also help to protect
coaches from unnecessary or malicious allegations when working with
children. Always conduct coaching sessions with at least one other adult
present. The ECB understands that physical contact between a child and an
adult may be required to instruct, encourage, protect or comfort.
2.2 However, it is important to remember that in cricket
today there is a multi-cultural mix of children from different ethnic and
religious backgrounds, children who may be on the Child Protection Register
or have previously been or are currently being abused at home. Not all
children are used to or are comfortable with any type of touching, be it
friendly or otherwise. In many cultures girls in particular are
uncomfortable about any kind of touching by a stranger.
2.3 All adults must understand that this touching not
only involves touching children when showing them cricket postures, but can
also include responsive or pleasant actions, e.g. when asking the child to
carry out a task, or celebrating a win. If any child is not comfortable with
physical contact it should be made clear that they can make their feelings
known privately to the adult. Any contact should be lead by the child and
not the adult.
2.4 Physically or visually impaired children may need to
be touched in order to help them understand, acquire or visualise a cricket
posture. However, it must be remembered that the guidance detailed below
still applies.
2.5 In addition, adults must be appropriately dressed
and professional when operating in a cricket environment with children.
Please remember that children can stereotype people by their appearance.
2.6 Never touch a child inappropriately. As a
responsible adult you should only use physical contact if its aim is to:
2.6.1
develop sports
skills or techniques;
2.6.2
treat an injury;
2.6.3
prevent an injury
or accident from occurring; or
2.6.4
meet the
requirements of the sport.
2.7 You should seek to explain the reason for the
physical contact to the child i.e. reinforcing the teaching or coaching
skill. Unless the situation is an emergency, the adult should ask the child
for permission. Physical contact should always be intended to meet the
child's needs NOT the adult's.
2.7.1
If a child becomes
injured during a coaching session and the injury requires the child to be
carried to a place of treatment, always seek support from another adult
before moving the child. Any first aid administered should be in the
presence of another adult or in open view of others.
2.7.2
If the child seems
uncomfortable in any way with the physical contact, stop immediately.
2.7.3
If the child you
are working with is visually impaired, you should tell them who you are and
ask their permission before you come into physical contact with them.
2.7.4
Never attempt to
adjust the grip of a child when in the normal batting stance position.
2.7.5
Avoid putting
yourself in a situation where you are the only adult present around
children, e.g. in changing rooms, showers, or on a minibus.
2.7.6
Where physical
contact is for motivational or celebratory reasons, agree with the children,
teachers or other appropriate adults that to praise good performance a ‘High
Five’ or similar action will be used.
2.7.7
Never help children
dress e.g. to put on pads, helmets, or clothing unless they request this and
genuinely require assistance.
2.7.8
Never help children
to put on an abdominal protector.
2.7.9
Never take on one
to one coaching with a child unless another adult or parent is present.
2.7.10
If you need to
communicate with a child for the purposes of coaching or passing on cricket
information, use a parent’s mobile telephone number. If you have agreed with
the parents in advance to use the child’s own mobile phone for communicating
with them, under no circumstances make the number available for general
circulation.
2.8 If any of the following incidents take place or
are observed, you MUST report them to the Club Welfare Officer and make a
written note of the event using the ECB Incident Reporting Form and inform
parents where appropriate if:
2.8.1
you accidentally
hurt a child;
2.8.2
a child seems
distressed in any manner;
2.8.3
a child acts in a
sexually inappropriate manner;
2.8.4
a child
misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done; or
2.8.5
to respond to
disclosures, suspicions and allegations.
2.9 There may be a number of reasons where a coach finds
it necessary to report a concern including (for example):
2.9.1
in response to
something a child has said;
2.9.2
in response to
signs or suspicions of abuse;
2.9.3
in response to
allegations made against a member of staff or volunteer;
2.9.4
in response to
allegations made about a parent, carer or someone not working within
cricket;
2.9.5
in response to
bullying;
2.9.6
in response to a
breach of code of conduct/poor practice; or
2.9.7
observation of
inappropriate behaviour.
3. Responding to a child who tells you about abuse.
You need to:
3.1 Stay calm; do not show disgust or disbelief.
3.2 Keep an open mind.
3.3 Do not dismiss the concern, make assumptions or
judgements.
3.4 Listen carefully to what is said and take the child
seriously. Let the child know that if what they tell you leads you to
believe they are in danger, you will have to pass the information on to
someone who can protect them.
3.5 Ask questions for clarification only and at all
times avoid asking questions that suggest a particular answer.
3.6 Reassure the child that they have done the right
thing by telling you.
3.7 Tell them what you will do next and with whom the
information will be shared.
3.8 Record in writing what was said using the child’s
own words. Do this as soon as possible, using the ECB Incident Reporting
Form.
3.9 Avoid approaching any alleged abuser to discuss the
concern.
3.10 Report the incident to the Club Welfare Officer.
4. Recording the incident and confidentiality
4.1 Information passed to the ECB, Children’s Social
Care and/or the Police needs to be as helpful as possible, which is why it
is important to make a detailed record at the time of the disclosure /
concern. Use the ECB Incident Reporting Form wherever possible.
4.2 Information needs to include the following:
4.2.1
details of the
child (e.g. age/date of birth, address, and gender);
4.2.2
details of the
facts of the allegation or observations;
4.2.3
a description of
any visible bruising or other injuries;
4.2.4
the child’s
account, if it can be given, regarding what has happened and how;
4.2.5
witnesses to the
incident(s);
4.2.6
the name, address
and date of birth of any alleged offender;
4.2.7
any times, dates or
other relevant information;
4.2.8
a clear distinction
between what is fact, opinion or hearsay; and
4.2.9
a signature, date
and time on the report.
4.3 Be very careful not to promise that you will keep the information
to yourself.