10 Jul 13
Brook Cricket Club
Pirrie Hall, Haslemere Road, Brook GU8 5UJ
www.brookcricketclub.co.uk
GUIDANCE FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
WORKING WITH CHILDREN
Brook CC is committed to providing a
safe environment for children. By adopting the points outlined in this
guidance you will be putting in place the best current practice to safeguard
children while working for Surrey:-
GOOD PRACTICE MEANS:
Ensuring that cricket is fun,
enjoyable and fair play is promoted
Treating all children equally, with respect and dignity
Being an excellent role model- this includes not smoking or drinking
alcohol whilst coaching and being mindful of behaviour around children
whilst in your care.
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
Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding being alone with a
child, and encouraging open communication with no secrets)
Building balanced relationships based on trust which enable children to
take part in the decision-making process
Being 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
Not tolerating acts of aggression
Recognising the needs and abilities of children, avoiding too much
training or competition and not pushing them against their will
Giving positive and constructive feedback rather than negative
criticism
Working to the ECB guidance on physical contact, where children are
always consulted and their agreement gained before any contact
Keeping up-to-date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance
in sport
Ensuring that if mixed sex teams are taken away, they are always
accompanied by a male and female member of staff
Ensuring 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
Finding out if any children you are coaching have medical conditions
that could be aggravated whilst playing or training
Keeping a written record any time a child is injured in your care,
along with the details of any treatment provided
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
Helping Surrey to work toward eradicating harassment and abuse of
children from cricket.
POOR PRACTICE MEANS YOU MUST NEVER:-
Spend excessive amounts of
time alone with children away from others
Take or drop off a child at an event
Take children to your home or transport them by car, where they will be
alone with you
Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games
Share a room with a child
Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching or physical abuse
Take part in or tolerate behaviour that frightens, embarrasses or
demoralises a cricketer or that affects their self esteem
Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged
Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun
Make a child cry as a form of control
Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or
ignored
Do things of a personal nature for children or vulnerable adults that
they can do for themselves
Shower with a child
Any of the above leave you open to allegations.
Practical Guidance on Physical Conduct
The following guidance is about safeguarding children whilst they learn
to play cricket. It will also help to protect adults from unnecessary or
malicious allegations when working with children:-
Always conduct all junior sessions with at least one other adult
present.
Brook CC understands that physical contact between a child and an adult
may be required to instruct, encourage, protect or comfort.
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.
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 i.e. 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 not the adult.
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:-
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 appearance
Never touch a child inappropriately. As a responsible adult you should
only use physical contact if its aim is to:
Develop sports skills and techniques
Treat an injury
Prevent an injury or accident from occurring
Meet the requirements of the sport
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.
If the child becomes injured
during a junior session and the injury requires the child to be carried to a
place of treatment, always seek support for another adult before moving the
child. Any first aid administered should be in the presence of another adult
or in open view of others.
If the child seems uncomfortable with any physical contact, stop
immediately
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
Never attempt to adjust a grip
of a child when in the normal batting stance position
Never find yourself in a situation where you are the only adult present
around children, i.e. in changing rooms, showers, or on a minibus
Where physical contact is for motivational or celebratory reasons,
agree with the children, teachers or other appropriate adults to praise good
performance, a "High Five" or similar action will be used.
Never help children dress e.g. to put on pads, helmets, or clothing
unless they request this and genuinely require assistance
Never help children to put on abdominal protector
Never take on one to one coaching with a child unless another adult or
parent is present
If you need to communicate
with a child for the purposes of organising junior cricket 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
communication with them, under no circumstances make the number available
for general circulation.
If any of the following incidents take place or are observed, you MUST
report them to Surrey’s County Welfare Officer and make a written note of
the event using Surrey’s Incident Reporting Form and inform parents where
appropriate if :
You accidentally hurt a child
A child seems distressed in any manner
A child acts in a sexually inappropriate manner
A child misunderstands or misinterprets something you have said and/ or
done
Responding to disclosures, suspicions and allegations
There may be a number of reasons where an adult finds it necessary to
report a concern including:
In response to something a child has said.
In response to signs or suspicions of abuse
In response to allegations made against a member of staff or volunteer
In response to allegations made about a parent, carer or someone not
working within cricket
In response to bullying
In response to a breach of code of conduct/poor practice
Observation of inappropriate behaviour
Responding to a child who tells you about abuse:-
You need to:-
Stay calm; do not show disgust or disbelief
Keep an open mind
Do not dismiss the concern, make assumptions or judgements
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.
Ask questions for clarification only and at all times avoid asking
questions that suggest a particular answer
Reassure the child that they have done the right thing in telling you.
Tell them what you will do next and with whom the information will be
shared
Record in writing what was said using the child’s own words. Do this as
soon as possible, using Surrey’s Incident Reporting Form.
Avoid approaching any alleged abuser to discuss the concern
Report the incident to the Surrey County Welfare Officer
Recording the incident and confidentiality
Information passed on to Surrey, the ECB, Children’s Social Care, LADO
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 Surrey’s Incident Reporting Form wherever possible.
Information needs to include the following:
Details of the child e.g. age/date of birth, address and gender
Details of facts of the allegation or observations
A description of any visible bruising or other injuries
The child’s account, if it can be given, regarding what has happened
and how
Witnesses to the incident(s)
The name and address and date of birth of any alleged offender
Any times, dates or other relevant information
A clear distinction between what is fact, opinion or hearsay
A signature, date and time on the report.
Be very careful not to promise that you will keep the information to
yourself.
created Jan 11