Child Protection

As many of you may be aware, child protection has become an important issue in all sports and cricket is no exception. At a club level, there is now a requirement for this to be taken seriously and it involves all members of the club. There are a number of actions that we must take to meet recommendations laid down by the ECB and failure to do so may see clubs expelled from their leagues.
 
Clubs must appoint a Welfare Officer, who will sit on the club committee. At Ponthir this is Andrew Van De Weyer.
 
A statement regarding child protection should be incorporated into the club’s constitution. This has been done.
 
All ECB affiliated clubs must adopt the ECB "Safe Hands - Welfare of Young People in Cricket" policy.
 
The club needs to ensure that all players, coaches, umpires etc. who interact with players under 18 years of age have undergone the necessary checks. These requirements came into force on 1st April 2005. This ranges from a Criminal Record Bureau check to a Self-Declaration form.
 
The ECB has changed its recommendations regarding the need for all players in a team fielding juniors (under 18) to complete a self-declaration form and this now only applies to the captain and vice-captain, if they have not had a CRB check.

Self Declaration
A copy of the Self Declaration form can be obtained by clicking here.  Please print it out and return to: Julia Detheridge, 10 Chapel Mead, Penperlleni, Nr. Pontypool, Monmouthshire, NP4 0BR.

Members who have a direct involvement with young players will need to undergo a CRB check. Anyone who takes part in an ECB coaching course will undergo this automatically but for those of you who fall into a group requiring a CRB check and who does not have one, please read below.
 
CRB Checks
Anyone needing to undergo a CRB check will need to obtain the necessary documentation from Andrew Van De Weyer.

For those members who may have undergone a CRB check because of other activities (work or leisure related) the ECB has decided that as from 1st April 2005 it will cease to accept CRB certificates obtained from other organisations. This is because the amount of administration required to process and authenticate the certificates is three times that for a new CRB form.

For all issues relating to Child Protection please contact Andrew Van De Weyer on 01495 785364 / 07866 382489.