Important Reminder: Child Safeguarding and Club Code of Conduct

Following recent concerning news regarding child safeguarding in sport, Dartford Cricket Club wishes to remind all members of our shared responsibility to protect children and young people at the club.

## Annual Policy Requirements

All members must read and abide by the Club's **Child Safeguarding Policy** and **Changing and Showering Policy** every year.

Captains are asked to remind their teams of these requirements at upcoming matches. The policies are available on the Club website.

## Code of Conduct for Members and Guests

All members and guests of Dartford Cricket Club will:

**Respect and Equality** - Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person within cricket - Treat everyone equally and not discriminate on any grounds - Not condone or allow any form of discrimination to go unchallenged

**Behaviour and Fair Play** - Display high standards of behaviour and promote fair play - Encourage participants to learn the Laws of cricket and respect match officials - Actively discourage unfair play and rule violations - Recognise good performance, not just results

**Child Safety and Wellbeing** - Place the well-being and safety of children above performance - Ensure activities are appropriate for each individual's age, maturity, experience and ability - Respect children's opinions when making decisions about their participation - Not smoke, drink alcohol or use banned substances while actively working with children - Not provide alcohol to children under the Club's care

**Safeguarding Responsibilities** - Follow ECB guidelines in **Safe Hands – Cricket's Policy for Safeguarding Children** - Report any concern relating to a child by following ECB reporting procedures

## Additional Responsibilities for Club Officers and Volunteers

Club Officers and Appointed Volunteers will:

**Vetting and Training** - Be appropriately vetted where required - Hold relevant qualifications and appropriate insurance - Attend appropriate training, particularly relating to safeguarding children

**Working Practices** - Always work in an open environment, avoiding private or unobserved situations - Inform players and parents of cricket's requirements - Know and understand ECB's **Safe Hands** policy - Develop appropriate working relationships based on mutual trust and respect

**Physical Contact and Conduct** - Ensure any physical contact is appropriate, necessary and carried out with full consent - Never engage in sexually related contact, sexual innuendo, flirting or inappropriate gestures with young players - Adopt the ECB principle that people in positions of trust must not have sexual relationships with 16- or 17-year-olds in their care

## Reporting Concerns

For the purposes of this Code, "members and guests" includes all members and officers of Dartford Cricket Club, their guests, and everyone who watches, attends, participates in or officiates at matches hosted by the Club in any capacity.

**Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.**

If you have any concerns about the welfare or safety of a child, please report them immediately through the Club's safeguarding procedures.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone at Dartford Cricket Club.