Safeguarding Policy

LEAGUE SAFEGUARDING POLICY

1. PRELIMINARY

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of the Safeguarding Policy (the Policy) is to demonstrate the commitment of Yorkshire Premier League North (YPLN) Management Board’s to safeguarding children and adults, and to ensure that everyone involved in the cricket across the league is aware of:

the legislation, policy and procedures for safeguarding children and adults;

their role and responsibilities for safeguarding children and adults; and

what to do or who to speak to if they have a concern relating to the welfare or wellbeing of a child or adult within Yorkshire Cricket.

1.2 Objectives

The objectives of this Policy are to:

stop abuse, harm, neglect and poor practice wherever possible;

prevent harm and reduce the risk of abuse, harm and/or neglect to children and adults;

raise awareness so that cricket communities, alongside professionals, play their part in identifying and preventing abuse, harm and/or neglect;

promote a safeguarding culture where consideration for the welfare of children and adults is embedded into all decision-making, resulting in an enjoyable and safe environment;

develop a positive and proactive culture where concerns are reported without hesitation, including self-reporting; and

promote high standards and demonstrate our ambition to become industry leaders in safeguarding children and adults.

1.3 Scope

The content included within this policy is explicitly led by the Safeguarding Policies of the ECB & YCB/YCF. The league management team has the authority to amend this policy without prior notice, subject to policy changes at a national or regional level. Summary notification of these changes will be issued as and when appropriate.

This Policy applies to all YPLN board members, cricket employees, players, contractors, volunteers, and all persons engaged to undertake work, represent, or play cricket across the YPLN.

We expect our partner organisations, including for example, suppliers and sponsors, to adopt and demonstrate their commitment to the principles and practice set out in this Policy and associated procedures.

This Policy covers the welfare and safeguarding of children and adults. General complaints and concerns will be redirected in accordance with the relevant policy including, but not limited to, Customer Voice Policy, Employee Voice Policy and the ECB Regulations.

2. DEFINITIONS

Adult	for the purposes of this Policy, the term adult encompasses adults at risk and adults more generally. It is important to note that any adult can become vulnerable at any time and for any reason: Adult at Risk, an individual who: (a) has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and; (b) is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect, and; (c) as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect. (Care Act 2014)
Management Board	refers to all active members of the YPLN League Management Board. Specific information can be found via the YPLN website.
Child / Children	refers to persons under the age of 18; also referred to as Young People. (The Children’s Act 1989 & 2004)
ECB	refers to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which encompasses the Cricket Regulator.
Protected Characteristics	refers to the nine personal traits that are legally protected from discrimination: age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. (Equality Act, 2010)
Regulated Activity	refers to certain roles that involve working with vulnerable groups, including children or adults at risk. Anyone who is on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) barred lists cannot work in these roles; whether a role is deemed regulated activity depends on the nature of the activity and associated time period.
Safeguarding	is defined as: providing help and support to meet the needs of children as soon as problems emerge; protecting children from maltreatment, whether that is within or outside the home, including online; preventing impairment of children’s mental and physical health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; promoting the upbringing of children with their birth parents, or otherwise their family network through a kinship care arrangement, whenever possible and where this is in the best interests of the children; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes in line with the outcomes set out in the Children’s Social Care National Framework. (Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2023)
Safe Hands	Refers to the ECB’s ‘Safe Hands’ Safeguarding Policy and Safeguarding Adults Policy Statement. (ECB 2023)
Yorkshire Cricket	for the purposes of this Policy, Yorkshire Cricket refers to the Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, Yorkshire Cricket Board and Northern Superchargers.

3. POLICY

3.1 Policy Statement

YPLN acknowledges its duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults. We are committed to educating all individuals in positions of responsibility and in regulated roles, in how to recognise the signs of abuse, how to report any concerns, and how to proactively mitigate the risks associated with our cricketing activities. We are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance, and endeavour to become industry leaders whilst supporting the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) requirements as documented in their Safeguarding Policy (Safe Hands).

3.2 Our Principles

Cricket should be a game for everyone. We are dedicated to ensuring that all children and adults within cricket - regardless of ability, protected characteristics, or socio-economic background have the right to enjoy the game in an environment safe from abuse and harm of any kind. We firmly believe that a positive cricket experience is essential to the success of the game, and we prioritise developing the right environment for all those involved ahead of individual and/or club performance. Yorkshire Cricket will deliver on its safeguarding responsibility by putting the welfare of children and adults at the centre of decision-making, whilst empowering adults to make decisions for themselves with support from others, where appropriate.

3.3 Our Commitments

YPLN is committed to working with the ECB, YCB and statutory agencies to:

ensure the safeguarding and welfare of children and adults remains paramount;

address the additional vulnerabilities of some of our participants may face, including but not limited to looked after children, children in care, individuals with poor mental health, individuals with a disability, individuals under a social care service and talented/professional cricketers;

ensure the right people are in place to safeguard children and adults through adopting safer recruitment practices, implementing policy and procedure, issuing codes of conduct defined by the ECB and Yorkshire Cricket, and providing high quality education and training;

ensure everyone within the league structure understands their role and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding;

ensure that reporting processes are made clear and easy, to ensure timely and effective reporting, and that key contact points are identified and communicated (refer to Appendix 2 Key Safeguarding Contacts);

ensure all disclosures, incidents and concerns are taken seriously and are investigated thoroughly in a timely manner in consultation with the ECB and statutory agencies;

ensure safeguarding concerns are properly recorded and proactively tracked, monitored and analysed to inform continuous improvement through lessons learned; and

report, when appropriate, to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) anybody working in a Regulated Activity role across the YPLN league structure who is believed to present a risk of harm to children

4. FAILURE TO COMPLY

Not complying with this Policy can have serious consequences for you, your club and, critically, those who are subject to abuse, harm and/or neglect. Failure to comply with this Policy and related procedures may constitute misconduct and will be addressed without delay. If you fail to comply with this Policy, you may face consequences up to and including:

28-day notice of improvement

Player suspensions & fines

Report to the cricket regulator

Expulsion from the league

Legal action.

5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Everyone plays a role in the safeguarding of children and adults and has a responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns. Key roles are identified in the ECB safeguarding policy to ensure safeguarding remains paramount in decision making and daily operations.

5.1 League Management Board

Where appropriate, all members of the Board of Directors will complete their mandatory safeguarding training and have committed to adopting Safe Hands. The League Management Board have appointed a multi-personnel League Safeguarding Committee to work with clubs to:

promote the principles and commitments outlined in this Policy at the highest levels.

ensure all member clubs act in keeping with this Policy, legislation, statutory guidance, Safe Hands and the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) Safeguarding Standards;

ensure that safeguarding is embedded as a key responsibility in operating plans and structures, as well as having oversight of the safeguarding operational risk register;

work closely with the Head of Safe and Fair Cricket to undertake appropriate check and challenge of safeguarding data and practices to ensure proactive and preventative actions are implemented in the safeguarding of children and adults at Yorkshire Cricket;

ensure risk mitigation measures remain aligned to corporate risk profiles and appetite; and

ensure the League Management Board remains up-to-date and informed of safeguarding areas of work, risks and challenges.

5.2 League Safeguarding Officers

The YPLN have appointed an experienced League Management Safeguarding Officer(s) to:

act as point of contact for all safeguarding cases across allocated areas of responsibility;

support recreational Club Safeguarding Officers with case management and offer advice, where needed;

support the development, implementation and delivery of safeguarding training as required;

advocate the implementation of ECB safeguarding strategy;

proactively engage with officials, players, participants and customers within areas of responsibility to ensure policies and procedures are understood and followed;

proactively analyse and identify gaps in knowledge, process or training;