Club Safeguarding Statement
MCLTC Child Safeguarding Statement – January 2019
MCLTC provides sporting activities and opportunities for children and young people and is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All our volunteers and staff working with children throughout the organisation seek to create a safe environment for children and young people to participate in cricket.
MCLTC Cricket Club’s written Safeguarding Risk Assessment document indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk occurring, and gives the required policy, guidance or process documents required to alleviate these risks. The list of risks identified are contained int he following categories: Club and Coaching Practices; Complaints & Discipline; Reporting Procedures; Use of Facilities; Recruitment; Communications; and General Risk of Harm.
This Clubs Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, (The Children First: National Guidance, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice).
In addition to our Risk Assessment document described above, there are further procedures that support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our activities.
Cricket Ireland has the following procedures, adopted by our clubs, in place as part of our Safeguarding Policies:
Procedures for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct by staff or volunteers against a child availing of our activities
Procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers to work with children in our activities
Procedures for access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm
Procedure for reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Statutory Authorities.
We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. We are committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our services. This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually.
For queries on this Child Safeguarding Statement, please contact the Club Children’s Officer.
Cricket Ireland Mandated Person: JoyO’NeillNSO
Club Designated Liaison Person:
Club Children’s Officer:
Club Name and Address: Muckamore Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club, Technology Park, Antrim
Club Chairperson Name: Trevor Barnett
Signed:
Date:
Club Children’s Officer Name:
Signed:
Date:
Anti-bullying Policy
Cricket Ireland is committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our children, so they can train and play in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable in our clubs. If bullying occurs, all children should be able to tell somebody, and know incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively.
The Anti-Bullying Policy applies to all members – young people, parents, coaches, anyone watching or supporting the game and any others who help and assist with club activities. It is the responsibility of everyone in the club to put this Anti-Bullying Policy in place and to help the club to be a safe, enjoyable place for young people. The Children’s Officer should discuss the policy with the young people and parents/guardians in the club and have it readily available.
What is bullying?
Bullying is the use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. Bullying results in pain and distress to the victim. Bullying can take many forms, including:
Emotional: being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (for example: hiding kit/belongings, or making threatening gestures)
Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
Racist: racial taunts, graffiti and/or gestures
Sexual: unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
Homophobic: because of, or focusing on, the issue of sexuality
Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours and teasing
Cyber: bullying behaviour online or via electronic communication (email and text, social media etc)
Misuse of associated technology, such as camera and video facilities
How to Recognise Bullying Behaviour
People who behave in a bullying manner can be recognised by:
Being intentionally hostile, aggressive; this can be without reason
An imbalance of power between groups and/or individuals; where the one person/group exerts
their power over another individual or group
Gaining satisfaction from their bullying behaviour
Causing harm to the target of bullying behaviour
Why is it important to respond to bullying? Bullying hurts. No one should experience bullying behaviour. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect. Children who are displaying bullying behaviour also need to learn different ways of behaving. Cricket clubs have a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to issues of bullying. Note that harmful behaviour can be directed towards either a person or a group.
Impact of bullying behaviour
Bullying behaviour has an impact on everyone involved. For the person who is the target of bullying behaviour, the effects can be felt psychologically and physiologically. The person who is responsible for the bullying behaviour may also show signs of low self-esteem. If the person who is behaving in a bullying manner is an adult
Anti-bullying Policy
In the club, other young people may be afraid to speak out because of the consequences, i.e. they may be afraid of not being picked for activities or left out of team selections.
Dealing with bullying behaviour involving young people
There are generally two ways to deal with bullying behaviour between young people: IMMEDIATELY AS AN ISSUE HAPPENS – This involves the person in charge being aware or told something is happening and seeking to resolve the issue at the time.
AFTER AN ISSUE HAPPENS – This can be used if an immediate response does not resolve the issue straight away or the behaviour only becomes apparent later. If the bullying behaviour continues it may involve a disciplinary/complaints process.
Procedures for dealing with bullying
Report bullying incidents to the Club Children’s Officer. If the person the concern is about, go to another committee member
If the individual is U18, the parent should be informed and invited to a meeting to discuss the problem
In cases of serious bullying, or continuous bullying, the incidents will be dealt with by the disciplinary committee, and if unresolved, reported to the Provincial Union and then Cricket Ireland, at which point the Safeguarding panel, if appropriate, would advise on actions
Please note the CCO or DLP can contact the NSO at any point throughout this process. If necessary, an appropriate agency such as the Gardai/PSNI will be consulted
The bullying behaviour or threats of bullying must be investigated, and the bullying stopped quickly
An attempt will be made to help the person/s displaying bullying behaviour change their behaviour
In cases of adults reported to be bullying cricketers under 18, the club disciplinary committee will aim to resolve the issue and Cricket Ireland Safeguarding Officer will be notified immediately
In extreme cases, persons could be suspended from their club
Outcome of dealing with the issue
The Children’s officer and the parents, should be informed as soon as possible and kept informed of the issue and how it was dealt with. This encourages parents to support the policy of dealing with issues immediately to the benefit of all involved. It is important to check the bullying behaviour does not continue by observing the group, checking in with those involved, and to encourage all club members to talk to a trusted person if they are worried about bullying behaviour. If the bullying continues, the issue will go to the disciplinary committee, and then to the National Safeguarding Panel.
Changing Room Policy for Children
All Cricket Ireland-affiliated cricket clubs must adopt this Changing Room Policy or incorporate it into their existing policy according to their facilities.
The following provides a guidance for a Changing Room Policy to be developed within the club. These guidelines apply to adults and children sharing changing facilities. Clubs should identify and develop a framework that best suits their changing arrangements. For this they should take account of the facilities available, access to those facilities, and the number of children involved.
Best practice principles to be adopted by clubs, wherever possible, are as follows:
Mobile phones must not be used in changing rooms at any time
In so far as is possible, children should arrive to all their matches changed into their appropriate clothing
If adults and children need to share a changing facility, the club must have consent from parents that their child(ren) can share a changing room with adults in the club
Adults should allow children to use the changing room to get changed first. When they are finished the adults can then use it
Adults must not change, or shower, at the same time as children when using the same facility as children
Adults should try to change at separate times to children during matches, for example, when children are padding up
Where children play for open-age teams, they and their parents need to be made aware of the changing room policy of the club
Mixed gender teams must have access to separate male and female changing rooms or create a policy on changing at different times
If children are uncomfortable changing or showering at the club, no pressure should be placed on them to do so. Suggest, instead, that they may change and shower at home