Hertfordshire Cricket

If you have any concerns about a child or adult at risk or the behaviour of an adult towards either of these, you should share these immediately. It is natural to feel a little anxious about reporting a safeguarding concern, but remember, it is not your responsibility to decide if abuse or neglect has taken place, but you do have a duty of care to share any concerns you have.

There are a number of ways to report a concern:

• To your Club Safeguarding Officer – please find out from your club who this person is.
• To your County Safeguarding Officer – Julie Page safeguarding@hertscricket.org / 07741 272751.
• To the Cricket Regulator Directly – safeguarding@cricketregulator.co.uk / 020 7432 1200.
• If urgent and you cannot contact your club, or County Safeguarding Officer, you should call the NSPCC 24-hour helpline on 0808 800 5000.
• If it is an emergency and someone is at immediate risk, then call the Police or Children’s Social Care in your area.

Referral Form

The Safeguarding Referral Form has been designed to support anyone with a concern to be able to supply us with key information. Once complete the form should be shared with your County Safeguarding Officer or the Safeguarding Team via safeguarding@cricketregulator.co.uk.

There are two types of Referral Forms - Low Level and Threshold.

What is a low-level Concern?

A low-level concern is a concern about behaviour that doesn't meet the threshold of harm but is still inconsistent with a club's code of conduct or values. Low-level concerns can be about behaviour that's inappropriate at work or outside of work. They can also be about behaviour that causes a sense of unease or a "nagging doubt".

Low-level concerns are different from allegations, which are concerns that meet the harm threshold. However, multiple low-level concerns can add up to form a pattern that meets the harm threshold. We therefore encourage clubs to report ALL concerns to your County Safeguarding Officer via the following form:

Low Level Concern Safeguarding Referral Form

What is a threshold concern?

The Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team has established clear case management thresholds to manage expectations across the Cricket network.

If cases which meet the thresholds listed below are referred to the Cricket Regulator (CR), the CR Safeguarding Team will take whatever action is deemed necessary in accordance with the Cricket Regulators Safeguarding Procedure. If cases which do not meet these thresholds are referred to the Cricket Regulator, the CR Safeguarding Team will refer them back to the County Safeguarding Officer and/or Club Safeguarding Officer as appropriate for further consideration.

For the avoidance of doubt, any reference to a referral below is a reference to a referral where the subject matter relates (or may relate) to the welfare of children and/or adults.

1. Any referral relating to an allegation which meets the threshold of a statutory agency investigation.
2. Any referral in which the person under investigation is employed within a position of trust education, health care settings, social work, care work and criminal justice settings) or volunteers with children or adults at risk for another organisation.
3. Any referral where the person under investigation is a County Safeguarding Officer, Club
4. Safeguarding Officer or Board Safeguarding Lead within cricket.
5. Any referral relating to sexual misconduct (to include conduct over internet enabled devices) within the context of cricket.
6. Any referral relating to a physical assault on a child within the context of cricket.
7. Any referral about an individual who is subject to a suspension, monitoring, supervision or any ongoing plan imposed by the Safeguarding Panel pursuant to the ECB’s SafeguardingProcedure.
8. Any referral relating to a person who is subject to sex offender registration requirements.
9. Any referral involving an ECB employee.
10. Any referral relating to a third (or more) incident of poor practice/low level concern, provided the previous two (or more) incidents have been reported to and recorded by a relevant Club, County or Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team.
11. Any referral involving current or former professional cricketers or high-profile individuals within cricket.
12. Any other referral involving behaviours or matters which the ECB Safeguarding Team consider give rise to transferable safeguarding risk.

Threshold Concern Safeguarding Referral Form Download Word Doc
Threshold Safeguarding Referral Form (online form)
Safeguarding Kit Bag

Whistleblowing
Whistleblowing in a safeguarding context means revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation, or within an independent structure associated with it. It can be used as an early warning system or when it’s recognised that appropriate actions have not been taken. This approach or policy is adopted in many different walks of life. Any adult or young person with concerns about a colleague’s conduct towards a child, young person or adult at risk, can report this to the Safeguarding Team by emailing safeguarding@cricketregulator.co.uk.

Reporting Discrimination
Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. If you are aware of or witness discrimination at any level of cricket in England and Wales, we want to hear from you. Whatever discrimination you are aware of or have witnessed, your report will be reviewed and dealt with by the relevant cricket organisation. Reporting discrimination will help us to ensure cricket is a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse game for everyone. Click here to read more on how to report discrimination.

Alternatively, concerns can be reported:

• Directly to the local Police or Children’s Social Care services
• The NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk