Through ‘Australian Cricket’s Framework for Safeguarding Children and Young People’ (Framework) Cricket Australia, State and Territory Cricket Associations (collectively Australian Cricket), associations and clubs aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all Children and Young People.
The Framework includes:
A copy of these documents can be found on the Cricket Australia website.
To start your club or association must adopt and endorse all three documents at your next available committee meeting. Example wording for committee endorsement can be found below.
The [INSERT ASSOCIATION/CLUB] endorse and adopt:
Australian Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children and Young People, Australian Cricket’s ‘Looking After Our Kids’ Code of Behaviour for Affiliated Associations and Clubs, and Australian Cricket’s Commitment to Safeguarding Children and Young People, effective as at [date].
To help implement the Framework, Cricket Victoria has created a Child Safety User Guide. You can use this guide and the steps below to ensure your club is creating a safe environment for Children & Young People.
Once you endorse & adopt the Framework, spread the word and promote what you stand for. You can do this by:
This role can also report to the committee and be the first point of contact for all safeguarding Children and Young People matters.
A detailed Position Description for the role can be found here.
For those look for training or upskilling for this role, you can complete the Child Protection online course via Play By The Rules here.
Cricket Victoria strongly recommends that clubs and associations implement recruitment and screening practices for roles that are in leadership positions or that are likely to interact with Children or Young People as part of that role. A full list of roles can be found in clause 8 of Australian Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children & Young People.
Recruitment and screening practices include:
Cricket Victoria has a range of resources that help clubs implement recruitment & screening practices to ensure clubs and associations appoint the most appropriate people to work with Children & Young People.
Update your registration forms to contain the following acknowledgment, both online and paper based, which is to be agreed by all club members:
If your club uses online registration through MyCricket Administration and the PlayCricket website, your participants will automatically be asked to agree to the Codes of Behaviour. To find out how to set up an online registration form, see the MyCricket Support website.
As part of these Codes of Behaviour, there are requirements to receive parent or guardian permission and consent for issues such as transportation to cricket events outside of a child or young persons parent or guardian and image consent.
To simplify this process, Cricket Victoria has created template questions that can be included in a clubs online registration forms.
In 2021, Cricket Victoria ran focus groups in conjunction with some of our regional and metropolitan clubs to hear directly from Children & Young People about how they feel safe (and less safe) within cricket and how clubs can further empower them to speak up about issues important to them. The focus groups taught us a lot. From them, we now know that Children & Young People in cricket:
From the focus groups we have created resources to help clubs engage and empower children and young people to speak up when they feel less safe and provide suggestions to the club to improve their experience and that of others.
In a global and domestic context that is increasingly reliant on online connection and education, the safety of our children in the sporting cyber world is now more critical than ever. The below resources will help your club, children & young people and their parents to manage the e-safety risks.
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