Safeguarding Interim Measures

ECB Safeguarding team have recognised some challenges you may be facing, due to the important restriction implemented by the government.  We have put in place a couple of immediate changes to support you.

Training for Club Welfare Officers 2020

Please click here to download details of 2020 Safe Hands webinar training.

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

We have had to make changes to our standard practice, the following link is government guidance on the temporary changes put in place:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-changes-to-dbs-id-checking-guidelines

The ECB will be following this guidance.

Key points

• Anyone with a DBS Certificate issued with content will now be asked to email their certificate to safeguarding@ecb.co.uk instead of posting
• Anyone requested to submit an overseas certificate of good conduct will be asked to email their certificate to dbs@ecb.co.uk instead of posting
• Access has been restricted for ID verification to the top levels of access: ECB Staff / Regional Users / Primary County-Wide Users / Secondary County-Wide Users (which would include all County Welfare Officers & their deputies / Regional Programme Execs / City Programme Execs
• ID Verifications will now be supported via video conferencing instead of Face to Face meetings
• All of these are temporary changes in process and as soon as is viable, standard business practices will be re-introduced.

Please see below for the full information regarding carrying out DBS Video ID Meetings.

If you have any questions, please contact us at safeguarding@ecb.co.uk.

DBS Video ID Verification Meetings

Due to the current situation access has been restricted to our DBS application system for ID verification to the top levels of access: ECB Staff / Regional Users / Primary County-Wide Users / Secondary County-Wide Users (which would include all County Welfare Officers & their deputies / Regional Programme Execs / City Programme Execs.

We have temporarily introduced a change to the ID verification part of the application to allow these to be actioned via a video call as opposed to the standard Face to Face Meeting.

If you are able, we would appreciate your support in carrying these out until such a time that the service can resume to standard practice.

We fully appreciate that you may not be able to support any or all verification requests so please do not feel this is compulsory.  You will just need to decline any requests you receive via the portal.

If you can support this change, then please see links below to some video conferencing / call software:

1. Zoom - https://zoom.us/
2. Microsoft Teams – https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads
3. Skype - https://www.skype.com/en/
4. Google Hangouts - https://tools.google.com/dlpage/hangoutplugin
5. Uber Conference - https://www.uberconference.com/
6. com - https://www.FreeConferenceCall.com
7. iPhone Facetime - https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204380
8. WhatsApp video call - https://www.whatsapp.com/download

Important steps for the ID verification meeting

1. Ensure the applicant has emailed over copies of their three ID documents prior to the meeting
2. Ensure you have their application reference number
3. Check that the application is in their Full Legal Name (as appears on birth certificate/passport etc)
4. Check if the applicants is a volunteer or paid role and that their application has been set up accordingly
5. Once logged in, work through the steps presented to you to confirm the ID
6. At each stage, ask the applicant to hold up to the screen the original photo ID document to compare likeness of the photo to the person you are verifying
7. Please ensure that you delete / destroy and documents that are emailed to you

If you experience any issues with the application verification, then please seek support from dbs@ecb.co.uk

Safe Hands Online Management System

As we continue to work towards delivering Inspiring Generations, we must ensure that the game is sustainable and that we mitigate against other risks that the game faces. When cricket returns, we expect more players, volunteers, clubs and officials to be taking part that ever before. The introduction of the online Safe Hands Online Management System will strengthen our network and continue to make cricket a safe game for young people, their families and all those around them to enjoy.

When cricket returns, in a post-COVID-19 time, we will be launching the Safe Hands Online Management System and we will keep you updated as it goes live.

This system will provide an online registration process whereby the ECB will require all cricket clubs to register the details of the club and individuals in key roles or those with responsibilities for the management and running of club activities.

Clubs will be asked to complete basic details about their club and who are the key personnel within it, providing evidence of safeguarding checks and compliance. It will then notify users if there are any current gaps in the requirements, together with highlighting individual’s renewal dates for the key criteria such as DBS checks and Safe Hands training,.

As part of the registration process, clubs will be required to demonstrate that they continue adhere to the following:

• All clubs must meet safeguarding standards.
• The club must adhere to the ECB Safe Hands Policy and Procedures.
• Each club must have a trained Club Welfare Officer.  
• All adults who work with children at the club have must have current vetting and an ECB DBS check in place.
• All adults who work with children in cricket must have undertaken the appropriate ECB training. Details will be shared in due course.  

We will also make it easier for those who need to have DBS checks, safeguarding training and other qualifications to access everything they need.

What this means for Clubs

The online registration process will apply to both Clubmark and non-Clubmark clubs and we will roll out registration in a phased approach with three groups in the following order of priority:

1. Existing Clubmark accredited clubs
2. Clubs with junior sections (including All Stars Cricket & Dynamos Cricket), and those clubs who allow juniors to play adult cricket.
3. All remaining clubs

We will email clubs individually when registration is available. Where clubs have already given us some information, we will look to pre-populate the fields in order that you do not have to re-enter it.

Game Wide Insurance

We are delighted to announce we have partnered with Howden Insurance Brokers to arrange a Combined Liability Insurance package for the benefit of clubs who have registered all details on the Safe Hands online portal and completed an online risk assessment.  The policy covers Public Liability, Employers Liability, Professional Indemnity, Directors & Officers and Cyber Liability.  Please click here to learn more about what this insurance specifically includes.

In this period before Safe Hands registration opens, we recommend that clubs continue with their current provider.  If your insurance is up for renewal, Howden will be happy to discuss options with you.