MCCF is committed to ensuring everyone participating in the MCCF Festival does so in a safe, friendly, secure, and enjoyable environment.
Everyone, whether as a player, coach, official, administrator, staff member, volunteer, spectator, parent, or carer has a role to play.
Individually and collectively, it is our actions, both on and off the field which can help create a positive and inclusive culture.
We will do this by:
- Having the right people in place
- Creating the right culture and environment
- Ensuring clear processes are in place for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns
- Adopting the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and Guidance
Having the Right People in Place
Whilst everyone at MCCF has a responsibility for Safeguarding, we also have a designated Safeguarding Officer who has completed specialist Safe Hands training provided by the ECB.
The Club Safeguarding Officer is:
- The first point of contact for all children, parents/carers volunteers, and members at the MCCF event.
- Responsible for ensuring that everyone who is working with children at the Festival is subject to appropriate safer recruitment processes
- A source of safeguarding advice for the MCCF Festival
- The Festival’s main point of contact for the County Safeguarding Officer, the Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team and other external safeguarding agencies
- The person responsible for ensuring correct and comprehensive reporting procedures exist for raising and managing safeguarding concerns.
Creating the Right Culture and Environment
All participants in cricket, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability or disability, have the right to enjoy the game in an environment that is safe from abuse of any kind. MCCF recognises that safeguarding starts with setting high standards and promoting a positive culture which provides the best environment for participants to enjoy themselves and the game of cricket.
- We promote a listening culture where the views of children, parents/carers, volunteers and other members are proactively sought and acted upon. This helps us to create an environment where people have the opportunity and confidence to raise concerns, including concerns about poor practice, abuse and neglect
- We seek to create a partnership with parents/carers so that they know what to expect from us and what we expect of them
- We ensure that external organisations who are delivering services on behalf of the MCCF have safeguarding measures in place which meet the requirements of Safe Hands.
Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns
It is our aim that everyone at the MCCF Festival should feel confident to raise a concern, no matter how small. We believe that raising and dealing with concerns quickly, when they occur, supports a proactive safeguarding culture at the event.
All suspicions, concerns and allegations will be taken seriously. We will follow the 3R’s with every concern: Responding appropriately, Recording confidentiality and Reporting where necessary, ensuring that concerns are dealt with in a fair and prompt manner.
The MCCF recognises that it is not the responsibility of members to determine or investigate if abuse has taken place, but to act upon and report any concerns promptly.
We ensure that confidential information relating to safeguarding matters is shared appropriately and only with those who need to know. Information may need to be shared with the County Safeguarding Officer, Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team, or local agencies with statutory responsibility for safeguarding. If we are unsure, we will seek advice from our County Safeguarding Officer.
Adopting the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and Guidance
- MCCF has adopted the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy and guidance as part of our framework
- MCCF works within the ECB Safeguarding Procedure for the management of safeguarding investigations
- We ensure that all individuals who work and volunteer at or for MCCF understand how Safe Hands applies to them.
MCCF Commitment
MCCF are committed to this Safeguarding Policy Statement and will review it on an annual basis.
Date Completed – May 2025
Signed by – T D Topley
Date of renewal – 2026
Our Club Safeguarding Officer’s details are:
Name: Don Topley
Email: Topperscricket@gmail.com
Phone: 07920 164126