Safeguarding
We take the safeguarding of our young people, players, volunteers and coaches seriously
The Safeguarding of all people in cricket is the main priority for the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation.
Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation is committed to ensuring all people participating in cricket, have a safe and positive experience.
- Putting things in place
- Having the right people in place
- What to do if you have a concern
- Cricket specific guidance
1) Putting things in place
We recognise all children participating in cricket (regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, or disability) have the right to have fun and be protected from harm, in a safe environment.
We ensure individuals working within cricket at, or for, our club provide a welcoming, safe, and fun experience for children.
We provide an environment where the views of children, parents and volunteers are sought and are welcome on a range of issues. This will help us create an environment where people can voice any concerns (about suspected child abuse/neglect and/or about poor practice) to the Club Safeguarding Officer.
We adopt and implement the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) “Safe Hands – Cricket’s Policy for Safeguarding Children.”
We ensure all individuals working within cricket at, or for, the club are recruited and appointed in accordance with ECB guidelines and relevant legislation.
2) Having the Right People in Place
Appointing a County Safeguarding Officer (CSO) and ensuring they attend training as required by the ECB.
The Gloucestershire CSO temporarily is John Peplow, who has held the Deputy CSO role for the last 3 years. We are going through a process which will soon determine our new CSO, we will update the network as soon as this is confirmed.
| Name | Role | Phone number |
|---|---|---|
| John Peplow | Interim County Safeguarding Officer | 07852 815430 |
| Claire Nobes | Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Trustee | 07704 100145 |
| Chris Munden | Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation Operations Manager | 07557 924941 |
County Safeguarding Officer’s role
- Point of contact for clubs, leagues, parents, children, and volunteers/staff within the county.
- As a source of procedural advice for the county’s clubs and leagues and their members.
- The main point of contact within the county for Club Safeguarding/Welfare Officers and the ECB Safeguarding Team.
- The main point of contact within the county for relevant external agencies, in connection with child safeguarding. Ensuring correct and comprehensive reporting procedures exist for raising and managing child safeguarding concerns.
John Peplow - Interim County Safeguarding Officer
The county has an appointed Interim Safeguarding Officer – John Peplow– whose job is to liaise with the GCF on all safeguarding issues and to offer advice to anyone within cricket who needs it. Should you have an issue that you would like advice on please contact John. John is also the Chair of the Bristol & District Cricket Association and former Clubs & Programmes Officer for the GCF.
To support John with his work each club across the county should have its own Club Safeguarding Officer who is nominated by the club and has attended the necessary courses provided by the GCF e.g. Safeguarding and Protecting Children (SPC) and ECB Club Safeguarding Officer.
Best practice highlights how each club should also have a deputy to take the place of the Safeguarding Officer should they be a way. These officers’ details should be provided to the league in which the club plays and also the GCF.
3) What to do if you have a concern
We ensure all suspicions, concerns and allegations are taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.
We ensure access to confidential information relating to child safeguarding matters, is restricted to those who need to know, to safeguard children.
This would include the Club Safeguarding Officer and appropriate external authorities, such as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), as specified within ECB child safeguarding procedures.
4) Cricket Specific Advice
We ensure all individuals working within cricket at, or for, the club are provided with support, through education and training, so they are aware of, and can adhere to, good practice and Code of Conduct guidelines as defined by the ECB and the club.
We ensure all people who work in cricket at, or for, our club (such as staff, officials, volunteers, team managers, coaches and so on) understand how the “Safe Hands Policy” applies to them.
For more information on the ECB Safeguarding Safehands Policy please click here.
Safeguarding Policies
The policies below should provide any information you require.
Safe Hands Management System (SHMS)
SHMS is an online Club Management Tool whereby the ECB will require all County Boards/ Foundations and Clubs to input the details of individuals in key regulated roles or those with responsibilities for the management and running of County and Club activities.
- All clubs with junior sections and any club playing under 18’s in open age cricket must meet safeguarding standards
- The club must adhere to the ECB Safe Hands Policy and Procedures
- Each club must have a trained and vetted Club Safeguarding Officer
- All adults who work with children at the club have must have a current ECB DBS check in place
- All adults who work with children in cricket must have undertaken the appropriate ECB training
For more information, please contact Harry Watts- Club Development Manager.
Harry Watts / Club Development Manager
Harry joined the team in August 2022 as our Urban Development Officer and was initially responsible for growing the game of cricket in the urban areas of Bristol and Gloucester. In April 2024, Harry was promoted to Club Development Manager where he now delivers on a number of ECB priority areas including Facility Development, Clubmark, as well as working with Local Authorities on their Playing Pitch Strategies.
In 2018, Harry graduated from Swansea University with a degree in Media & Communications and later gained a PGCE in Primary Education from UWE, having spent multiple years working in primary schools. At his local club, Thornbury CC, Harry supports in different areas, including being an emergency player when required!
Now in his exciting role as Club Development Manager, he is responsible for leading the team of club development staff and working closely with cricket clubs across the county to provide direct support with the aim of creating sustainable clubs for the future. Furthermore, Harry leads youth competitions and the ECB Clubmark Accreditation and sits on a number of GCF Development Groups and Committees.
As a local Bristolian, Harry is a Bristol Rovers supporter and is a big all-round sports fan.
Qualifications: Safe Hands, Safeguarding for Specialist Roles Courses and ECB DBS
Club Safeguarding Officers, must have the Safe Hands and online Safeguarding for Specialist Roles Qualifications and have a valid ECB DBS to be safeguarding compliant.
If you have any questions or are having problems with booking on Safeguarding Courses and to initiate ECB DBS Checks, volunteers should contact Theresa Ellison.
Theresa Ellison / Administration Officer
- Helping to organise and set up the trials, winter nets programme and performance programme for the Girls and Boys Zonal squads
- Keeping club contact details up to date including checking that each club’s Safeguarding Officer has valid qualifications and initiate and verify DBS applications for club volunteers
- Administering online bookings including trials, winter nets programmes, Coach Development courses, holiday camps etc
- Helping with many financial activities by creating invoices, payment of bills, chasing outstanding debtors etc
- Help to create and run the office side of Coach Development
Theresa acts as the point of contact for many administrative parts of the Foundation.
