Wiltshire Cricket launches Listening to Children Policy
We are delighted to release the new Wiltshire Cricket Listening to Children Policy, in our case, for our upcoming winter Talent Pathway programmes. However, this is also a resource that can be used by club coaches, captains or indeed any cricket organisation with responsibility for Safeguarding of Children.
Introducing the Wiltshire Cricket Listening to Children Policy
The Wiltshire Cricket Listening to Children Policy
Please find attached above the new guidance document.
Background:
As part of Wiltshire Cricket’s commitment to continuous Safeguarding development and in line with the ECB standards for Safeguarding, we have produced a Listening to Children policy that provides guidance for coaches, but also for anyone working with Children (parents, team managers, club coaches etc) around the importance of listening to children in a manner that creates a safe and enjoyable environment.
Introducing the Policy:
The biggest driver of activity for young people is enjoyment. We need to listen more to children and young people and involve them in decision making to create the type of experiences they want. In places where children’s perspectives are valued and listened to, a more effective safeguarding culture is embedded. A culture of Listening to Children shapes cricketing activities and helps create opportunities that are more attractive and accessible. A listening culture gives confidence to children and young people to speak out when they may have a concern or are concerned about someone else. By embedding Listening to Children within Wiltshire Cricket, we develop and support young people to speak out about unsafe situations.
With this in mind, we are delighted to be launching our Listening to Children Policy this winter. This document will outline why it is important that we listen to the views of children and provide an environment in which they feel comfortable and safe in speaking out. To complement the launch of this policy we will soon be sharing a QR code through to an anonymised feedback form should children have any feedback (positive or negative) or concerns that they wish to share at any point about their talent pathway experience.
How can the Listening to Children Policy be used:
From a Wiltshire Cricket perspective, we have asked our coaches to take some time to read the Policy. Much of the policy and the guidance within it will be things that experienced coaches will already be doing in their sessions. However, by reading it and acting in the manner described within the policy it will help to create the positve, safe and enjoyable environment that will bring the best out of our young cricketers.
From a Cricket club perspective, Club Safeguarding Officers may wish to do something similar in terms of sharing the document with your coaches or captains for them to have a read through. We believe that the principles of this resource will be really valuable for clubs, particularly those running junior sections but also those with young players in your adult teams, to share with your coaches and captains.
As outlined above, from a Wiltshire Cricket perspective we will also be creating an optional feedback form to be accessed via a QR code whereby children will be able to provide feedback should they have any feedback or concerns related to sessions that they have attended, or safeguarding concerns that they wish to be heard. By embedding the culture we talk about above, this will hopefully be an overwhelmingly positive process but equally by being open to the feedback that comes through it can hopefully become a useful mechanism for constructive feedback. Any responses that come through will be monitored by our County Safeguarding Officer, Iestyn Lewis, and through his extensive Safeguarding experience the feedback will be dealt with sensitively and proportionately.
If you or any other Safeguarding leads within your club wish to discuss the policy, please don’t hesitate to contact Iestyn Lewis, our County Safeguarding Officer, or Pete Sykes, Wiltshire Cricket Managing Director
