Social Media and Communications Policy
Scope of Policy: This Policy applies to Cricket Solutions Coaching.
Cricket Solutions Coaching is committed to safeguarding and protecting all young people under the age of 18. This policy provides guidance on how Cricket Solutions Coaching’s staff use the internet and social media and the procedures for doing so. It also gives guidance on our expectations for staff and volunteers who work with us and how we expect young cricketers who are part of Cricket Solutions to behave online.
Problems, misunderstandings, and grooming have all occurred within sport where coaches and others working with children start to become overfamiliar with them when using social media and messaging. All advice is primarily to safeguard children, but this advice if heeded, will also safeguard staff. Calypso Coaching staff must recognise they are in a position of trust and any breaches of this Policy may be referred to Police, Statutory Services, or the ECB.
Ours Aims.
The aims of our social media policy are:
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To protect all children and young people involved within Cricket Solutions and who make use of technology (such as mobile phones, games consoles, i pads, computers and the internet) while in our care.
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To provide staff, volunteers, and players with our policy and procedures for online safety and inform them of how to respond to incidents.
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To ensure Cricket Solutions is operating in line with our values and within the law regarding how we behave online.
Guidance on age-appropriate communications.
16 to 18-year-old Cricket Solutions players – the coach or team manager may communicate by message (e.g. text, WhatsApp) with individual Cricket Solutions players, or squads about their cricket programme, provided parental permission has been granted and the parent is always copied in.
Under 16 Cricket Solutions players
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Staff must not communicate with any Cricket Solutions age group players under the age of 16 by message (e.g. text, WhatsApp). Communication must always be with the parent/guardian.
Parental waivers to this Policy must not be accepted.
What do we mean by “Social Media”
Any form of electronic communication allowing people to interact and share information. This includes social networking (including Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn) and media/photo/video sharing sites (including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest) and interacting via messaging on our phones (texts, instant messages, WhatsApp etc) and blogging. Mobile phones, computers, i pads, games consoles etc can all be used for social media. Social media platforms are continuously evolving – it is impossible to list every site here and if you are unclear about the
meaning of any part of this Policy, you must ask the Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer. Cricket Solutions are fully committed to regularly review existing safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure that online safeguarding issues are fully integrated.
Cricket Solutions on Social Media
Our online presence through our website or social media platforms will adhere to the following guidelines:
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All social media accounts will be password-protected, and at least 2 members of staff will have access to each account and password.
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The account will be monitored by at least two designated members of staff to provide transparency, who will have been appointed by the organisations committee.
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The designated staff managing our online presence will seek advice from our designated safeguarding lead to advice on safeguarding requirements
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Designated staff will remove inappropriate posts by children or staff, explaining why, and informing anyone who may be affected (as well as the parents of any children involved).
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We’ll make sure children are aware of who manages our social media accounts and who to contact if they have any concerns about something that’s happened online.
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Identifying details such as a child’s home address, school name or telephone number shouldn’t be posted on social media platforms.
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Any posts or correspondence will be consistent with our aims and tone as an organisation.
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Parents will be asked to give their approval for us to communicate with their children through social media, via video conferencing platforms or by any other means of communication
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Parents will need to give permission for photographs or videos of their child to be posted on social media
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Video conferencing sessions will be password protected to maintain children’s privacy and prevent exposure to inappropriate or harmful content by third parties.
What we expect of our Staff and Volunteers
When using social media, Cricket Solutions staff should always:
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Be aware of this Policy and abide by it
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Ensure they always copy the parents in.
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Use this medium to disseminate information about Calypso sessions and do not enter into any other dialogue with them. This is to ensure no misunderstandings occur regarding your conduct or intentions, and to safeguard you too.
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Report anything to the Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer straight away if it causes you concern. For example, if you receive any e mail, text or other communication from a child that causes you concern or appears overfamiliar.
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Make it clear to Cricket Solutions players that they must copy their parent into any texts, e mails or social media messages they are sending you.
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Use professional language and behaviour when using social media.
Staff must never:
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Communicate with any Cricket Solutions player under the age of 18 by connecting on any social media network (e.g. Facebook, Twitter etc) *
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Use social media networks to connect and ‘Friend’ or ‘follow’ Cricket Solutions players under the age of 18 *
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Accept any Cricket Solutions player under the age of 18 as a ‘friend’ on a social media network (e.g. Facebook/other)
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Post anything inappropriate on their own account, or anything that could reasonably be considered offensive or bring the sport or Cricket Solutions into disrepute.
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Sign off messages with slang or ‘kisses/xxx’
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Take, send, or forward images of people that are illegal, offensive, or invading someone’s privacy.
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Communicate with any Cricket Solutions player under the age of 16 via messaging (e.g. text, WhatsApp) – always communicate with the parents* except family members. If staff would like to set up any form of closed group for their squad that does not meet the criteria above, they must speak with their Line Manager or Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer first.
What we Expect of our Cricket Solutions Parents
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Parents should be aware of this online safety policy and agree to its terms.
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Parents should protect all children’s privacy online and think carefully about what content they share about our sport online, where they share it and who they’re sharing it with.
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We expect parents’ behaviour online to be consistent with the guidelines set out in our acceptable use statement and in our codes of conduct for parents and spectators
What we Expect of our Cricket Solutions Players
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Our Cricket Solutions players should be aware of this social media policy and agree to its terms.
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We expect our players’ behaviour online to be consistent with this guidance and this relates to all digital devices including smart phones, tablets, consoles, i-pads, computers etc
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Players must not engage in bullying on social media, or making offensive or upsetting comments about other players, officials, teams, or staff
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Players must not engage in “sexting” (sending someone sexual, naked, or semi naked images or videos of themselves or others or sending sexually explicit messages) or sending pictures to anyone that are obscene, indecent, or menacing.
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Players under the age of 16 must never communicate with staff via messaging
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Players aged 16 or over must only contact the coach/team manager by messaging if they also copy their parents into all messages.
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No player under the age of 18 must ask coaches or team managers to be their ‘friend’ on social media. If a coach or team manager asks them to be a ‘friend’ this must be reported immediately to the Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer.
Use of mobile phones:-
So that all children can enjoy and actively take part in sports activities, we discourage the use of mobile phones during such activities. As part of this policy, we will:
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Make children aware of how and who to contact if there is an emergency or a change to previously agreed arrangements with the organisation.
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Inform parents of appropriate times they can contact children who are away at camps or away trips and discourage them from attempting contact outside of these times.
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Advise parents that it may not be possible to contact children during activities and provide a contact within the club or organisation who will be reachable should there be an emergency.
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Explain to children how using mobile phones during activities has an impact on their safe awareness of their environment, and their level of participation and achievement
If you are a player and are concerned that hurtful messages or indecent images of you have been circulated online, the Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer can support you. The Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer is available to support any players or staff who need help regarding the use of social media.
The Cricket Solutions Safeguarding Officer’s contact details are: -
Jamie Phillips
Mobile: 07775445565