Safe Hands FAQ's Follow
What is Safe Hands Management System (SHMS)?
SHMS is an online Club Management Tool whereby the ECB requires all County Boards 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 in a match where under 18’s are present 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/supervise children at the club have must have a current ECB DBS check in place.
- All adults who work/supervise children in cricket must have undertaken the appropriate ECB training.
How does Safe Hands connect to Clubmark?
The national standards set out in the registration process are not new – they are already required under the Safe Hands policy. They provide the foundations for a safely run club or squad.
The national standards in the registration process are also included in the Clubmark criteria, as they provide evidence that a club is being run safely.
What benefits are there to our club by registering to the Safe Hands Management System?
- SHMS provides a secure platform for you to store and manage all your Club information in one easy and accessible place – based on feedback you have told us that it can be difficult to manage all of your records & data
- SHMS is integrated into other ECB databases so that it can update* information on your Officials compliance against DBS and Qualifications in a timely manner
- Upon registration and completion of the Insurance Risk assessment you will be invited to take up FREE Club Insurance provided by our ECB partner – Howdens. The insurance policy will commence on your next renewal date and run to the 31st January each year. Renewal will then always commence from 1st February each year
- You will have direct access within SHMS to contact the ECB Customer Support team through a dedicated Help Centre on any queries or assistance you may need with Registration / Maintenance / Compliance, including how to apply or renew DBS certificates, access Course Bookings for Safe Hands
Why is the ECB making Safe Hands Management System a requirement?
Safeguarding children across all cricket networks is an ECB priority, it is also a legal requirement under the Children Act 1989. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 places a specific requirement on sports organisations, to ensure they have minimum safeguarding standards in place.
The process will enable the ECB as the national governing body to provide consistent credibility to those organisations which meet the required standards of safeguarding.
As the national governing body, we have a responsibility to demonstrate that cricket is a safe sport for everyone. The process will help us to understand where we are with this and demonstrate that we have a safe sport for children and those around them.
How do I register my Club?
Please speak to your local County Board to be onboarded onto the Safe Hands Management System.
The first onboarding phases focussed on all clubs registered to Club Mark, and then to all Clubs with Junior Sections and/or Juniors playing Open Age cricket thereafter.
What is the role of Club Administrator?
The nominated Club Administrator at each Cricket Club will have the following responsibilities:
- Will be required to view the online training video's before completing registration
- Will need to complete their own profile and accept the role of Club Administrator via an email invite that will be sent directly from the ECB
- Will be required to check/complete all the necessary information requested in the SHMS including:
- Club Information (Address/Contact Details)
- Invite all Club officials to register
- Teams / Programmes run by the club
- Any venues used by the club
- Complete Insurance Risk Assessment
- Communicate the use of the SHMS to your Club Officials and explain the requirement for them to register and accept their role
- Monitor compliance of all officials against DBS and Qualifications required for each role
- Work alongside your Primary County Cricket Board and County Safeguarding Officer to develop your Club and Officials to ensure maximum compliance to meet the Policy and Standards outlined by ECB Safe Hands Policy and Procedures
- Actively follow up on any outstanding invitations, DBS applications and Course Bookings as required.
- Maintain your Club/Officials details by logging into the SHMS periodically.
How will SHMS benefit the growth of cricket & club members?
- Clubs will be able to demonstrate their commitment to the safety of young people helping to attract more members and players
- The process will provide a mechanism to support those Clubs who require additional help or who are unable to meet the required standards
- The entire sport will be faced with huge reputational risk if there are not the correct safeguarding procedures in place.
- The process is an additional layer of safeguarding that is embedded in your club, helping parents to know they are choosing the right club for their young people
- Registration will provide Clubs with confidence and reassurance of their approach to safeguarding
Why can’t I see more information about my Club and Officials in the SHMS?
The system has been designed with security and data protection at the forefront.
We only ask Club Administrators and Officials for the necessary level of information we require to report accurately against Club compliance (as set out in Safe Hands policy) and to ensure we match Officials accurately with their DBS and related qualifications held in other ECB databases.
I am unsure why my club officials are not showing as competent?
Please see information in the following guide regarding Officials being compliant - CLICK HERE
What can I do to ensure my Club is Compliant?
Please see information in the following guide regarding Club Compliance - CLICK HERE
What can I do if I have lost/cant remember my link to SHMS?
If you need to access the SHMS Portal CLICK HERE and bookmark the webpage.