CROQUET ASSOCIATION – CHILD SAFEGUARDING (9th February2021)

As we all anticipate the post-Covid return to Croquet this summer, hopefully including recruiting and training more junior players, the CA Council has approved and published a very timely revised and updated ‘Child Safeguarding Policy ‘. This incorporates the comprehensive changes required at all levels of our Sport to improve our ‘Safeguarding’standards for youngsters under 18.

As a first step towards setting up and running the new system:

All Clubs, Federations and Academies must appoint their own Local Safeguarding Officer (Welfare Officer) and register him/her with the CA.

This register will be maintained by our newly appointed National Safeguarding Officer, Dr. Ron Carter, and we have set an implementation date of 1st May 2021 so that it is actively operating for the summer playing season.

A separate Register of CA Members holding a current DBS Enhanced certificate and willing to volunteer their help with juniors will also be maintained.

Please read the attached summary of this Policy, which has links to the CA website where the comprehensive and detailed policy documents are available for reference.

The updated Policy must apply to all croquet related activities in England from the 1st May 2021. This includes everything from club sessions to top class tournaments, and Open Days or other events involving the public. It reflects the requirements placed upon the National Governing Bodies of all sports by UK legislation, Sport England, the NSPCC, and other national organisations to significantly improve safeguarding standards

If your club has an existing child safe-guarding policy then you should review it, taking into account the new CA policy. In particular, you may need to change the contact details of the CA’s National Safeguarding Officer since Jean Hargreaves has now retired from the role. If your club already has a safeguarding (welfare) officer then please send details to Ron Carter as soon as possible.

Ron Carter is available to give advice and to answer questions as they arise. Contact details as listed on the CA Members’ Directory:

Tel: 07973 239319 (email: dr.roncarter@gmail.com)

See the Summary of the Child Safeguarding Policy HERE

Opening Date for Online Entries Postponed

The opening date for online entries to tournaments or courses (other than virtual ones) has been postponed to at least the end of February, due to the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Traditionally, the calendar has been published on, and online entries accepted from, 1st February, to coincide with delivery of paper fixtures books.  It had already been decided not to print the fixtures calendar this year, because of uncertainty about the Covid-19 pandemic, but it had been intended to stick to the same timetable.  However, it is now looking increasingly unlikely that events early in the season will be able to take place, and it is too soon to be able to predict which ones will be able to proceed. 

Refunding entries for events which have to be cancelled requires significant effort, is error prone and incurs additional transaction costs.  It has therefore been decided not to accept online entries until further notice, which will be no earlier than the end of February.  The situation will be reviewed before then.

We appreciate that many players enjoy planning their season at this time of year.  Due to enhancements to the fixtures calendar system it will still be possible to do so and save a wallet of events to enter once entries are being accepted for them.

Clubs which have events with allocation or closing dates before 15th March will be asked to review them and inform the CA Office whether they want them cancelled, or postponed or retained with allocation and closing dates on or after then.  It is important that all events should have allocation dates specified, so that players know that they can delay entering until then without reducing their chance of their entry being accepted.

The allocation, closing and draw dates for the inter-club competitions have been postponed by a month, to 8th, 8th and 15th of April respectively.

We apologise for the inconvenience that will be caused by this, but are satisfied that it is the best response to these uncertain times.

I trust you have an enjoyable season once it comes. 

Link to online news item.

Best wishes,
Mark Suter
Manager Croquet Association.
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