County Safeguarding & Anti-Discrimination Officer in Chester-le-Street

The County Safeguarding and Anti-Discrimination Officer will lead safeguarding and anti-discrimination for the Durham Cricket Foundation, incorporating all elements of the recreational game. They will act as the strategic lead and single point of contact (SPOC), managing proactive safeguarding and embedding best practice, managing cases, and ensuring compliance with ECB standards and statutory requirements. The postholder will ensure cricket is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive game for all.

Key Responsibilities

• Governance & Strategic Leadership
  • Develop, implement and deliver the safeguarding and anti-discrimination strategy, aligned to ECB standards and CPA requirements.
  • Champion and influence a safeguarding-first culture throughout the county.
  • Report to Board Safeguarding Leads and Trustees, providing assurance, risk assessments and regular updates including board reports.
  • Participate in board meetings to provide updates if required.
  • Maintain effective relationships with the appointed safeguarding board lead.
  • Deliver Board Safeguarding Training every three years, or when membership changes.
  • Design and implement a player voice and ‘listening to children’ strategies.
  • Develop effective policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
  • Ensure policies are reviewed regularly to ensure that they meet statutory and governing body requirements and are aligned with best practice.
  • Lead on and coordinate all ECB and/or external safeguarding audits on behalf of Durham Foundation.
  • Work with Durham Cricket Safeguarding Officer.
• Case Management
  • Act as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all safeguarding and discrimination concerns from the recreational game.
  • Lead and manage safeguarding discrimination cases, ensuring compliance with ECB procedures and statutory requirements and in accordance with legislation, policy, procedure and best practice.
  • Ensure there is a clear referral pathway for sharing, reporting and recording concerns in line with ECB policy and guidance: ensuring staff know how to access.
  • Liaise with statutory agencies (Police, LADO, Social Services) and the Cricket Regulator on case management.
  • Manage the process of reporting and logging all low-level concerns (LLCs) using ECB systems and implement proactive interventions.
  • Complete referral forms in a timely and effective manner.
  • Understand the ECB threshold guidance and elevate all threshold cases to the Cricket Regulator where required.
  • Be the principal point of contact and conduit for communication to senior management where appropriate.
  • Liaise with the Cricket Regulator managed participants officer and have a process in place for the managed participants in the county.
  • Identify trends and patterns emerging from case management to inform future training and education across cricket in Durham.
  • Produce data and reports to support the effective monitoring and governance of safeguarding and discrimination in Durham.
  • Support any safeguarding concerns which are returned to county by the Cricket Regulator to manage, supported by your ECB County Safeguarding Advisor (CSA).
• Safeguarding – Recreational Game
  • Develop a county-wide League/Club safeguarding network to embed best practice at grassroots level.
  • Provide guidance to Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO) on best practice and proactive safeguarding.
  • Support CSO with case management and offer advice where needed to manage concerns and referrals.
  • Deliver and oversee mandatory training (Safe Hands, SG2, DBS including verification status).
  • Provide proactive training, regular updates and support through newsletters, webinars, club visits and CSO network meetings/conferences.
• Anti-Discrimination
  • Lead county-wide implementation of the ECB Anti-Discrimination Code.
  • Support clubs and leagues to understand and implement ECB safeguarding standards and Anti-discrimination regulations (ADRs).
  • Investigate and resolve cases of discrimination impartially and confidentially.
  • Provide training and guidance to clubs, leagues and staff on equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Work with the Head of Inclusion and other stakeholders to embed fairness, equality and respect across all cricket activity.
  • Work with Durham Cricket Safeguarding & Anti-Discrimination Officer.
• Training & Education
  • Deliver safeguarding and anti-discrimination onboarding and training across staff, volunteers, officials, and players.
  • Support CPD for CSOs, coaches, and managers across recreational cricket.
  • Maintain a training matrix ensuring those who interact with children and vulnerable adults are appropriately trained and vetted and that staff can be monitored and checked appropriately for compliance.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding, legislation and best practice through CPD, ECB training, and professional networks.
  • Support HR people team to identify appropriate safeguarding training for staff.
  • Ensure CPA minimum standards are complied with and strive for ‘leading organisation’ status within the County Partnership Agreement (CPA) standards.
  • Work closely with the People Team in the design and implementation of safer recruitment processes and onboarding.
  • Drive compliance within safer recruitment practices throughout the county including DBS checks and administrative processes, cascading the safer recruitment messaging.
  • Establish, build and maintain a good working relationship with their County Safeguarding Advisor (CSA) and the anti-discrimination team.
  • Attend regular face-to-face meetings with the CSA to discuss and track CPA progress.
  • Proactively engage with all staff and volunteers to ensure policies and procedures are understood and followed.

Please note: This is not an exhaustive list, and the role may be required to undertake additional roles and responsibilities as identified from time to time in order to meet the ongoing requirements of Durham Cricket.

Person Specification

• Professional experience of safeguarding gained through relevant experience of casework e.g. Police, Social work, Education or Designated Safeguarding Lead including an understanding of current legislation, best practice and national frameworks.
• Previous experience in a similar role, with a focus on discrimination prevention, diversity, and inclusion.
• Excellent presentation and training skills.
• Enthusiasm and commitment to safeguarding and anti-discrimination.
• Excellent IT skills including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and other IT platforms.
• Experience of building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• A person-centred approach with an understanding of the rights, needs and best interests of children, young people and adults.
• Experience of working to high levels of confidentiality including the storage of confidential documents.
• Understanding and experience within Mental Health.
• Ability to challenge poor practice and effect change.
• Understanding the Cricket Regulator on behalf of the ECB’s role and responsibilities to safeguarding and anti-discrimination.
• Understanding of local arrangements for managing safeguarding children and reporting procedures.
• Highly motivated with a positive solution-focused attitude and the ability to make decisions.
• Sound judgement on complex matters, knowing when to elevate concerns.
• Ability to influence and challenge people in positions of authority.
• Analytical skills to be able to identify and present key themes/trends emerging from case data.
• Access to a car and a full driving licence is essential.
• Experience of multi-agency working.
• Experience of volunteering or working in cricket, other sports or a similar activity.
• Experience and training within Mental Health to support staff, themselves and wider cricket community.

Mandatory training to be completed by CSO:

• ECB Induction to Safeguarding.
• Safeguarding for Specialist Roles (SSR) + bolt on Safer Recruitment within Cricket.
• Safeguarding Adults within Cricket.
• Safeguarding in the Talent Pathway.
• Prevent Training.

Areas of business CSO should attend:

• Cricket Regulator Safeguarding Team Conference.
• Regional Meetings.
• Free training provided through webinars or meetings.

The Cricket Regulator on behalf of the ECB is committed to a safer recruitment process, and this post will be subject to an Enhanced ECB DBS check with Children’s Barred List Management.

This position is offered on a part-time basis. However, for a suitably qualified and outstanding candidate, we are open to considering combining this role with a related Safeguarding role with Durham Cricket to create a full-time post.

OTHER CONDITIONS

The post holder will be based at Banks Homes Riverside as part of the Durham Cricket Foundation. Due to the nature of the work the post holder will carry out his/her duties as such times/days which are most effective to perform the tasks required. This will involve some out of hours work – evenings, weekends, Bank Holidays, as necessary. There will also be significant travel around the region to meet different organisations.

HOURS

Part-time, 17.5 hours per week.

SALARY HOLIDAYS

28 days per annum (pro rata) which includes the 8 statutory Bank Holidays in England & Wales.

WORKPLACE TO APPLY

To apply for the role please download application form from https://www.durhamcricket.co.uk/careers1/ and email your completed form to recruitment@durhamcricket.co.uk. Please note we don’t accept CVs and cover letters. Closing date for applications is Wednesday, 14th January 2026. Interviews will take place on Tuesday, 27th January. If you would like an informal chat on the role please contact Graeme Weeks, CEO at Graeme.weeks@durhamcricket.co.uk.