Does our club have to adopt the ECB Safe Hands Policy?

Yes. Under the ECB Safe Hands Policy 2026 (updated March 2026):

• Adopting and implementing Safe Hands is a mandatory requirement under the County Partnership Agreement for all Professional County Clubs, Recreational Cricket Boards and affiliated clubs.
• Any club or body that wants ECB support, financial or otherwise (for example facility development), must adopt and implement Safe Hands and its guidance.
• If your club commissions an external organisation (for example a coaching provider), the club must make sure it has safeguarding measures meeting the Safe Hands Policy 2026.

Safe Hands is made up of the policy itself plus the guidance and templates in the ECB's Safeguarding Kit Bag (for example a club safeguarding policy statement, transport policy, anti-bullying policy and guidance on missing children, social media and photography). It sits alongside the ECB Safeguarding Regulations (effective 24 March 2026), which every club, county board and league must also adopt.