The Devon Cricket Foundation are urging clubs across the county to familiarise themselves with the important changes brought about to recreational cricket as a result of the recent updates to the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

The UK Government has introduced a new legal duty to report child sexual abuse, which is expected to come into force in May 2027. The aim is to stop missed opportunities to protect children, create clear accountability and to increase reporting. The government will also remove the "supervision" exemption from regulated activity. DBS changes are being rolled out now, but will take time to embed.

What has changed?

The act brings limited changes for cricket due to existing ECB DBS and Safer Recruitment processes.

The main update is the introduction of a legal duty for individuals in regulated activity to report child sexual abuse and ensure that concerns are properly escalated, not assumed to be handled by others.

The Act also reinforces individual accountability for safeguarding, highlights risks such as child criminal exploitation and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) beyond the club setting and emphasises that safeguarding goes beyond DBS checks.

What does this mean for Cricket Clubs?

For clubs, the act means a much stronger emphasis on doing what you already do well and consistently.

Clubs should continue robust DBS and safer recruitment processes, ensure all coaches and volunteers understand they have a personal responsibility to report and follow up safeguarding concerns, and be alert to wider risks such as exploitation or harm occurring outside the club.

Overall, the focus is on maintaining a good safeguarding culture, clear reporting pathways and shared accountability rather than introducing new procedures.  

What does this mean for you?

We are not asking you to investigate concerns by yourself; instead, ensure information is passed on promptly to our County Safeguarding Officer, James May, who can work with you and designated colleagues to help resolve concerns in the appropriate way.

If you are made aware of criminal activity or police involvement involving a member of your club, this information must be reported to our County Safeguarding Officer immediately. Please do not wait for further details or outcomes before making contact.

Scenarios where the Act is important

1. A junior cricketer tells their coach after training that a family member has sexually abused them. The coach reports this to the Club Safeguarding Officer but does not check what happens next.

Under the Act, the coach has an individual duty to make sure the concern is properly escalated to the appropriate agencies (social services, police, etc). Assuming someone else has done it is not enough and could lead to a DBS referral. The coach should therefore follow up with the CSO to ensure the concern has been escalated appropriately.

2. A club chair asks the Safeguarding Officer to “wait until the end of the season” before reporting a serious safeguarding concern involving a popular coach.  

Delaying or discouraging a required safeguarding report is now a criminal offence, regardless of seniority or club interests.  

3. A parent helps every week at junior nets, always supervised by a qualified coach, and has not been asked to do an ECB DBS.

The supervision exemption has been removed; a person working regularly and closely with children, supervised or not, is now eligible for an enhanced DBS check with barred list information.