Plan4Sport, the organisation leading the independent review into racism in Scottish cricket, has today (Thursday) provided an interim update on its progress.
The global EDI experts have confirmed that hundreds of people have already shared their experiences of racism, inequalities and discrimination in Scottish cricket.
Appointed by sportscotland last year, Plan4Sport, is due to deliver its findings and recommendations from the review at the end of July 2022.
Central to the independent review has been the creation of a confidential space for individuals to disclose their personal experiences, which has been the driving force behind people coming forward over the past four months.
Managing Director of Plan4Sport, Louise Tideswell, said: “I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to engage with the independent review into racism within Scottish cricket. We know that coming forward and sharing experiences can be incredibly difficult, so we are very grateful to those who have done so.
“Our team has now listened to, and engaged with, hundreds of people, and where appropriate, action has already been taken. That has included referrals to Children First, Police Scotland as well as HR and legal experts, to ensure that people's disclosures are investigated fully and that appropriate action is taken immediately, where needed, rather than waiting to report racism at the end of the review.
“Plan4Sport will continue to report incidents of racism until the review has concluded in late July 2022. We want to be clear that the role of Plan4Sport is to carry out this review into the allegations of racism within cricket in Scotland. We are continuing our work in this area, and it remains our most pressing priority.
“However, it is also our role to signpost to specialists where it is applicable. Having talked with so many people, the review has surfaced other issues including misogyny, leadership, and governance concerns. These issues will be reported separately at a later date and do not detract in any way from the focus of the review specifically into racism.”
At the half-way stage, the review has:
- Engaged directly with more than 200 people
- Completed a desktop review of Cricket Scotland policies and procedures and passed to CS to action with an independent legal practice (Harper Macleod)
- Carried out 1-2-1 interviews with Cricket Scotland staff, national squad players and board members both past and present
- Launched an anonymous online survey to capture further experiences with more than 200 responses to date
- Identified areas of concern and themes in relation to racism, inequalities and discrimination
- Disclosures in relation to racism have been passed to independent lawyers or Police Scotland to investigate and those investigations will take place in due course
Over the next two months the review team will continue its detailed work in the following areas:
- Desktop review of Regional Association, club and junior development group policies
- Focus groups with Regional Association Management Committee members
- Focus groups with coaches
- Focus groups with match officials
- Focus groups with grassroots players and clubs across Scotland
- EDI training to be delivered to all Board, staff and key volunteers at CS before the end of the independent review and release of the recommendations
Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “We understand that sharing experiences can be difficult and even traumatic. It takes courage and bravery and I want to personally thank each and every person who has taken the step of coming forward and engaging with the review.
“The review is ongoing and there is still an opportunity to contribute. It is vital that the review team hear from those who have experienced or witnessed racism, inequalities or discrimination within cricket, so if you haven’t come forward, then please do so. You will be treated with respect and compassion.”
Interim chair of Cricket Scotland, Sue Strachan, said: “We welcome this update and are keen to see the initial recommendations to allow us to take action and some immediate steps.
“Re-building trust is a key priority for us and we have begun to reach out to those who have been directly affected by racism in the sport. We accept that we have a lot of work to do and we want to move forward.
“We have already started to implement a programme of EDI education for our staff, board and council members. We have also been working with sportscotland and Plan4Sport to ensure we reach a wider, more diverse audience in our search for our new CEO. The racism review will continue to be the top priority and focus of our Interim CEO.”