It is illegal for any volunteer or coach to work with children or vulnerable adults on a continuous basis before successfully completing the Garda Vetting process (The National Vetting Bureau Act, 2012).
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2012/71/
The Children First Act was fully enacted on November 11th, 2017 and can be viewed here.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/act/36/enacted/en/pdf
We have updated our Child Protection Guidelines in accordance with Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, and the requirements under The Children First Act 2015.
In accordance with these guidelines we are required to implement 4 policies. All clubs are to implement these policies going forward.
1: Risk Assessment
2: Safe Guarding Policy
3: Safe Guarding Statement
4: Code of Conduct
All clubs can edit the risk assessment and the safe guarding statement to suit their own club. There is no need to edit the safe guarding policy or code of conduct.
In accordance with the above documents, going forward ALL CLUBS need to:
- Adapt and implement the 4 policies above in your club.
- Appoint a Club Children’s Officer (CCC).
- Appoint a Designated Liaison Person (DLP). The CCC and DLP can be the same person but ideally not the coach.
- All coaches need to complete the Child Safeguarding 1 course, even coaches who aren’t currently coaching children.
- All CCC’s need to complete the Child Safeguarding 1 and 2 courses.
- All DLP’s need to complete the Safeguarding 1 and the DLP Course.
- If the CCC/DLP is the same person, they need to complete all 3 courses.
- Have the name of the DLP on display in your club.
Please see the Safe Guarding Policy for the roles of the CCC and DLP for more information.
Many local sports partnerships run these courses on a regular basis, online. They are 2-3 hour courses. Here are a list of some of these courses on offer but feel free to source your own course from another provider if you wish. The courses are priced about 15-20euro.
https://www.corksports.ie/index.cfm/page/codeofethics2
https://www.eventbrite.ie/o/dun-laoghaire-rathdown-sports-partnership-4474186595
https://carlowsports.ie/training-programme/safeguarding-child-welfare-protection/
It is legislated in Ireland that any coach working with children, needs to be Garda Vetted. We are working with the Garda Vetting Bureau to get this up and running. This will only apply to clubs who are coaching children in Kettlebell Sport.