Dear Club Secretary,
HIGH IMPORTANTANCE COMMUNICATION
You will be aware from previous communications that on Monday 2nd October 2017 Minister Katherine Zappone T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, announced that following almost two years of preparations all remaining provisions of the ROI Children First Act 2015 would commenced on 11th December 2017.
I also explained that Section 11 (1) of the Act requires an organisation that is providing a relevant service to undertake a safeguarding risk assessment. For the Irish Athletic Boxing Association a risk assessment is an exercise where each club examines all aspects of its service from a safeguarding perspective to establish whether there are any practices or features of the club that have the potential to put children at risk when they are in the club’s care. Not all of the risks included in the Risk Assessment template may be applicable to you.
The IABA and our affiliated clubs have a statutory obligation (ROI) to carry out a safeguarding risk assessment of any potential harm to children while they are participating in our activities.
All affiliated clubs are required to sign off the Safeguarding Risk Assessment document, sign off the Safeguarding Statement and display the Safeguarding Statement by 11th March 2018.
Please read Steps 1 – 4 below.
STEP ONE – PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE COMPLETING THE RISK ASSESSMENT;
- Please note the definitions of the column below at bottom of document
- The club risk assessment document has been pre-populated for you to consider at your club meeting
- It is important to note that each risk identified has been ranked but can be amended following your club meeting discussions
- You may wish to include other risks of potential harm that are specific for you or some risks listed may not be applicable to you
- This risk assessment document, when completed, must be adopted and noted by the Club Committee/Board and signed by the Chairperson/President and the Children’s Officer.
- You are not required to hold the document on file in your club
STEP TWO – PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING REGARDING THE CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
- Following the sign off on the safeguarding risk assessment, please review the Child Safeguarding Statement, sign and date the document
- You may wish to add your club logo
- A position called the Relevant Person is included in the Children First Act 2015 (sect 11 (3) (g), and is defined as “as a person who is appointed by a provider of a relevant service to be the first point of contact in respect of the provider’s Child Safeguarding Statement. For IABA affiliated club purposes, the club children’s officer will be the relevant person for club child safeguarding statement.
STEP THREE
- As per Section 11 OF THE Children First Act 2015, you are required to display the Child Safeguarding Statement in a prominent place where you operate. If possible I recommend that you laminate/frame the statement.
STEP FOUR
- Please send a one line email to david@iaba.ie to advise that steps 1 to 3 have been completed.
Section 11 of the Act also states that the provider of a relevant service shall, at intervals of not more than 24 months, undertake a review of the provider’s child safeguarding statement and the first such review shall be undertaken not more than 24 months from the date on which the first child safeguarding statement was prepared. Therefore this will be an ongoing task and within the next 24 months, our first review will be undertaken.
IABA -Risk Assessment Template
IABA – CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT TEMPLATE
Thanks in advance for your co-operation.
DAVID BRITTON
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER IABA
+353860453904
