shoreline Greystones Child Liaison Policy

Shoreline Leisure acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, and government guidance and complies with best practice and Sport Ireland requirements. The policy recognizes that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances.

It aims to ensure that regardless of age, ability or disability, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, or socio-economic background, all children have a positive and enjoyable experience of sport in a safe and child-centred environment and are protected from abuse whilst participating in athletics or outside of the activity. Shoreline Leisure acknowledges that some children, including disabled children and young people or those from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare by working with the child’s parents or carers.

Shoreline Leisure is Committed to ensuring children and young people enjoy their sports in a safe, fun and fair way and we would appeal to everyone involved in sports to play their part.  Child protection in sports is all our responsibility. We all have a duty to care to act if we have a concern for a child or a young person. The well-being and safety of all children and young people are paramount and all Shoreline Leisure sports leaders are vetted and undergo safeguarding awareness training as required by legislation.

As part of our safeguarding policy Shoreline Leisure will:

  • Promote and prioritise the safety and well-being of children and young people.

  • Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning to recognize, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people.

  • Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support.
    provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern.

  • Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored.

  • Prevent the employment/deployment of unsuitable individuals and maintain a safe recruitment and vetting policy.

  • Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation.

To contact our Child Liaison Officer please see the following:

Every club/organisation should designate a person to be responsible for dealing with any concerns about the protection of children. The Designated Liaison Person is responsible for reporting allegations or suspicions of child abuse to TUSLA Child and Family Agency and /or An Garda Siochána.

We have appointed Club Children’s Officer and Designated Liaison Persons to deal with any concerns that may arise. If you have any concerns about a child in your club or your community please contact your local Tusla office (Child and Family Agency) or Garda station. If you have any concerns about child welfare at Shoreline Leisure you can contact our team on 01-2765660 or by email at greystones@shorelineleisure.ie.

Our team of Designated Liaison Persons is headed up by Eniko Molnar. In her absence, all concerns should be passed on to the next person on shift. Both members of the team have completed level 3 of the DLP necessary training course through the local sports partnership group.

Child Protection Policy Summary

(Should you wish to view our full policy please contact a member of staff)

As a leisure provider in the Co. Wicklow area Shoreline Leisure Greystones aims to provide a comprehensive range of facilities and services available to all.  As a company, we fully understand that we have both a moral and legal obligation to providing a duty of care to all young people while delivering all of our services.  With this in mind, we have implemented policies and procedures in order to safeguard their well being as well as protecting them from abuse.  We also aim to do so while being respectful of children’s rights while at the same time promoting their wishes and feelings.

In order to achieve this, considerable consideration is given to the recruitment, training and development of all Shoreline Leisure Greystones staff.  As an ongoing measure, close supervision of all staff and application of their duties is applied in order to ensure that principles of best practise are adhered to at all times.  This is in place so as a company we can protect all young people from possible situations of abuse and also protect staff from the possibility of any false allegations. In the event of any allegations being received Shoreline Leisure Greystones commits to respond to all such allegations immediately and implement the appropriate investigation, disciplinary and appeals procedures.

MORE INFO

  • The policy is in place in order to safeguard all the centre’s junior and disabled patrons. This child protection policy applies to all staff. Everyone to whom the policy applies is required to familiarise themselves with the policy.

    • All staff should be sensitive to the risks involved in supervising & teaching young people. Staff should be sensitive to the implications of becoming too involved with or spending a lot of time with any one young person. Physical contact must be kept to an absolute minimum.

    • All Staff should be sensitive to the potential risk that may arise when they meet alone with a young person in a room. Staff should ensure to deal with young people in a public area, where this is not possible a second staff member/supervisor should be called to the incident.

    • Staff must never physically punish or be verbally abusive to a young person. Staff should not use, or allow young people to use, inappropriate language unchallenged.

    • Staff should never allow any allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or acted upon.

    • Staff should not under any circumstances do things of a personal nature for young people or disabled adults that they are able to do for themselves.

    • Photographic equipment must not be used unless prior consent in writing from parents/guardians has been received.

  • It is of the utmost importance that disclosures are treated in a sensitive and discreet manner. Anyone responding to a young person making such a disclosure should take the following steps.

    Take what the young person says seriously.

    React calmly, as over-reaction may intimidate the young person and increase any feelings of guilt that they may have.

    Reassure the young person that they were correct to tell somebody what happened.

    Listen carefully and attentively.

    Never ask leading questions.

    • Use open-ended questions to clarify what is being said and try to avoid having them repeat what they have told you.

    • Do not promise to keep secrets.

    • Advise that you will offer support but that you must pass on the information.

    • Do not express any opinions about the alleged abuser to the person reporting to you.

    • Explain and make sure that the young person understands what will happen next.

    • Do not confront the alleged abuser.

    • Write down immediately after the conversation what was said, including all the names of those involved, what happened, where, when, if there were any witnesses and any other significant factors and note any visible marks on the individual making the report or any signs you observed.

    • The person recording the event must sign and date all reports and indicate the time the notes were made.

    • Ensure that the information is restricted to those who need to know it.

    • Pass any allegations to the designated person immediately.

    • Allegations will be investigated by Shoreline Leisure’s Bray senior management.