Child Welfare and Protection Page

Oranmore Maree GAA, Camogie & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football is fully committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for all young people who participate in our activities. We always do everything in our power to take all practicable steps to safeguard children from any discernible forms of abuse, harm, discrimination or degrading treatment and we respect their rights, wishes and feelings at all times.

All relevant documents can be downloaded from this folder 

We do this by:

• Recognising that all children have the right to be protected from harm.
• Ensuring that all of our coaches and volunteers are carefully recruited, and selected and that they accept responsibility for ensuring the well-being of children in their care.
• Responding swiftly and appropriately to protect the welfare of children who participate in our games and related activities.
• Providing parents and children with the opportunity to voice any concerns that they may have.
• Appointing Children’s Officers in each of our Clubs Appointing a Designated Person in each Club who will liaise with the statutory authorities as appropriate.
• Ensuring that all allegations of abuse of young people are confidentially dealt with in accordance with the Association’s Guidelines for Dealing with Allegations of Abuse (Fourth Edition 2009) and with statutory guidelines and relevant legislation.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of our Child Protection procedures and policies on an ongoing basis.
• Ensuring that members, coaches, team mentors, administrators, parents/guardians and spectators sign up to and adhere to our Code of Behaviour.

• Oranmore Maree GAA Child Safeguarding Statement
• Oranmore Maree Camogie Child Safeguarding
• Statement Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football Child Safeguarding Statement

There is a mandatory Code of Behaviour for all Gaelic Games Associations in our work with underage players. It is a comprehensive good practise guidance publication, and we need as many players, coaches, parents and other Club personnel to have immediate access to its contents. This Code has been agreed upon between the GAA, Camogie, Ladies Football, Handball and GAA Rounders Associations.

GAA Code of Behaviour (Underage)

Oranmore Maree Code of Behaviour Youth Poster.pdf

One of the most relevant sections of The Code of Behaviour is Section 3, Maintaining Good Practice and Behaviour.

This section outlines the minimum levels of behaviour we expect and accept from Young Players, their Coaches, their Parents, our Clubs, Referees and Supporters.

It also affirms the policy position that all volunteers, prior to commencing their role(s) with children, must:

- Must be Garda Vetted - Vetting validation period = within a 3-year period.

- Must have relevant child safeguarding training* as approved by our Associations.

Contact your club's children's officer to register for the safeguarding workshop

Certification validation period = within a 3-year period.

Renewal: Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 certificate may be renewed by completing Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 Online Refresher

Must be a registered member of our club for insurance and vetting purposes.

Must obtain a minimum coaching qualification (if teaching the skill of the sport)

*Have you attended a Safeguarding 1 workshop with another sporting organisation?

Any person who has attended a Local Sports Partnership or other Sports Non-Governing Bodies (NGB) safeguarding training does not need to attend the 3-hour workshop again (unless the certificate has expired). As the GAA, Camogie and LGFA Associations have their own additional policies and procedures, you are obliged to complete the Gaelic Games Safeguarding 1 Online Refresher.

The purpose of this is to ensure that you receive the additional relevant information on our own Gaelic Games safeguarding policies or practices, our reporting procedures or our Code structures and the role of Gaelic Games Children’s Officers and DLPs in the three Associations. Please send a copy of the other Sports NGB’s safeguarding certificate and refresher certificate to your club’s children’s officer.

Children First

Oranmore Maree GAA, Camogie & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football has adopted all the provisions of the Children First Act.

These include the requirement to adopt all provisions in relation to mandatory reporting of child abuse, ensuring the appointment of key child safeguarding officers:

Club Children’s Officers

Oranmore Maree GAA

• Kevin Deely · childrensofficer.oranmoremaree.galway@gaa.ie · 086-1713303

Oranmore Maree Camogie

• Ciara Hanniffy · childrensofficer.oranmoremaree.galway@camogie.ie · 087-6875793

Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football

• Leona Gallagher · childrensofficer.naomhmhuire.galway@lgfa.ie · 087-8157068

Designated Liaison Person (DLP)

Oranmore Maree GAA

• Fergal Landy · fergallandy@gmail.com

Oranmore Maree Camogie

• Fiona Holland · fslevin@hotmail.com

Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football

• Sean Glynn · seantglynn81@hotmail.com

Oranmore Maree GAA, Camogie & Naomh Mhuire Ladies Gaelic Football believes that the welfare of the child is paramount and recognises that all children have the right to be safe and that this fundamental principle takes precedence over all other considerations.

Oranmore Maree Safeguarding Training Policy

Concerned or wish to report possible abuse?

If you believe you are being abused, are at risk of being abused or are worried that someone you know is being harmed you should talk to an adult you can trust. This could be a parent, another family member, a teacher or someone involved in your life who will listen. You may wish to discuss your concerns or seek advice from a Coach, your Children’s Officer or another trusted person in your Club/County.

Guidance for Dealing With & Reporting Allegations or Concerns of Abuse

A Mandated Person has a legal obligation to report harm to children as per legislation. There are mandated persons employed for the purpose of performing the child welfare & protection functions within each of our Associations in accordance with their safeguarding employment roles:

GAA/Rounders: Gearóid Ó Maoilmhichíl - mandatedperson@gaa.ie.

Camogie: Roberta Farrell - mandatedperson@camogie.ie

LGFA: Paula Prunty - mandatedperson@lgfa.ie

Anti–Bullying Statement

“We aim to create a supportive environment where any form of bullying is unacceptable. We adopt ‘a whole organisational approach’ to addressing Bullying and are committed to implementing structures and relevant training to deal with allegations of Bullying. Incidents of Bullying are regarded as serious breaches of our Code of Behaviour (Underage). We are committed to achieving an ethos of respect so as to maximise the potential of all our members when playing or participating in our Games”.

DEFINITION Bullying is defined as repeated aggression, be it verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against others.

ORANMORE MAREE SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT:

• Incidents of bullying behaviour are addressed appropriately
• All persons in membership of the Association or attending our games or activities are aware that bullying behaviour is unacceptable.

DEALING WITH BULLYING

The Code of Behaviour Section 12, Tackling Bullying in your Club provides good practice guidance in relation to the prevention of bullying.

If you are aware of or have a concern that bullying behaviour is happening within your Club you should report the matter to your Club Children’s Officer.

We recognise that incidents of bullying are a breach of the Code of Behaviour and of our Give Respect - Get Respect initiative and all such incidents will be dealt with accordingly

Oranmore Maree One club Tackling Bullying poster