Safeguarding
Safeguarding
Incident Report Form - use this form to report an incident.
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) provides rugby activities to young people through participation in its clubs, Branches and through national programmes and events, including representative panels, mini and youth coaching and competitions, squad camps and participation programmes in schools and related youth events.
Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015 and in Northern Ireland, the Club Framework for Safeguarding Standards, a copy of which can be found below. The detailed CSS indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk occurring, and gives the required policy, guidance or documents required to alleviate these risks.
The associated Safeguarding Policy can be found below and the Sports Councils’ Guidance documents should be used where the IRFU has not published specific guidelines, in particular with regard to the principles to safeguard children from harm, as outlined in the full version of the IRFU Child Safeguarding Statement.
A safeguarding risk assessment has been carried out. The risk assessment indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk occurring, and gives the required policy, guidance or documents required to alleviate these risks. All procedures listed are available on this website.
The IRFU expects those involved within age-grade rugby to adopt and supervise the implementation of these safeguarding principles and standards. The IRFU recognises that implementation is an ongoing process. It is committed to the implementation of its Child Safeguarding Statement and accompanying safeguarding policies to keep children involved in rugby safe from harm.
Our Child Safeguarding Statement and associated policies are reviewed every 2-years, or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.
Incident Report Form - use this form to report an incident
IRFU Child Safeguarding Statement
Guides, Vetting & Further Information
Guides, Vetting & Further Information
Best Practice
Once staff, coaches and volunteers are safely recruited, appropriately trained and when adequate supervision is in place, club personnel should work together to provide a safe and fun environment. The Club Welfare Officer can use the Club Action Plan (see below) to ensure best practice is maintained.
Some useful ways of implementing this includes hosting parents’ information sessions, coaches’ briefings (especially at the start of the season), social medial posts in relation to where to find safeguarding information, reports to Youth Coordinator and club management Committee and providing links to online training for all throughout the season.
One important step in ensuring best practice is to communicate with the Age-Grade Players. This will allow the club to evaluate the activities that are in place at each level; if adults are happy with the programme of activities but the players are not engaging with them, the rugby club will not meet their needs, which leads to potential dropout of Age-Grade players and unsustainable youth rugby.
Below are links to documents that will assist you in implementing best practices in specific safeguarding matters that relate to Age-Grade Player Welfare; you can contact the Spirit of Rugby Officer in your area for additional assistance.
Vetting
The way we work with Age-Grade Players, how we behave around them and our attitudes towards them will contribute to the way young people feel about themselves. It is important that they, and their guardians, feel that their rugby experience is a fun and safe one.
An important step in ensuring this player-centred environment is the selection of appropriate Sports Leaders to work with young people.
Declaration of Intent / Code of Conduct
All Age-Grade coaches/volunteers working on a regularly basis should be made aware of the IRFU Safeguarding Policy and after reading the document sign the Declaration of Intent on Rugby Connect – tap here to login
Vetting checks should also be completed where necessary.
Vetting Links
E-vetting is now in operation and the IRFU recruits online through RugbyConnect. The CWO will verify your ID checks through RugbyConnect once you have uploaded the necessary information.
For further information please get in touch with your club Welfare Officer.
Rugby Connect Vetting Guide – ROI
Rugby Connect Vetting Guide – NI
Who Should Be Vetted
Republic of Ireland – All those involved in ‘relevant work’, that is work or activity that is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults.
Northern Ireland – All those (in NI) who work in ‘regulated activity’, that is work or activity that involves teaching training, caring for and supervision of children ‘frequently’ (once a week or more) or ‘intensively’ (4 or more days in a 30-day period or overnight), must complete an enhanced vetting check.
Vetting can be completed online but can only be processed by the IRFU on completion of the id check and verification by the CWO.
Access to vetting forms is through RugbyConnect.
Parents who give lifts to rugby events come under the ‘occasional’ usage term and do not need to be vetted; likewise ‘appointed referees’ who do not work with the same teams on a regular basis. These volunteers should complete the DOI for occasional work through RugbyConnect.
Training
Appropriate training for those working with young people in sport is directed by Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland and should be sport related. While staff, coaches and volunteers may have completed safeguarding training in another sphere it will be necessary to also complete specific modules of Sport Ireland safeguarding training as advised by the Spirit of Rugby Officer and/or in accordance with the IRFU training guidance.
Training
The IRFU expects those involved with Age-grade rugby to be aware of components of the safeguarding policy and have knowledge of how to raise a concern in relation to risk of harm. Coaches and volunteers are not expected to be experts in identifying abuse, but rather to know how to respond to a concern.
As such, coaches and volunteers with age grade teams must complete online introductory training and should attend a CHild Welfare Officer briefing to meet minimum standards. They should also attend face-to-face training within a reasonable timescale of undertaking coaching qualifications.
The links below will direct you to training courses for your area.