IRFU Safeguarding Policy

Below is an outline of this document IRFU Safeguarding Policy 2020

SAFEGUARDING  POLICY 2019 

This policy of the Irish Rugby Football Union will be updated every 2-years, next review 2021

Message from Philip Browne, IRFU CEO 

Irish Rugby aspires to act in a responsible manner and show leadership throughout the game by empowering  the rugby family to make informed decisions and demonstrate these behaviours in all rugby related activities.  Our values are laid out in the Charter for Irish Rugby and are inherent throughout this safeguarding policy.  

Young people are the lifeblood of any sport and Irish Rugby is no different to other sports in this regard. We  want to welcome young people into our clubs and schools so that they can enjoy our great game.

It goes without saying that parents are entitled to know that their children are involved and playing rugby in  an environment that respects young peoples’ safety, health, welfare and dignity. It is our responsibility both  at Union, Branch, Club and Schools levels to ensure that this is the case.

This policy of the Irish Rugby Football Union will be updated every 2-years, next review 2021

Glossary 

“Abuse” includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and sexual abuse as described in the “Children First and  Cooperating to Safeguarding Children”.

“Age Grade Player” means a player who is a member of an Age Grade Team and is not yet 18-years old.  “Age Grade Team” means a team of players which is regulated by reference to the dates of birth of the players.

“Association of Referees” means the Association of Referees Connacht Branch, the Ulster Society of Rugby Football  Referees, the Munster Association of Referees or the Association of Referees of the Leinster Branch.

“Branch” means a branch of the IRFU. “Branch Welfare Officer” is a person appointed by a Branch to implement the  directions of the “National Safeguarding Officer” and to follow the policy for Age Grade Players of the IRFU. This position  will be held by the Spirit of Rugby Officer in each Branch.

“Club” means a club (including a school) affiliated to the IRFU. For the purpose of guidance and implementation of the  IRFU Safeguarding Policy the Exiles will be considered in similar terms as a “CLUB” affiliated to the IRFU.

“Club Welfare Officer” is a person appointed by a Club to implement the directions of the National Safeguarding Officer  and the Branch Welfare Officers and to be the voice of the child within clubs. This position is the equivalent of Designated  Liaison Person as per ‘Children First Guidance’ and Cooperating to Safeguarding Children

“IRFU” means the Irish Rugby Football Union. “IRFU Guidelines” means the IRFU Safeguarding Policy and related IRFU  Guidelines for Working with Children. Abbreviated to “IRFU” throughout this Policy. 

“National Protection Officer” is the person appointed by the IRFU Executive Committee to advise the IRFU in relation to  this Policy and Code. They sit on the Spirit of Rugby Committee.

“National Safeguarding Officer” is the senior employee with responsibility for safeguarding within the organisation and  who leads the implementation of the safeguarding directions of the Spirit Committee. They are also the “National Mandated  Person”, the senior employee with responsibility for safeguarding appointed by the Union that is responsible for ensuring  that all reports meeting thresholds of significant harm are reported to the relevant statutory authorities. They hold the  position of ‘Relevant Person’ as per Children First.

“Parents” includes legal guardians.

“Referee” means a person who is a member of an Association of Referees recognised by the IRFU.

“Sports Councils’ Guidance” means the Safeguarding Guidance for Children and Young People, (previously Code of  Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport) as published by the Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland and available  at

https://www.sportireland.ie/Participation/Code_of_Ethics/

and http://www.sportni.net/about-us/safeguarding/

“Sports Leaders” means all adults involved in children’s sports. This includes coaches, referees, managers, volunteers  assisting with youth and mini teams. This is the definition used in the Sports Councils’ Guidance document(s). Throughout  this document will be known as staff / coach / volunteer.

“Statutory Authorities” means in Ireland Tusla (Child and Family Agent, CFA) and An Garda Síochána (“Gardaí”) and in  Northern Ireland the Health and Social Care Trust and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (“PSNI”).

Section One 

Safeguarding Standards 

Irish Rugby Charter

Child Safeguarding Statement 

The IRFU is committed to the enjoyment of rugby by 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. It values and encourages the participation of parents, coaches and volunteers in  rugby for participants under 18-years of age. The policy of the IRFU regarding safeguarding children  is to respect the dignity and rights of Age Grade Players. The IRFU will strive throughout its  organisation and spheres of influence to promote, create and maintain safe environments for Age  Grade Players. It will endeavour to maintain the key values of Respect, Inclusivity, Integrity,  Excellence and Fun. A detailed Child Safeguarding Statement can be found here, and the Sports  Councils’ Safeguarding Guidance should be used where the IRFU has not published specific  guidelines.

A risk assessment that indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk  occurring, and the required policy, guidance or process documents require to alleviate these risks has been undertaken. Further details are available in part C, pages 3-6 of the full version of this statement. 

Our child safeguarding statement has been developed in lines with requirements under the Children  First Act 2015 and in Northern Ireland, the Club Framework for Safeguarding Standards. In addition  to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the following procedures are in place as part of the  IRFU Safeguarding Policy and support our intention to safeguard children:

  • Procedure for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children  • Procedure for provision of and access to child safeguarding training and information, including the  identification of the occurrence of harm
  • Procedure for the reporting of child protection and welfare concerns to Tusla (Ireland) and  Gateway (Northern Ireland) through the National Safeguarding Officer and Mandated Person  within IRFU (contact below). The National Safeguarding Officer holds position of Relevant Person  as per Children First Act
  • Procedure for the management of allegation of abuse or misconduct against workers/volunteers of  a child availing of our service and can be found in the case management policy • Procedure for appointing a relevant person for the purposes of the implementation of this Child  Safeguarding Statement
  • Procedures to minimise risk of harm of a child have been put in place and are available in the  IRFU Safeguarding Policy

All procedures listed are available in this document and on the IRFU website,  http://www.irishrugby.ie/safeguarding . The IRFU expects those involved within club 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 this Child Safeguarding Statement and accompanying safeguarding policy to keep  children involved in rugby safe from harm.

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed in March 2021, or as soon as practicable after  there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers. For queries please  contact Anne Marie Hughes, annemarie.hughes@irfu.ie / 086-0485977

Signed: Des Kavanagh Signed: Peter O’Brien

Des Kavanagh Chair of Spirit Chair of Safeguarding working group

Safeguarding Principles 

IRFU is committed to safeguarding children and, by working under the guidance of our  Safeguarding Policies our staff, both volunteers and employed, working with our young people,  throughout the organisation, seek to create a safe environment for young people to grow and  develop within sport. The following set of principles should be adhered to:

  • Importance of childhood – The importance of childhood should be understood and valued  by everyone involved in age-grade rugby.
  • Needs of the child – All age-grade rugby experiences should be guided by what is best for  children. This means that adults should have a basic understanding of the emotional, physical  and personal needs of young people.
  • Integrity in relationships – Adults interacting with young people in rugby are in a position  of trust and influence. They should always ensure that young people are treated with  integrity and respect, and the self-esteem of young people is enhanced.
  • Fair Play – All age-grade rugby should be conducted in an atmosphere of fair play. The  principles of fair play should always be emphasised, and organisers should give clear  guidelines regarding acceptable standards of behaviour.
  • Quality atmosphere & ethos – Age-grade rugby should be conducted in a safe, positive  and encouraging atmosphere.
  • Competition – Competition is an essential element of sport and should be encouraged in an  age appropriate manner. A child centred ethos will help to ensure that competition and  specialisation are kept in their appropriate place.
  • Equality – All young people should be valued and treated in an equitable and fair manner  regardless of ability, age, gender, religion, social and ethnic background or political  persuasion, as per the IRFU Charter

The Sports Councils’ Safeguarding Guidance should be used where the IRFU has not published  specific guidelines,

https://www.sportireland.ie/Participation/Code_of_Ethics/Safeguarding%20Guidance/Safeguarding %20Guidance%20for%20Children%20and%20Young%20People%20in%20Sport.pdf 

Safeguarding Objectives 

  • Meet the required standards for safeguarding children in Ireland
  • Maintain a robust case management system and disciplinary process for rugby • Ensure well trained and informed staff and volunteers in relation to safeguarding topics and  issues
  • Ensure young people and vulnerable adults are listened to, ensuring their experiences of  rugby are safe and enjoyable

Compliance with Safeguarding Policy & Guidance 

  • The IRFU has a Safeguarding Chair who shall be appointed on an annual basis to the Spirit  Committee with full power and authority to implement, resource and supervise compliance of  this Policy and the Sports Councils’ Guidance. They will be assisted by the Spirit of Rugby  team, including the National Safeguarding Officer and Branch Welfare Officers
  • Compliance with this Policy and the Sports Councils’ Guidance will be monitored by the IRFU  through the Branches and with the clubs annually, using the ‘Club Action Plan’, see overleaf. • The IRFU is committed to providing personnel and assistance for courses and training dealing  with compliance issues arising from this Policy.
  • The IRFU will monitor compliance with and alleged breaches of this Policy and will discuss  same when necessary for the benefit, protection and information of Age Grade Players and  their parents where it is permissible and reasonable.
  • The IRFU will implement its ‘Case Management Policy’ to review breaches of the policy and  ensure child protection and welfare issues are correctly reported. It will also ensure existing  disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedures of the IRFU will be regularly reviewed to  accommodate the implementation and enforcement of this Code.
  • The IRFU will review its Safeguarding Policy every 2-years and/or as legislative changes  occur in Ireland and/or Northern Ireland
  • It is the role and responsibility of every officer and member of a branch, club and school  together with the IRFU to ensure that the spirit of this policy and the IRFU Guidelines are  promoted, implemented and monitored successfully.

Implementation of Safeguarding Policy & Guidance 

The IRFU expects those involved with age grade rugby to promote and implement the components  of this IRFU policy, specifically through the implementation of the Club Action Plan – see club  practice http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/development/safeguarding/policy.php.

The requirements in this Safeguarding Policy are expected to be complied with by all branches, clubs  (including schools) that the IRFU support.

Guidelines will be published and updated to assist in the application and interpretation of these  requirements. The Sports Councils’ Guidance of Ethics should be used where the IRFU has not  published specific guidelines. Available at https://www.sportireland.ie/Participation/Code_of_Ethics/ and http://www.sportni.net/about-us/safeguarding/ 

All requests from the National Safeguarding Officer to adhere to, comply with or furnish evidence  relating to this Code must be fulfilled promptly. This will include completion of the Club Action Plan.

Seasonal Safeguarding Action Plan 

In order to be compliant, host age-grade activities and for clubs to receive the Club Support Scheme  Funding from the IRFU Clubs (and relevant bodies) must, as a minimum, achieve the following  criteria under Safeguarding:

  • To appoint a Club Welfare Officer to implement the IRFU Safeguarding Policy. Club Welfare  Officers should be vetted and trained to SG2 standard (Sport Ireland/Sport NI). • To carry out a safeguarding risk assessment and sign and publish their Child Safeguarding  Statement as a result (templates provided by IRFU). Confirm by email that this has been  completed to the Spirit of Rugby Officer in the Province. Ensure parents have access to the  CSS and that coaches know it
  • Display the CWO ID template (template supplied by IRFU)
  • Complete appropriate vetting. All Age-Grade volunteers (e.g. coaches, manager, team  assistants) that work regularly and continuously (or that their role is a necessary part of  working) with young people and/or vulnerable adults must be vetted before they start; this  process must be carried out through the Club Welfare Officer using the IRFU Clubhouse  system and an annual Declaration of Intent must be signed.
  • All coaches/volunteers should complete Child & Family agency/ SNI introductory online  training, https://childrenfirstuniversal.hseland.ie OR http://courses.sportni.net/

Once the fundamentals of safeguarding are in place the club should follow the rest of the Club Action  Plan to ensure that they are implementing the highest possible standards for safeguarding and  ensuring adherence to the IRFU Safeguarding Policy. Templates are available for the Club Child  Safeguarding Statement (& Risk Assessment) from IRFU as well as a sample registration form to  ensure appropriate permissions are gathered, https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

For further information contact the Spirit of Rugby Officer in your Branch for assistance or see  https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

Safeguarding Personnel 

The IRFU Safeguarding Policy identifies four roles that come under the heading of ‘Children’s  Officers’ as per the Sports Councils’ Guidance. These together with the necessary roles outlined in  legislation are the definitions agreed upon for IRFU:

  1. i) ‘National Safeguarding Chair’ is the person appointed by the IRFU Union Committee to  advise in relation to this Policy, with specific responsibility for ensuring Spirit Committee  are informed in relation to relevant safeguarding matters
  2. ii) ‘National Safeguarding Officer’ is the person appointed by the IRFU Committee to  implement the policy and decisions for Age Grade Players of the IRFU. This person will act  as Designated Liaison Person, Relevant Person and the Mandated Person for the  IRFU as per the relevant section of the Children First Act, Children First Guidance and Our  Duty to Care, with specific responsibility for reporting concerns to the Statutory  Authorities.

iii) ‘Branch Welfare Officer’ is a person appointed by the IRFU to implement the directions of  the National Safeguarding Officer and to follow the policy for Age Grade Players of the  IRFU. This role will be held by the Spirit of Rugby Officer in each Branch.

  1. iv) ‘Club Welfare Officer’ is a person appointed by a Club to implement the directions of the  National Safeguarding Officer and Branch Welfare Officer and to act as the voice of Age grade Players within clubs.

These officers operate within their respective spheres of influence at National, Branch and Club level  to implement the IRFU Safegaurding Policy and to ensure compliance with this Policy and achieve  the highest standards possible in relation to the Club Action Plan and safeguarding guidance.

Working with Age-grade Players 

Coaches, Volunteers and those working with Age-grade Players have a duty to care when  working in clubs and schools and/or rugby related activities. They are acting ‘in loco  parentis’.

Those who have responsibility for Age Grade Players must commit to and follow the requirements of  the Safeguarding Policy and should be informed about best practice as set out in related guidance  documents.

While clubs are responsible for the appointment and deployment of coaches and volunteers, those  working regularly and continuously with young people must be vetted by the IRFU before they begin  a role with young people and/or vulnerable adults.

Those working with young people and/or vulnerable adults

  • Must carry out vetting in line with current legislation through and /or in the manner directed  by the National Safeguarding Officer. The Declaration of Intent must be signed by those  working with young people. It is the responsibility of the staff / volunteer to be familiar with  its content and present a signed copy to the Club Welfare Officer annually. The first signed  copy must be presented with the necessary vetting documents when seeking a role working  with young people, https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of rugby/safeguarding/recruitment/
  • Must work with the National Safeguarding Officer without delay in relation to a risk  assessment of the criminal record and convictions on file. Not all recorded offences preclude  coaches from working with young people and/or vulnerable adults, each assessment is on a  case by case basis and all information will be held in conjunction with relevant Data  Protection Acts and guidance.
  • Must follow the directions of the IRFU in relation to safeguarding training (coaches and  volunteers working with young people must complete Sport Ireland / Tusla online  safeguarding training
  • Must make themselves aware of safeguarding standards within this policy and related  guidance (such as supervision, physical contact, travel and touring)

Vetting should not be seen as a stand-alone procedure and should always be done in conjunction  with signed Declaration of Intent, Codes of Conduct, appropriate supervision, relevant reference  checks, commitment to training and adherence to this Safeguarding Policy.

Vetting procedures and full policy can be found here,

http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/development/safeguarding/recruitment.php

The Code of Conduct must be made available to players, parents and referees, https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/. For  assistant coaches under 16-years of age that cannot be vetted they can work with a senior coach  with parental permission and having signed the Declaration of Intent.

Failure to comply with aspects of recruitment above could result in a coach/volunteer not being  offered a position within the Club/Branch/Union.

Good practice in management and supervision of coach/volunteer after appointment to a role is as  important as vetting.

Guidance 

Further guidance related to this safeguarding policy is contained within the safeguarding  documentation and factsheets on the IRFU website, www.irishrugby.ie/safeguarding. The following  guidance should be widely advertised  

  • Guidelines in relation to behaviour when working with young people,

http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/development/safeguarding/best-practice.php

  • Guidelines in relation to Supervision and Safety

Clubs should follow safety / premises guidelines as set out by IRFU,

See ‘Coach Practices’ https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/ 

  • Guidelines in relation to medical

Follow professional medical advice in determining when an injured Age-Grade Player is ready to play  again and be reasonable in demands on the Age-Grade Players’ time, energy and enthusiasm  http://www.irishrugby.ie/concussion & http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame/first_aid.php

  • Guidelines in relation to Travel

Traveling to and from venues is part of fulfilling fixtures. In order to ensure the safety of all  involved, clubs should adhere to the following guidance, see ‘Club Practice’

https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

  • Hosting matches

To ensure Age-Grade Players, management and spectators enjoy the experience when involved with  a match it is important for clubs, when hosting fixtures, to ensure all arrangements are in place and  that all involved are informed of these arrangements before the event. Information in relation to  hosting matches is available at https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

  • Communication, Images and Social Networks

With the increased use of technology (video or photographic) in rugby it is important for clubs to be  aware of guidance in relation to the use of photographic images of Age-Grade Players. See ‘Club  Practice’ https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/ • Player Welfare, Nutrition & Supplementation

To protection the health and well-being of Age-Grade Players and to ensure they thrive within a safe  and fun environment, IRFU request that all those working with Age Grade Players do not promote,  condone or use sports supplements contrary to the IRFU Guidelines and Recommendations, “Sports  Supplements and Young Rugby Players”,  

https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/nutrition/eat2compete/ and

https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/nutrition/supplements/

They should also promote the importance of caring for a person’s positive mental health and take  active measures to minimise psychological stress, burnout and drop out of Age Grade Players.  See ‘Player Welfare’ https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best practice/

Parents 

Involving parents is important to an important step in creating and maintaining a child-centred environment, for further information see

https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/parents-guardians/ 

Bullying  

Bullying is defined by Department of Education and Skills as unwanted negative behaviour, verbal,  psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against another person (or persons),  and which is repeated over time. It is similarly defined by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Alliance  as repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the  relationship involves an imbalance of power. It can happen face to face or online.

Bullying should always be considered in conjunction with the Codes of Conduct. Poor practice should  always be tackled early, warnings should be given and in the case of Age-Grade Players especially,  there should be an opportunity to correct the poor behaviour.

Persistent poor practice may escalate into bullying if allowed to go unchecked. More extreme forms  of bullying may be reported as concerns to Statutory Authorities.

It is the responsibility of the club to deal at the outset with bullying that may take place. Each club  should take a stance on bullying and the anti-bullying statement should be visible to all,  https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/ Incidents must be dealt with immediately and should not be tolerated, see the ‘Shield Your Club’ policy

For information in relation to online bullying and social media guidance see the Sport Ireland  training module, https://elearning.sportireland.ie/login/index.php

Children’s Discipline 

Children should be helped to become responsible about the decisions and choices they make within  sport, particularly when they are likely to make a difference between playing fairly and unfairly.  There should be no place for fighting, over-aggressive or dangerous behaviour in sport. The Code of  conduct should be enforced with opportunities for players to demonstrate a change in behaviour.  While this Code advocates for the rights of Age-grade Players this should not be done at the  expense of their responsibility towards the team, the club and/or themselves.

Conclusion 

The IRFU Child Safeguarding Statement and related IRFU safeguarding standards above are  implemented through the Club Action Plan. The Club Action Plan is the framework for creating and  maintaining a child-centered approach within the club. IRFU will work with its constituent bodies to  ensure the highest standards are achieved for Age-grade Players.

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. 

Safeguarding Concerns 

Should an Age-Grade Player be at risk of harm, it is the duty of those in a position of responsibility  to take the necessary steps to minimise and/or help to remove the risk and to ensure that all  procedures are undergone in accordance with statutory guidelines.

If you believe a child is at risk the concern should be brought to the attention of the Club Welfare  Officer who will implement the IRFU Case Management Process. This will establish if the concern  is likely to meet the threshold for reporting to Statutory Authorities or is a concern that may not be  in line with IRFU’s safeguarding policy. The online reporting tool will begin the IRFU Case  Management Process. Ideally this will be completed by the Club Welfare Officer, but it is available to  anyone who has a concern about an age-grade player in rugby.

If you have a concern that needs immediate reporting to the Statutory Authorities you can make

contact with duty social workers in your local area, http://www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/duty-social-
work-teams/ (Ireland) and (NI) or http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system/northern-ireland/reporting-your-concerns/

Adults working with young people are not expected to be experts in identifying abuse. However, to  fulfil our duty to care it is necessary to know how to forward a concern that meets reasonable  grounds for concern and how to respond to a child who raises a concern, see Protecting Our  Players for further details.

Categories of abuse are outlined in Children First (ROI) and Cooperating to Safeguard Children (NI).  Further details on this and Statutory guidelines are in ‘Protecting Our Players’ or can be found at  http://www.tusla.ie/children-first and http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect.

Training should be completed in this area, log on to https://childrenfirstuniversal.hseland.ie/ and  http://courses.sportni.net/, so that all those working with young people know how to make a report.

Sometimes it may be necessary for a club to implement a disciplinary process in relation to  safeguarding, details of this can be found in ‘Safeguarding Disciplinary Process’ guidance,  https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/concerns/

Responding to a concern 

Concern(s) raised by individual(s) about Age-Grade

Players or those working with Age-Grade Players should

be passed on to Club Welfare Officer / Branch Welfare

  Officer (Provincial Spirit of Rugby Officer)

Club Welfare Officer receives concern and works with Branch Welfare  Officer to complete online ‘Safeguarding Incident Report Form’  (hyperlink) 

National Safeguarding Officer implements Case Management Process to decide if….…..there are ‘reasonable grounds for concern’, as per statutory reporting guidelines? 

https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/parents-and-guardians/how-do-i-report-a-concern-about-a child/ and Cooperating to Safeguard Children and Young People NI 

Report to Statutory Authorities PSNI /HSS  Trust(s) (NI) and An Garda Síochána &  Tusla Child and Family Agency (Ireland)

Report to National Safeguarding Officer /  Mandated Person in IRFU 

http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame /development/safeguarding/concerns.php

IRFU case management panel

will assess ‘incident/concern and

1 Carry out case management process as  outlined in case management policy

or  

2 Revert to clubs to implement the

Safeguarding Disciplinary Process in their  club

http://www.irishrugby.ie/playingthegame /development/safeguarding/concerns.php

ALL concerns should be referred to the Spirit of Rugby Officer (Branch Welfare Officer) 

Are you concerned about ‘harm’ of a child?  

  • Consult the Club Welfare Officer and/ Branch Welfare Officer who will advise if ‘Reasonable  Grounds for Concern’ apply and/or what route your concern should take
  • IRFU may contact Tusla Child & Family Agency (CFA) or An Garda Síochána and ask for an  “informal consultancy” or consult with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (NSPCC) in Northern  Ireland for further advice
  • When reporting to Statutory Authorities follow the statutory reporting process as per  guidance and legislation through the Club Welfare Officer and National Safeguarding Officer • Cooperate with Statutory Authorities investigations
  • On completion of Statutory Authorities investigations IRFU may initiate the safeguarding  disciplinary process
  • IRFU will advise and assist on procedures regarding media and general enquiries • A coach/volunteer against whom an allegation of abuse has been made will be informed by  the CWO that this is not an accusation and that the procedures being undertaken are in  accordance with Statutory guidelines, that is, a claim that something may be wrong with the  child and/or environment and needs clarification.

Concerns Not Meeting Thresholds 

Some concerns may not meet the criteria of ‘harm’ or constitute ‘reasonable grounds for concern’  that would require making a report the Statutory Authorities, however the complaint may require a  response. In such cases all adults have a responsibility to protect Age-grade players from harm.  Should you witness or receive information that leads you to believe that a serious breach of this  Safeguarding Policy has occurred, you should bring the matter to the attention of the Club Welfare  Officer, Spirit of Rugby Officer and/or National Safeguarding Officer

  • You are not to discuss the matter with persons not already involved, unless required to assist  with an investigation of the matter
  • The IRFU Case Management process will be implemented
  • Complete online safeguarding incident report form and submit to National Safeguarding  Officer (Mandated Person)
  • Case Management Panel will inform club/organisation of the process
  • Club Welfare Officer will in some cases deal with the concern using a safeguarding  disciplinary panel to decide if codes of conduct have been breached
  • National Safeguarding Officer will deal with issues between clubs and inform Branch and  Clubs of the concern(s) and action taken where appropriate.

Please note: Should a person not be happy with the initial outcome of the process they may refer  this issue to the National Safeguarding Officer.

Information is based on guidelines from Children First (Ireland) and Co-operating to Safeguard  Children & Young People (Northern Ireland). All Concerns should be dealt with using the IRFU  Case Management Process which takes account of both of these guidance documents and  relevant legislation. Clubs or Branches should not carry out their own internal investigations until  directed by IRFU case management panel.

Data Protection 

All safeguarding documents will be kept according to, or each case of any amending legislation, the  requirements of the Irish Data Protection Act 1988, the amended act 2003, and the UK Data  Protection Act 1998; and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive 2009/136/EC and the  General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR“). This includes requirements for the  collecting, storage and requests of personal data. For general information on Data Protection consult  the Data Protection Commissioner’s Irish web site on www.dataprotectionact.ie or the UK  Information Commissioner’s web site www.ico.gov.uk

Exclusion in data protection includes:

Information about a data subject, which would be likely to affect the way crime is detected or  prevented, catching or prosecuting offenders, the assessment of taxes or duty, need not be made  available. There are also specific rules on information, which reveals the name of a third party (i.e.  any other person mentioned in the data such as, for example, the name of a spouse or dependent).

Contacts for All Concerns 

Branch Welfare Officer(s) 

  • Connacht: Luke Murphy: luke.murphy@connachtrugby.ie
  • Leinster – Stephen Gore: stephen.gore@leinsterrugby.ie
  • Munster – Emily O’Leary: emilyoleary@munsterrugby.ie
  • Ulster – Kerry Spence: kerry.spence@ulsterrugby.com

National Safeguarding Officer and Mandated Person 

Anne Marie Hughes: annemarie.hughes@irfu.ie

Conclusion

The policy of the IRFU with respect to safeguarding children is to respect the dignity and rights of  Age Grade Players, and in particular, to safeguard children from harm.

The IRFU will strive throughout its organisation and spheres of influence to promote, create and  maintain safe environments for Age Grade Players.

IRFU is committed to safeguarding children and, by working under the guidance of our  Safeguarding Policies our staff, both volunteers and employed, working with our young people,  throughout the organisation, seek to create a safe environment for young people to grow and  develop within sport.

PLAY YOUR PART, LET THEM PLAY