Children First Act 2015

On December 11th 2017, the Children First Act 2015 commenced. This new law puts Children First: the National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, on a statutory footing. The Act provides for a number of key child protection measures.

Most notably for Horse Sport Ireland, following the commencement, the immediate requirements include;

  • Adopting all provisions in relation to mandatory reporting of child abuse,
  • Ensuring the appointment of child safeguarding officers which include;
    • Designated Liaison Persons
    • Children’s Officers
    • National Organisation’s Mandated Person
      • Horse Sport Ireland Mandated Person is Paul Hayes, National Safeguarding Officer
  • Provide Child Safeguarding Training Programmes
    • Horse Sport Ireland Safeguarding Training Policy,  currently in place and viewable here.
  • Commence the process to agree a Child Safeguarding Statement for all Affiliate’s Clubs, Branches etc.
    • Horse Sport Ireland Risk Assessment and Safeguarding Statement – Steps outlined below.
Children First Compliance 

Horse Sport Ireland are delighted to provide supporting documentation and instructions on how our Affiliates and their Clubs/Branches/Regions can comply with the Children First Act 2015 by March 11th 2018. This is a mandatory process that all organisations providing services to children must complete. The following are the four steps to compliance:

STEP ONE – REVIEW THE RISK ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT

  • The risk assessment has been pre-populated for you to review at your Affiliate and your Clubs/Branches/Regions meeting.
  • Each risk identified must be ranked; High, Medium or Low. The supporting policies and guidance have been indicated for you
  • Once each risk is ranked, you must consider the factors in place to reduce the risk and any further action you can take to lower it.
  • You can include other risks of potential harm that are specific to your Affiliate and or Clubs/Branches/Regions.
  • After you review your Risk Assessment, minute it at your meeting and get your Chairperson and Children’s Officer to sign and date it.

STEP TWO – YOUR CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

  • When step one is completed review your Child Safeguarding Statement and sign the document.

STEP THREE – DISPLAY YOUR CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

  • As per Section 11 of the Children First Act 2015, you are required to display your Child Safeguarding Statement in a prominent place in your Affiliate and your Clubs/Branches/Regions (notice board, public area, website etc.).
  • We suggest that you also distribute your signed Child Safeguarding Statement to all parents by mail/email/web or social media on an annual basis. (Perhaps as a part of membership process)
  • If you do not have a premises or website/social media page to display and distribute your Child Safeguarding Statement, you should display it at your events as a temporary sign or poster.

STEP FOUR – CONFIRMATION OF COMPLIANCE TO HORSE SPORT IRELAND

  • This step should only be completed by HSI Affiliates.
  • Please send a one line email to phayes@horsesportireland.ie to advise that steps 1 to 3 have been completed.
  • HSI Affiliates should put appropriate structures in place to ensure that their Clubs / Branches ? Organisations are compliant.

NB: It is the responsibility of every Affiliate and your Clubs/Branches/Regions board to comply with the Children First legislation by completing the above steps.

 

Additional Note: While the Children’s First Act places a legal requirement on organisations in ROI to have a Child Safeguarding Statement (CSS) in place, as HSI and many of it’s Affiliates operate on a 32-County basis, the requirement for a CSS to be in place extends to all HSI Affiliates and their Clubs / Branches / Organisations regardless of jurisdiction.

 

Please see below the Risk Assessment and Child Safeguarding Statement Templates for Equestrian Sporting Bodies.

 

 

Additional Information