ULSTER GAA: Child safeguarding in the GAA

THE GAA is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environments for all children and young people who wish to participate in our Gaelic games and activities.

We do this by recognising that all children have the right to be protected from harm and ensuring that our games are conducted in a spirit of fair play and where everyone working on our behalf emphasises respect, equality, safety and non-discrimination in all aspects of our work with children and young people.

Through appointing children’s officers in each of our clubs and at county board level, we strive to provide parents and children with the opportunity to voice any concerns that they may have.

A designated person in each club and county is appointed who will liaise with the statutory authorities as appropriate – both responding swiftly and appropriately to protect the welfare of children who participate in our games and related activities.

Within the GAA Child Safeguarding Policy, there is a section dedicated to safe recruitment and selection, and these guidelines assist clubs in ensuring they select and appoint the most suitable persons to work with our children and young people.

Prior to commencement of their role, they are required to be vetted via AccessNI/Garda vetting (or both), complete safeguarding training that is relevant to their role and attain an appropriate coaching award if they are coaching.

The important areas we draw your attention to are:

– Access NI/Garda Vetting

All persons working with children or young people in a voluntary or paid capacity, must be vetted prior to commencing their role. Those who are involved in the management of individuals appointed to work with children or young people in your club must also be vetted.

Vetting is carried out by Access NI or the Garda vetting unit as appropriate, where they return criminal history information on the applicant. This enables Ulster GAA to make more informed recruitment decisions in relation to the suitability of the applicant for the role.

Ulster GAA process applications for vetting checks free of charge, and we remind all clubs that they should not permit anyone to work with their children or young people in the club until they have been suitably vetted and approved for their role.

– Safeguarding 1 – Children and Young People in Sport

This three-hour workshop should be completed every three years by those working with your children and young people in your club and is an essential requirement prior to commencement of position.

This includes but is not exclusive to team management and backroom staff, committee members, designated liaison person/Deputy DLP/chairperson, club children’s officer, Scor/cultural, code of behaviour hearings committee and first aiders. This course can now be completed virtually on Tobar (Tobar elearning platform) or face to face.

– Safeguarding 1 – Refresher Training

Those who have completed the face-to-face safeguarding 1 workshop within the last three years and are now due for renewal can complete an online safeguarding 1 refresher training programme by following this link: https://learning.gaa.ie/Safeguarding.

– GAA Coaching Award

Please ensure that your coaches and managers have achieved a relevant GAA coaching award prior to commencement of position.

All club’s children’s officers can view each member’s qualifications and vetting information on Foireann (www.foireann.ie), members can also check their own status under the qualifications and vetting tab in their Foireann profile, and they will be reminded in advance via email when their renewal period is approaching.

We remind all clubs to cross check records therefore ensuring all those who will be appointed in 2025 are up to date with the above as required and to ensure that management teams are ratified in committee minutes.

For more information on safeguarding in your club, please see https://ulster.gaa.ie/safeguarding/ or contact ciara.mccrory.ulster@gaa.ie