Villa Football Club Child Safeguarding Statement

Villa Football Club provides the opportunity for young people to participate in the sport of football and occasional other recreational activities and through participation in our club events and through local, area, regional and national competitions.

Villa Football Club is committed to safeguarding children and by working under the guidance of our FAI 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.

Villa Football Club’s written Risk Assessment document indicates the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk occurring, and gives the required policy; guidance or process documents require to alleviate these risks. The list of risks identified are contained in the following categories: Club and Coaching Practices; Complaints & Discipline; Reporting Procedures; Use of Facilities; Recruitment; Communications; and General Risk of Harm

The Risk Assessment was undertaken in February 2022

Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: Guidance on Developing a Child Safeguarding Statement. In addition to our Risk Assessment document described above, there are further procedures that support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our activities.

Villa Football Club has the following procedures in place as part of our Safeguarding Policies:

  • Procedures for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct by staff or volunteers against a child availing of our activities
  • Procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers to work with children in our activities
  • Procedures for access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm
  • Procedure for reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Statutory Authorities

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Our Club is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our activities.

 

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed in February 2025

Signed: (On behalf of the Villa Football Club)

Paul Morrissey, Chairperson Date: 28/7/2022

 

For queries on this Child Safeguarding Statement, please contact:

  • Paul Morrissey, Chairperson (086) 0834090 or
  • Derek Breslin, Club Children’s Officer(086) 6000654