Howth Celtic AFC
HOWTH CELTIC AFC Child Safety Advice for Players
HOWTH CELTIC AFC Child Safety Advice for Players
We in Howth Celtic Football Club are committed to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to protect and safeguard the welfare of children and young people who participate in soccer. It is the policy of Howth Celtic Football Club to safeguard the welfare of our under age players by protecting them from physical, emotional or sexual harm and from neglect or bullying.
This information is given to you not as a response to massive problems within soccer, rather that Howth Celtic Football Club has accepted its moral and legal responsibilities, and mainly to ensure that children enjoy soccer in safety.
At all times we are committed to providing the highest possible standards of care in a safe environment.
In this respect you are entitled to:
- Be safe
- Be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect
- Experience competition and the desire to win as a positive and healthy outcome of striving for best performance
- Be happy, have fun and enjoy soccer
- Comment and make suggestions in a appropriate and constructive manner
- Be listened to
- Be believed
Most importantly you are entitled to express concerns and make in an appropriate way and have these dealt with through an effective complaints procedure.
On all away trips there is a designated Head of Delegation who has overall responsibility for the player’s well being, behaviour and accommodation arrangements. He/she will also act as the designated child protection officer for the trip and all concerns or complaints should be submitted to this person. In the event that the complaint refers to this person you can approach any member of staff of your choice and you can be assured that your concerns will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.
If you have problems with this procedure you should inform your parents or any trusted adult who can help you in having your concerns or complaints dealt with. It is most important that you do not keep secrets about anybody who is causing you harm or distress of any kind.
Players are advised that they can raise concerns with the Clubs Children’s Officer Colette Mc Kenny who can be contacted at 086 0224976
Players and parents inhibited for any reason in reporting any incident internally or unhappy with the internal response, can also report concerns to your local Health Board who have statutory responsibility for safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children here in Ireland.
The first priority is that no player will be exposed to unnecessary risk in keeping with the fundamental principle that the welfare of the child is the first and paramount importance.
All allegations of child abuse will be managed in accordance with Government Guidelines as outlined in “Children First”, National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
