EAST COAST SURF CLUB (“ECSC”) - CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Version 1.0

Version Control History

First Created: 17 January 2018

Version: 1.0

Approved and Adopted By: ECSC at AGM on 26 January 2018

1. General

  1. To ensure that the best practice in relation to child protection and our junior members is followed by this club, we shall work closely with our governing body, the Irish Surfing Association (the “ISA”).

  2. In order to promote the best practice in children’s sport, we shall comply with the guidelines of the “Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport”(the “Code”) as set out in section 2.7 of the Code which are:

  • Adopt and implement the “Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport” as an integral part of our policy on children in the club;

  • Have our Constitution approved by club members at an AGM or EGM;

  • Promote the voice of the child, in particular through meetings and the AGM.  One parent/guardian should have one vote for all his/her children under 18 years, where relevant;

  • Ensure that the Committee is elected or endorsed by club members at each AGM;

  • Clearly define the role of Committee members and parents/guardians;

  • Appoint at least one Child Protection Officer as outlined at 2.8.1 of the Code;

  • Have a Designated Person (the Child Protection Officer) to act as liaison with the Statutory Authorities in relation to the reporting of allegations or suspicions of child abuse.  Any such reports should be made according to the procedures outlined in the Code;

  • Ensure best practice throughout the club by disseminating the Child Protection Policy and Constitution to all Club Members which include the disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedures in operation within the club to all its members.  These documents are also posted in facilities used by the club (the Forum).

  • Have in place procedures for dealing with a concern or complaint made to the Statutory Authorities against a Committee member or other members of the club.  

  • Encourage regular turnover of Committee membership while ensuring continuity of experience.

  • Develop effective procedures for responding to and recording accidents.

  • Ensure that any unusual activity (high rate of drop-out of junior members etc) is checked out and reported by the Club Chairperson to the ISA.

  • Ensure that all club members are given adequate notice of AGMs and other meetings.

  • Ensure that the minutes of all meetings (AGMs/EGMs, Committee) are safely filed.


Note: those bullet points at section 2.7 of the Code which relate to “Sports Leaders” have been deleted or amended as the ECSC has no “Sports Leaders” and does not offer coaching to junior members.


2. Disciplinary and Complaints Procedure relating to complaints made by or relating to a junior member

  • Any complaint made by a junior member or relating to the treatment of a junior member should be in writing and addressed to the Secretary or to the Child Protection Officer of the ECSC.  On receiving the complaint the Committee should appoint a Disciplinary Committee consisting of a regular Committee Member, the Child Protection Officer and an ordinary registered club member. For the avoidance of doubt, the Disciplinary Committee may not be comprised of any member who is the subject of the complaint or who may otherwise have a conflict of interest.

  • The complaint should be responded to within 5 working days.  

  • If the complaint involves suspected abuse or a criminal offence the Child Protection Officer should be consulted and the Disciplinary Committee disbanded. The Statutory Authorities will then be informed. 

  • The Disciplinary Committee should review any relevant paper work and hold any necessary meetings with all parties to proceed with complaints into any incident of suspected misconduct that does not relate to child abuse.  It should, as soon as possible, inform the rest of the Committee (aside from any individuals who may be the subject of the complaint) of the progress of the disciplinary process.  This should be done within 10 working days.

  • The Disciplinary Committee should furnish the individual with the nature of the complaint being made against him/her and afford him/her an opportunity of providing a response either verbally or in writing, but usually at a meeting with the Disciplinary Committee.

  • Written confidential notes of all complaints should be safely and confidentially kept and club procedures should be defined for the possession of such records in the event of election of new officers.

  • Where it is established that an incident of misconduct has taken place, the Disciplinary Committee should notify the member of any sanction being imposed.  The notification should be made in writing, setting out the reason of the sanction.  The correspondence should be addressed to the junior member’s parents/guardians.

  • If the member against whom the complaint is made is unhappy with the decision of the Disciplinary Committee he/she should have the right to appeal the decision to an Appeals Committee (independent of the Disciplinary Committee).  Any appeal should be made in writing within an agreed period after issue, usually 10 days of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee.  The Chairperson of the Appeals Committee should be a member of the Committee.  The Appeals Committee should consult with the Child Protection Officer in relation to issue of child welfare and codes of conduct.

  • The Appeals Committee should have the power to confirm, set aside or change any sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee.

  • If any party is not satisfied with the outcome the matter can be referred to the ISA.  However efforts to resolve the issue at a local level should be exhausted before the ISA is engaged in attempts to resolve the matter.

3. Suspicions of Child Abuse

If a person suspects that a junior member of the ECSC is being subject to child abuse this should be reported in accordance with Section 5.12 of the Code.

4. Procedure For Reporting Accidents In Respect of Junior Members

The procedure for reporting an accident in relation to a junior member (i.e. a member who is less than 18 years of age) is set out below:

  1. The Child Protection Officer should be informed of any accident as soon as possible after its occurrence;

  2. The Child Protection Officer will make a written note of the accident including the following details: (a) the date of occurrence; (b) where it occurred; (c) how it occurred; (d) who was present; and (e) what was its outcome; and

  3. The Child Protection Officer will assist the junior member, if necessary, in seeking any medical attention.


5. Child Protection Officer Contact Details

Any concerns by a junior member (i.e. a member who is under 18 years of age) or relating to a junior member shall be brought to the attention of the Child Protection officer as soon as possible.

For the years 2018, 2019 Muireann Reedy is the Child Protection Officer.

The below documents can be send upon request contacting our Child Officer directly.

  • ECSC Child Protection Policy - January 2018.pdf

  • Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport.pdf