Child Safeguarding Statement

Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd provides various sporting activities and opportunities for children and young people through participation in club events. 
Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd is committed to safeguarding children and young people by working under the guidance of the Sport Ireland Safeguarding Policies.  Our volunteers working with our young people throughout the organisation, seek to create a safe environment for the young people to grow and develop. 
Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd’s have completed the Sports Ireland Ethics Club Safeguarding Self Assessment Framework. This framework  highlights the areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of the risk occurring, and requies key actions to be prioritised to alleviate these risks. The list of risks were examined across the following categories: 

The Risk Assessment was undertaken in April 2022 and will be reviewed annually.

Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015 (ROI) and Children’s First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice. 
In addition to the Club’s Safeguarding Self Assessment Framework document described above, there are further procedures that support this club’s intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our activities. 
Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd has the following procedures in place as part of our Safeguarding Policies: 
•	 Procedure for Complaints, Disciplinary issues & Dispute Resolution
•	 Procedure for the safe recruitment of volunteers to work with children in our activities 
•	 Procedures for access to child safeguarding training and information
•	 Procedures for reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Statutory Authorities 
•	Club codes of conduct for players, coaches and parents
•	Blaze Postive Behaviour Guidlines.
The Club Children’s Officer for Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd is Deirdre Mc Hugh and Club Designated Liaison Person for Letterkenny Blaze Basketball Club Ltd is Lynda Mc Guinness. 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 and young people safe from harm while availing of our activities. . 
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed in September 2023. 

For queries on this Child Safeguarding Statement, please contact 
Deirdre Mc Hugh 				Lynda Mc Guinness
Club Children’s Officer 			Club Designated Liaison Person
Deirdremchughblazeco@gmail.com 	lyndamcguinness1@hotmail.com