Child Safeguarding Statement

Feis Ceoil Association promotes the cultivation and advancement of the musical arts in Ireland, especially among the young. We organise and promote an annual Music Festival consisting of competitions and concerts to provide a forum for international benchmarking, constructive criticism and general encouragement to all who participate.

Feis Ceoil Association acknowledges a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring that its safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidelines and complies with best practice.

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Laura Gilsenan
The Designated Liaison Person can be contacted at lauragilsenan@feisceoil.ie

In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, and Túsla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of Feis Ceoil Association has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement as set out in this document.

We recognise that:

The welfare of the child/young person is paramount
All children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
All children must be protected from abuse whilst attending any events organised by Feis Ceoil Association

As part of our safeguarding policy Feis Ceoil Association will:

Promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
Fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children
Fully co-operate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection and welfare matters
Adopt safe practices to minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening to children and protect staff and volunteers from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may leave themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect
Review specific staff and volunteer roles to identify child protection and welfare concerns
Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning
Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and provide support to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern
Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored
Ensure careful recruitment of staff and volunteers, which shall include the taking up of references for new recruits, conscientious interviewing, training and ongoing supervision and management

The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved with Feis Ceoil Association. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may result in exclusion from the organisation.

Risk Assessment

We have carried out an assessment for any potential risk for harm to a child while engaged with Feis Ceoil Association. Feis Ceoil’s activities comprise attendance at competition and attendance and/or performing at concerts organised by the Association. Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks.

Risks Identified	Procedures in place to manage risks identified
Large groups of children attending competitions (i.e. Choirs/orchestras)	Minimum ratio of adult supervisors to children (1:12), as specified in Feis Ceoil Regulations Children First training for all staff/volunteers
Attending competitions/concerts	Children First training for all staff Competition Steward(s) in attendance at all competitions
Use of video/photography/other media to record activities	Only professional photographers/videographers engaged by Feis Ceoil are permitted to take photographs or videos during our events. Necessary permission must be sought from the primary carer. Each venue displays signage prohibiting photography or recording by the general public
Travel between Feis venues	Children and vulnerable adults must be supervised at all times by their primary carers
Practising in warm-up rooms	Garda vetted and Children First trained staff are on site to monitor warm-up rooms Primary carers accompany children while warming up

Procedures

In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children while engaged with our organisation.

Code of Behaviour for staff and volunteers
Procedure for dealing with incidents and accidents
Procedure for dealing with complaints concerning safeguarding
Procedure for reporting issues relating to child safeguarding
Procedure for maintaining confidentiality

All procedures listed are available on request.

Implementation

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. We are committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our assurance to keep children safe from harm while engaged with Feis Ceoil Association. This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed every year or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.

Signed: Laura Gilsenan - 26 February 2023

Date of proposed next review: January 2024

This document can be downloaded here