Safeguarding Children

Kerry Sports Academy Child Safeguarding Statement

Kerry Sports Academy provides various activities for children and young people through participation in children’s swim lessons and family swims.

Kerry Sports Academy is committed to safeguarding children and by working under the guidance of our Safeguarding Policies our staff, while working with our young people, throughout the organisation, seek to create a safe environment for children and young people to grow and develop.

Kerry Sports Academy 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: Instructor Practices; Complaints & Discipline; Reporting Procedures; Use of Facilities; Recruitment; Communications; and General Risk of Harm.

The Risk Assessment was revised on 15th January 2024. Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, (the Children First: National Guidance, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice, Children (NI) Order 1995). 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.

Kerry Sports Academy 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 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

The Designated Liaison Person is:
Hazel Byrne (Manager)
Signed: Hazel Byrne

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Our centre 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 on 15th Jan 2025
Signed: Hazel Byrne

For queries on this Child Safeguarding Statement, please contact Hazel Byrne, Designated Liaison Person, 066 7144200

Designated Liaison Persons for Child Protection in Kerry Sports Academy

Child Protection / Admission Policy

(Under our Policy a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years old)

CHILD PROTECTION / ADMISSION POLCY — SWIMMING POOL

  • Parents MUST accompany children in the changing rooms at all times.
  • Parents MUST stay on the premises when lessons are in progress.
  • Children MUST be 5 years old and upwards to take part in our Swim Lessons.
  • There is a ratio of 1 Teacher to 7 Children maximum in our Swim Lessons.
  • No Swim Teacher will teach will teach a lesson alone on deck with Children.
  • Children must be sign in for lessons at the Reception desk on arrival by a parent/guardian.
  • Children under 13 years old are not allowed to enter the Adults only swim sessions.
  • Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult in the water during Family Swim sessions.

CHILD ADMISSION POLICY — GYM

  • Children under 16 years of age are not permitted to use the Gym facilities during public times.
  • Children aged 14 — 16 years old are allowed to access the Teen Gym programme. A parent/guardian must sign up their child to the programme and verify age status by birth certificate or passport.

CHILD ADMISSION — PREMISES

  • Children must be supervised on the premises at all times.