Email: mervilleunited@gmail.com.

Merville UnitedFootball Clubin accordance with the FAI Rulebook, FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy, other FAI policies, procedures and our legislative requirements have agreed this Child Safeguarding Statement which is binding on all members. Merville United Football Club is a football club operating on a local scale Providing sporting activities and opportunities for children and young people through participation in clubs. The Sligo/Leitrim Youth League offers sporting activities to children and young people from the age of 6 years to 18years old. Merville United recruits over 50 volunteers with over 370 participants. Merville United is committed to safeguarding children and by working under the guidance of our Safeguarding Policies and procedures, our staff, both volunteers and employed working with our children and young people, throughout the Association, seek to create a safe and fun environment for children and young people to participate in their sport.

This statement recognises that in accordance with legislation and the requirements of FAI Rulebook, FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy, other FAI policies and procedures that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances. Merville United is established on a number of core principles:

Ø  the needs of the Child, integrity and respect, environment, equality, fair play, welfare and safety in football. 

These underlying principles underpin our rules, policies and procedures to ensure that when Children participating in our activities, they do so, as far as is practicable, in a safe and enjoyable environment.

-            In preparing this statement the Merville United Football Club have completed a Risk Assessment of the potential risk of harm to children when they are participating in any of our games and attending our activities. The risks were reviewed under the following headings; 

-             Club and Coaching Practices; Complaints & Discipline; Reporting Procedures; Use of Facilities; Recruitment; Communications; and General Risk of Harm.

-             The Risk Assessment was undertaken on 25/04/2025. The table below lists the area of Risk identified and the list of procedures and policies for managing these risk 

 

 

 

 | Risk Identified | Procedures/Policies in place | QR Code shortcut
| Risk of harm including assault, ill treatment or neglect of a child in a manner that seriously affects or is likely to seriously affect the child’s health, development or welfare or sexual abuse of child | ·        FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy ·        FAI Concern-Complaint policy ·        FAI Rulebook ·        Safeguarding training ·        Specific guidance, rules or handbooks in place for event, trip, competition or camps. ·        Following all health guidance set out by the HSE & government. | 1.FAI Child Welfare & Safeguarding Policy
| Risk of harm of abuse when hosting an activity and or an away trip | ·        FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy ·        FAI Concern-Complaint policy ·        Safeguarding training ·        Specific guidance, rules or handbooks in place for event, trip, competition or camps. ·        Follow all health guidance on set out by the HSE. | 2. FAI Concern-Complaint Policy
| Risk of harm of online abuse through social media | ·        FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy ·        FAI Social Media policy ·        Specific guidance, rules or handbooks in place for event, trip, competition or camps. | 3. FAI Social Media Policy

| Bullying of a child | ·        FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding policy ·        FAI Concern-Complaint policy ·        FAI Social Media policy ·        Specific guidance, rules or handbooks in place for event, trip, competition or camps. | 4. FAI Rulebook 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risk Assessment Document for Merville United Football Club

This risk assessment considers the potential for harm to come to children whilst they are in the care of Merville United FC.  This risk assessment precedes the Child Safeguarding Statement (Section 11 (1b) Children First Act 2015) which is developed following this risk assessment process. In accordance with the requirements of Section 11 (1) of the Children First Act 2015 the risk is of abuse and not general health and safety risk (covered under a separate H&S policy and risk assessment).

Section 11 (1) of the Children First Act 2015 states that where a person proposes to operate as a provider of a relevant service, he or she shall, within 3 months from the date on which he or she commences as such a provider —

(a) Undertake an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of the service (in this section referred to as a “risk”).

 

 

 | Potential risk of harm to children | Likelihood of harm happening L-M-H | Required Policy, Guidance and Procedure document | Responsibility Club/Region/National | Further action required …
| CLUB & COACHING PRACTICES
| Lack of coaching qualification | H | §  Coach education policy §  Recruitment policy | Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls | Proof of qualification to be confirmed
| Supervision issues |   M | §  Supervision policy §  Coach education policy Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls |  Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls | Ongoing review
| Unauthorised photography & recording activities |   H | §  Photography and Use of Images policy |  Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls | Ongoing review
| Behavioural Issues |   L | §  Code of Conduct §  Safeguarding Level 1 (min) §  Complaints & Disciplinary policy |  Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls | Ongoing review
| Lack of gender balance amongst coaches |   L | §  Coach education policy §  Supervision policy |  Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls | Ongoing review
| Potential risk of harm to children | Likelihood of harm happening L-M-H | Required Policy, Guidance and Procedure document | Responsibility Club/Region/National | Further action required …
| No guidance for travelling and away trips |   L | §  Travel/Away trip policy §  Child Safeguarding Training |  Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls, FAI | Ongoing review
| Lack of adherence with misc procedures in Safeguarding policy (i.e. mobile, photography, transport) |   M | §  Safeguarding policy §  Complaints & disciplinary policy |  Merville United FC, Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls, FAI | Ongoing review
| COMPLAINTS & DISCIPLINE
| Lack of awareness of a Complaints & Disciplinary policy | H | §  Complaints & Disciplinary procedure/policy §  Communications procedure | Merville United AFC/ Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls, FAI | Immediate action needed Greater communication required
| Difficulty in raising an issue by child & or parent Reason: Covered above |   M | §  Complaints & Disciplinary procedure/policy §  Communications procedure |  Merville United AFC, Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls, FAI | Review the communication/responsibilities of the procedure/policy as required
| Complaints not being dealt with seriously |  H | §  Complaints & Disciplinary procedure/policy |   Merville United, Sligo/Leitrim Schoolboys & Girls, FAI  | Ongoing review
| REPORTING PROCEDURES
| Lack of knowledge of organisational and statutory reporting procedures | H | §  Reporting procedures/policy §  Coach education policy §  Code of Conduct /Behaviour | NGB MP DLP   | Make policies and procedures available Include in Safeguarding Training (L1) Include in Coach Education Training
| No Mandated Person appointed |   | §  Reporting procedures/policy | NGB Merville United AFC | Publicise identity of Mandated Person Train Mandated Person in their role
| No DLP Appointed |   | §  Reporting procedures/policy | NGB Club Merville United AFC | Train all DLPs Publicise identity of DLPs
| Concerns of abuse or harm not reported |   | §  Reporting procedures/policy | MP DLP | Include in Safeguarding Training (L1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 | The Merville United Football Club Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, (the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice). | The Merville United Football Clubhas 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 and selection of staff and volunteers to work with children in our activities. ·        Procedures for provision of and access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm. ·        Procedure for reporting child protection or welfare concerns to Statutory Authorities; ·        Procedures for maintaining a list of the persons in the relevant service who are mandated; ·        Procedure for appointing a relevant person.
| All procedures/policies listed are available on request. FAI Policies and the FAI Rulebook are available on www.fai.ie/domestic mervilleunited.com
| The Mandated person for Merville United is Child Welfare Officer Audette Callaghan and the Designated Liaison person for the club is Mark Foley.
| Merville United recognizes that implementation is an ongoing process. Our Merville United AFC is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the accompanying child welfare and safeguarding policies and procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while participating in our activities. This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed on 25/04/2026 or as soon as practicable after there has been material change in any matter to which the statement refers. This statement has been published on the Merville United’s website; mervilleunited.com and displayed in a prominent place on the premises. It has been provided to all staff, volunteers and any other persons involved with the service. It is readily accessible to parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made available to Tusla and members of the public if requested.