Naas Sports CentreCaragh Road, Naas, W91 TE29
CONTACT US: [email protected]
NAAS AFCChild Safeguarding Statement
This document outlines the official Child Safeguarding Statement for Naas AFC. All members, parents, and officials are expected to read and adhere to these guidelines to ensure a safe, fair, and legally compliant environment for everyone involved with the club.
Commitment to Safety
Naas AFC, in accordance with the FAI Handbook, FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding Policy, other FAI policies and procedures, and our legislative requirements, has agreed this Child Safeguarding Statement, which is binding on all members.
Naas AFC is a community football club operating on a County Kildare scale, providing sporting activities and opportunities for children and young people through participation in the Kildare and District Underage League (KDUL).
Naas AFC offers football activities to children and young people from the age of 5 years. The club currently has over 125 volunteers and over 960 participants.
Naas AFC is committed to safeguarding children and, by working under the guidance of our safeguarding policies and procedures, our staff, both volunteers and employees, working with our children and young people throughout the club, seek to create a safe and fun environment for children and young people to participate in football.
Principles to Safeguard Children from Harm
As defined in the Children First Act 2015, “harm” means, in relation to a child:
- (a) assault, ill-treatment, or neglect of the child in a manner that seriously affects or is likely to seriously affect the child’s health, development, or welfare, or
- (b) sexual abuse of the child, whether caused by a single act, omission, or circumstance, or a series or combination of acts, omissions, or circumstances, or otherwise.
This statement recognises that, in accordance with legislation and the requirements of the FAI Handbook, FAI Child Welfare and Safeguarding Policy, other FAI policies and procedures, the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances.
Naas AFC is established on a number of core principles:
- The needs of the child
- Integrity and respect
- A positive and safe environment
- Equality (protected regardless of race, ability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation)
- Fair play
- Welfare and safety in football
- Zero Tolerance: Naas AFC adopts the FAI Zero Tolerance approach to racism, discrimination, bullying and abusive behaviour. Any racist, discriminatory or abusive behaviour involving children or young people will be treated seriously as both a welfare concern and disciplinary matter and managed in line with FAI regulations, safeguarding procedures and reporting processes.
These underlying principles underpin our rules, policies, and procedures to ensure that when children participate in our activities, they do so, as far as is practicable, in a safe and enjoyable environment.
Poor Practice
Poor practice is any behaviour that breaches the Code of Conduct, falls below the expected standards of safeguarding, or could place a child or young person at risk of harm — even if no harm is intended or occurs. It may involve actions or a lack of action that are inappropriate but not abusive.
Examples of poor practice include, but are not limited to:
- Ignoring health and safety guidelines or safeguarding procedures
- Breaching confidentiality about a child or young person
- Showing favouritism or excluding individuals
- Using inappropriate language, tone, or behaviour towards children
- Allowing rough, dangerous, or unregulated play
- Overstepping professional boundaries, such as unnecessary contact outside organised club activities
Poor practice must always be identified and addressed promptly to protect children and young people, maintain a safe environment, and uphold the standards of Naas AFC and the FAI.
Risk Assessment – Naas AFC
In preparing this Child Safeguarding Statement, Naas AFC has completed a Risk Assessment of the potential risk of harm to children when participating in our games, training sessions, and other club 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.
Date of Risk Assessment: August 2025
The table below lists the identified risks, their likelihood, the relevant policy/guidance/procedure, the person(s) responsible, and any further actions required.
| Rating | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| 1 | Low |
| 2 | Medium Low |
| 3 | Medium |
| 4 | Medium / High |
| 5 | High |
| Potential Risk of Harm to Children | Likelihood | Impact | Residual Risk | Required Policy / Guidance / Procedure Document | Responsibility | Further Action Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLUB & COACHING PRACTICES | ||||||
| Lack of coaching qualifications | 5 | 1 | 5 | – FAI Coach Education Policy – Naas AFC Recruitment & Vetting Policy |
Club | Annual proof of qualifications to be checked by CWO/Secretary |
| Supervision issues (e.g., insufficient coach-to-player ratio) | 2 | 3 | 6 | – FAI Safeguarding Policy – Supervision Section – Naas AFC Code of Conduct |
Club | Ongoing review; reinforce “2-coach rule” at all sessions |
| Misuse of Unauthorised photography / recording | 1 | 5 | 5 | – FAI Photography & Use of Images Policy – FAI Social Media Policy |
Club | Display photography policy at pitches and online |
| Behavioural issues among players, coaches, or parents | 5 | 3 | 15 | – Naas AFC Code of Conduct (Players, Coaches, Parents) – FAI Concern & Complaint Policy |
Club | Annual Code of Conduct re-sign; induction refresh |
| Lack of gender balance among coaches | 5 | 1 | 5 | – FAI Coach Education Policy – Supervision Policy |
Club | Encourage diversity in coach recruitment |
| No guidance for travelling/away trips | 1 | 4 | 4 | – Naas AFC Travel / Away Trip Policy – Safeguarding Training |
Club | Circulate written trip guidance before all travel |
| Non-adherence to safeguarding procedures (e.g., phone use, transport) | 2 | 2 | 4 | – FAI Safeguarding Policy – Concern & Complaint Policy |
Club | Annual safeguarding reminder to all coaches/volunteers |
| Risk of harm during team travel or transport to matches or events. | Naas AFC Travel / Away Trip Naas AFC Transport & Travel Policy Policy- Safeguarding Training |
Club | Annual safeguarding reminder to all coaches/volunteers | |||
| COMPLAINTS & DISCIPLINE | ||||||
| Lack of awareness of complaints procedure | 4 | 1 | 4 | – FAI Concern & Complaint Policy – Naas AFC Communications Procedure |
Club | Add procedure summary to website, noticeboard, and induction |
| Difficulty for child/parent to raise an issue | 3 | 4 | 12 | – FAI Concern & Complaint Policy – Communications Procedure |
Club | Promote CWO/DLP contact info widely |
| Complaints not taken seriously | 2 | 4 | 8 | – FAI Concern & Complaint Policy | Club | Ongoing monitoring by CWO/DLP |
| Ineffective Sanction Outcomes | 2 | 4 | 8 | |||
| REPORTING PROCEDURES | ||||||
| Lack of knowledge of statutory reporting procedures | 2 | 4 | 8 | – FAI Reporting Procedures – Safeguarding Level 1 Training |
Club & FAI | Include in annual safeguarding refresher |
| No Mandated Person appointed (FAI level) | 1 | 3 | 3 | – FAI Reporting Procedures | FAI | FAI to publicise current Mandated Person |
| No DLP appointed | 1 | 5 | 5 | – FAI Reporting Procedures | Club | Publicise DLP name/contact on all club channels |
| Concerns of abuse not reported | 1 | 5 | 5 | – FAI Reporting Procedures – Safeguarding Training |
Club | Reinforce mandatory reporting obligations annually |
| USE OF FACILITIES | ||||||
| Inappropriate use of changing rooms | 1 | 5 | 5 | – FAI Supervision Policy – Facilities Access Policy |
Club | Signage & coach reminders; enforce “no phones” rule |
| Unsupervised access to children by non-vetted adults | 3 | 3 | 9 | – Naas AFC Recruitment & Vetting Policy – FAI Safeguarding Policy |
Club | Enforce vetting checks before any involvement |
| RECRUITMENT | ||||||
| Unvetted coaches or volunteers | 1 | 4 | 4 | – Naas AFC Recruitment & Vetting Policy – National Vetting Bureau Acts |
Club | Maintain vetting register; renew every 3 years |
| No safeguarding training completed | 1 | 4 | 4 | – FAI Safeguarding Training Policy | Club | Track completion dates; enforce before involvement |
| COMMUNICATIONS | ||||||
| Inappropriate online contact between adult & child | 1 | 5 | 5 | – FAI Social Media Policy – Naas AFC Social Media Guidelines |
Club | Include in induction; monitor team communications |
| GENERAL RISK OF HARM | ||||||
| Child left unsupervised at end or start of session | 4 | 4 | 16 | – FAI safeguarding Policy | Club | Remind parents of collection times; coaches wait until child collected |
Risk Assessment Register & Control Measures:
The comprehensive Risk Assessment register and specific control measures are actively maintained in accordance with FAI and statutory safeguarding policies. A full copy of the risk assessment document is available on request from club safeguarding officers.
Policies and Procedures
Naas AFC’s Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with the requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice.
Naas AFC 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 and selection of staff and volunteers to work with children in our activities.
- Procedures for the provision of, and access to, child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm.
- Procedures for the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to the Statutory Authorities.
- Procedures for maintaining a list of mandated persons in the relevant service.
- Procedures for appointing a Relevant Person in accordance with the Children First Act 2015.
All procedures and policies listed are available on request. FAI Policies and the FAI Handbook are available online at fai.ie/about/library.
Key Contacts
- Mandated Person: Kirsten Pakes, Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
- Designated Liaison Person (DLP): Gavin Barnes | 087 225 5598
- Child Welfare Officer (CWO): Rachael Bramhall | [email protected] | 086 083 5159
Implementation and Review
Naas AFC recognises that implementation is an ongoing process. Our Club 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 May 2028 or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.
Availability of this Statement
This statement has been published on the Naas AFC website: https://naasafc.ie/about-us/club-policies/child-safeguarding-statement/. 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.
