Protocol for Vetting of Volunteers 2021
Coaching and Volunteering within the area of Mini and Youth Rugby, with UL Bohemian is governed by the IRFU Vetting Policy
VETTING: While clubs are responsible for the recruitment of Sports Leaders, and the allocation of roles and areas of responsibility to them, the IRFU will support them through the provision of vetting checks and adherence to the recruitment process. Vetting should not be seen as a stand-alone procedure and should always be done in conjunction with signed Codes of Conduct (Appendix 1), commitment to training and adherence to the this Safeguarding Policy. Failure to comply with all aspects of club recruitment could result in a Sports Leader not being offered position within the Club / Branch / Union. The decision to appoint Sports Leaders is the responsibility of the club and not one individual within it. Good practice in management and supervision of Sports Leaders after appointment is as important as adherence to recruitment policies and procedures.
BRANCHES AND CLUBS: – Must carry out vetting in line with current legislation (educate themselves and their officers about checking:) vetting for Employees and Sports Leaders in Regulated Activity (NI); (ROI Vetting) and /or vetting for Employees and Sports Leaders in the manner directed by the National Safeguarding Officer. – Must work with the National Safeguarding Officer without delay in relation to a risk assessment of the criminal record and convictions (for violence, abuse or neglect of children and related offences) of each of its employees and Sports Leaders. – Must follow the directions of the IRFU concerning any employee or Sports Leader. For IRFU vetting documents, see www.irfu.ie/safeguarding.
WHO SHOULD BE VETTED? – All those (in ROI) involved in ‘relevant work’, that is work or activity that is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable adults.
The Children and Vulnerable Persons Acts 2012 to 2016 provides a statutory basis for the vetting of persons carrying out relevant work with children or vulnerable persons. The Act also creates offences and penalties for persons who fail to comply with its provisions.
The Act stipulates that a relevant organisation shall not permit any person to undertake relevant work or activities on behalf of the organisation, unless the organisation receives a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau in respect of that person.
Garda vetting is conducted on behalf of registered organisations only and is not conducted for individual persons on a personal basis
Vetting Process:
Persons who are subject to Garda Vetting will receive a Vetting Application Form (including electronic form) from the relevant organisation where they are seeking a position.
The applicant completes the application form and returns it to the relevant organisation. He or she must sign the form, thereby providing authorisation for the Garda Vetting process.
A liaison person in the relevant organisation sends the form on to the National Vetting Bureau. Where a person applying for vetting is under 18 years of age, a declaration of consent must be made on his/her behalf by a parent or guardian of the person.
On receipt of an application for vetting disclosure in respect of a person concerning relevant work or activities, the National Vetting Bureau will make such enquiries with An Garda Síochána or a Scheduled Organisation as it deems necessary to establish whether there is any criminal record or specified information relating to the person.
A Garda Vetting disclosure is issued directly to the liaison person in the relevant organisation.
Garda vetting will only be conducted on the written consent of an individual vetting subject.
An individual vetting subject may obtain a copy of their Garda Vetting disclosure from the liaison person in the relevant organisation to whom it was issued.
The way we work with Age-Grade Players, how we behave around them and our attitudes towards them will contribute to the way young people feel about themselves. It is important that they, and their guardians, feel that their rugby experience is a fun and safe one.
An important step in ensuring this player-centred environment is the selection of appropriate Sports Leaders to work with young people.
UL Bohemian RFC Policy:
UL Bohemian RFC follows the IRFU Policy in respect of Vetting. This is applicable at all Age Grades, from Leprechaun Rugby (Under6) though Minis, and Youths, up to Under 18½ both Male and Female.
All coaches and volunteers who regularly work with Children and Vulnerable Adults are required to be vetted.
Vetting takes place with the IRFU facilitating the vetting as a registered organisation.
The club should take every opportunity available to ensure that vetting takes place before the individual commences coaching duties, at either mini or youth level.
Each person on completing the Vetting Invitation form and the Declaration of Intent, should forward these forms along with copies of the relevant proofs to the Club Child Welfare Officer (CWO).
The CWO will upload these to the IRFU Clubhouse system via the safeguarding portal.
The IRFU processes the documentation and forward the details to the Garda Síochána National Vetting Bureau, who will issue the request for further details directly by email to the individual seeking to be vetted.
A period of one month is available to complete this request for information, before the link closes.
The CWO is notified when the request issues and a notification will be sent to the individual concerned, so that they can if necessary check the Spam folder on their mailbox.
Failure to complete and reply to the request will require the CWO to ask for a subsequent request to issue.
Failure to complete three (3) subsequent requests will result in the individual being unable to reapply until the following season.
In the event of this happening, UL Bohemian is required to ensure that the individual steps back and has no further contact or involvement with children or vulnerable adults, in any club activity, until the vetting has been satisfactorily completed in the following season.
Anyone going forward as a coach or volunteer should be aware of the requirement ot be vetted, and should make every possible effort to complete the request for information within the first month. It should only be in exceptional circumstances that a request for a second or third request should have to be made by the CWO.
No person should be involved with Children or Vulnerable Adults on behalf of UL Bohemian RFC, without Vetting in Place.