Child Safeguarding Statement
Our commitment to keeping young bowlers safe from harm.
Signed 17 July 2025 on behalf of Tenpin Ireland · Risk assessment undertaken 17 July 2025
1. About Tenpin Ireland
Tenpin Ireland provides sporting activities and opportunities for young people through participation, regional and provincial events, and through our national teams. We are the National Governing Body for tenpin bowling, based at Irish Sport HQ (NGB Building), Sport Ireland Campus, Abbotstown, Dublin 15. Our activities include national and international tenpin bowling competitions covering all age categories (Bantams, Juniors, Seniors and more), together with coaching and events to promote the sport.
2. Principles to safeguard children from harm
Tenpin Ireland is committed to safeguarding children by working under the guidance of our NGB Safeguarding Policies. Our volunteers working with young people throughout the organisation seek to create a safe environment for young people to grow and develop within sport. The following principles are adhered to:
- Importance of childhood — the importance of childhood should be understood and valued by everyone involved in sport.
- Needs of the child — all children's sport experiences should be guided by what is best for children. Adults should have a basic understanding of the emotional, physical and personal needs of young people.
- Integrity in relationships — adults interacting with children in sport are in a position of trust and influence. They should always ensure children are treated with integrity and respect, and that the self-esteem of young people is enhanced.
- Fair play — all children's sport should be conducted in an atmosphere of fair play, with clear guidelines on acceptable standards of behaviour.
- Quality atmosphere and ethos — children's sport should be conducted in a safe, positive and encouraging atmosphere.
- Competition — competition is an essential element of sport and should be encouraged in an age-appropriate manner. A child-centred ethos helps keep competition and specialisation in their appropriate place.
- Equality — all children should be valued and treated in an equitable and fair manner regardless of ability, age, gender, religion, social and ethnic background or political persuasion.
3. Risk assessment
Tenpin Ireland's written Risk Assessment identifies areas of potential risk of harm, the likelihood of each risk occurring, and the policy, guidance or process documents required to alleviate them. The assessment was undertaken on 17 July 2025 and covers the following categories:
| Area | Risks considered | Managed through |
|---|---|---|
| Coaching practices | Coaching qualifications, supervision, unauthorised photography and recording, behavioural issues, gender balance, travel and away trips. | Coach education and recruitment policies, supervision policy, photography and use of images policy, codes of conduct, travel/away trip policy, child safeguarding training. |
| Complaints & discipline | Awareness of the complaints procedure; difficulty raising an issue; complaints not taken seriously. | Complaints and disciplinary procedure, communications procedure. |
| Reporting procedures | Knowledge of organisational and statutory reporting; appointment of a Designated Liaison Person; concerns going unreported; clarity on who young people can talk to. | Reporting procedures, coach education, child safeguarding training (Level 1), published Children's Officer contact. |
| Use of facilities | Not applicable — Tenpin Ireland does not operate its own facilities. | — |
| Recruitment | Recruitment of inappropriate people; clarity of roles; unqualified people in role. | Recruitment policy, Garda Vetting, child safeguarding training. |
| Communications | Awareness of risk of harm; communication of this statement; unauthorised photography; inappropriate use of social media by or with under-18s. | Display and distribution of this statement and the code of behaviour, photography and use of images policy, social media policy, codes of conduct. |
| General risk of harm | Harm not being recognised; harm caused child-to-child or by adults in any role; bullying; vetting; online safety. | Safeguarding policy, child safeguarding training, code of conduct, anti-bullying policy, recruitment policy and Garda Vetting, social media and online safety policy. |
4. Procedures
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. In addition to the Risk Assessment described above, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our activities:
- Procedures for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct by volunteers against a child availing of our activities.
- Procedures for the safe recruitment of volunteers 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 the statutory authorities.
- Procedure for maintaining a list of mandated persons in the relevant service.
- Procedure for appointing a relevant person.
5. Implementation
We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Tenpin Ireland 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. All volunteers have been furnished with a copy of this statement, it is displayed prominently, and it is available to parents, guardians and members of the public on request.
Contact
The Mandated / Relevant Person for Tenpin Ireland is Chelsea McCarthy, National Children's Officer. For queries on this Child Safeguarding Statement, or to raise a safeguarding concern, contact [email protected].
If you believe a child is at immediate risk, contact An Garda Síochána on 999 or 112. Child protection and welfare concerns can also be reported directly to Tusla.