Ethics & Welfare

Introduction

At the heart of everything we do in Gymnastics Ireland is the safety & welfare of our members. We have always recognised the duty of care we have for a membership base that starts with young children and is predominately children & teenagers. We have always been and will continue to be a very inclusive sport with a very diverse community of members covering all races, ages, genders, sexualities and socio-economic groups. Our 'Safeguarding' policies set out clear standards of behaviour we expect not alone from our coaches and gymnasts but also from our clubs, officials, administrators, parents/guardians and those who attend our events. The well-being and safety of our members is at the heart of everything we do. To that end we interact on a continuous basis with bodies such as Sport Ireland, Tusla, the Gardaí and other state agencies to ensure we are always up to date with best practice in relation to member welfare.

In the following sections you will find information and various policies we have developed to ensure a safe environment for participation in our sport.

Safeguarding Policy Statement

We in Gymnastics Ireland are committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for young people who participate in Gymnastics Ireland activities, which reflects the guidelines, contained in our Safeguarding Guidance for Children & Young People in Gymnastics Ireland. We aim to provide gymnastics opportunities for all ages and levels of ability. We aim to develop gymnastics in Ireland from the basic participation, fun and recreational levels through to competitive levels to the highest standards.

All Members of Gymnastics Ireland will do this by:

Ensuring that the welfare of all gymnasts is everyone's responsibility - that includes Administrators, Club Officials, Coaches, volunteers, and Parents/Guardians
Promoting the rights of the young people including their participation in matters that affect them
Recognising that all children have the right to be protected from harm
Responding swiftly and appropriately to protect young people and providing Parents/Guardians/children with the opportunity to voice any concerns they may have
Ensuring that all our Coaches and volunteers are carefully recruited in line with our procedures
Ensuring that Coaches, Volunteers, Club Officers, Parents/Guardians, and children have signed up to the Gymnastics Ireland Code of Conduct
Appointing a Club Children's Officer and Club Designated Liaison Person who will take specific responsibility for child safety and act as the main point of contact for Parents/Guardians, children, and outside agencies

To download the code of ethics click here

Gymnastics Ireland Code of Ethics developed in full consultation with & approved by The Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland.

For additional information, you can download Sport Ireland’s Safeguarding Guidance for Children and Young People in Sport - https://www.sportireland.ie/et...

For further information, please contact:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01/6251125

SUPPORT DOCUMENTS AND CODE SHEETS

2023 Introduction

Gymnastics Ethics Foundation

Code Sheet 1: Code of Conduct for Coaches

Code Sheet 2: Code of Conduct for Young Gymnasts

Code Sheet 3: Code of Conduct for Administrators

Code Sheet 4: Code of Conduct for Parents/Guardians

Code Sheet 5: Questions for Parents/Guardians

Code Sheet 6: Code Of Conduct For Spectators