Gymnastics Donegal Ethics and Safeguarding

Safeguarding and child protection are at the forefront of all our company policies. It is vital to us that every child in our care is valued and safe. All our coaches are required to be Garda vetted, have current safeguarding qualifications and must abide by our child protection guidelines at all times. We are fully compliant with all GDPR regulations and every member’s data is handled with sensitivity and confidentiality.

Designated Liaison Person: Steven

Steven Campbell is our Designated Liaison Person. Steven is the resource person for any staff member or volunteer who has child protection concerns and will liaise with outside agencies. Steven, as the designated liaison person, is knowledgeable about all current child protection policies and stays up to date with any training considered necessary to fulfil this role.

The designated liaison person is responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures within Citadel are followed, so that child welfare and protection concerns are referred promptly to Tusla.

If you ever have any concerns about the welfare of a child at Citadel, please contact Steven at steven@citadelgymnastics.com or call 074 92 04101.

Please see below for our current Safeguarding statement. This is also on display in the front foyer of the Letterkenny branch of our gym.

Photography:

We kindly request that photographs are not taken on the gym floor without the express consent of the Head Coach or Assistant Head Coach. This applies to all staff, gymnasts, and parents. All gymnasts and parents have the right to decline photographic consent and it is important to us that this decision is fully respected at all times.

Social Media:

Our social media policy is that staff do not add gymnasts or parents to their personal online accounts as we feel it is most appropriate for all parties that our staff should only be reached in a professional manner and we appreciate your understanding on this. All communication between Citadel staff and other sources should be followed under the proper guidelines: Phone, email or in person at the gym only.

First Aid and Fire Safety:

As a policy in our club, all level 2 and above coaches must hold a Full “first aid responder” qualification and a fire safety / marshall training qualification.
We are very proud to say that we have gone above and beyond for the welfare of our members andALL of our coachesand most of our young leaders are all first aid trained.

Touching and spotting gymnasts:

As you can imagine in the sport of gymnastics, there are times where the coaches need to step in and support the gymnasts. It is our policy to only spot when necessary to do so and we will always check with the gymnast that they are comfortable with us doing this. We support a gymnast-centred approach to make each member feel as comfortable as possible.

Gym Access:

The gym training area is off-limits to parents/visitors except with permission from the coach-in-charge. There is a bathroom in the foyer that visitors and parents can use, as the children’s bathrooms in the gym area are strictly for training gymnasts only.

We will also take your child’s attendance as they check in / come into the gym, to allow for safety for all.