Child Protection & Garda Vetting
Muskerry Pony Club Child Welfare Contacts
Children's Officer: Fiona O Mahony
Designated Liaison Person: TBC
Child Protection
Protecting our young members is the first priority of the Muskerry Pony Club under the guidance of the Irish Pony Club. To achieve this, we have developed the appropriate policies and procedures to guide parents, branch officials, instructors and other adults involved in our activities, to set and maintain the right environment to allow young people to flourish.
It is also important that our young members know what to expect from their branch or activity. One of the basic policies for all members is the Code of Conduct. This is required in every branch and for everyone involved in our activities; whatever your position there is a relevant Code of Conduct that applies to you.
All IPC Branches are required to appoint a Children's Officer and a Designated Person. The roles are predominantly involved in creating and maintaining a child-centred environment for young people, with the Club Children's Officer being a face that young people recognise and someone they know who will listen to their views.
The Irish Pony Club Safeguarding Policies and Procedures documentation contains references to all the policies and procedures the IPC have in place for Branches and members to ensure the safety of children and young people whilst taking part in equine activities.
We are fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of all athletes. Every person should at all times, show respect and understanding for participants' rights, safety, welfare and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the organisation and the guidelines contained in our Code of Ethics and Good Practice.
Our full Child Safeguarding Statement is available for download here.
Codes of Conduct
The document below outlines our Code of Conduct for Parents / Guardians, Members and Officials.
Policies and Procedures
Please find below our Anti-Bullying Policy and our Disciplinary, Complaints and Appeals Procedures
Garda Vetting
At least one parent of each Muskerry Pony Club Member must be Garda vetted. The Irish Pony Club uses E-Vetting (since Jan 2018) meaning that paper-based Garda Vetting forms will no longer be accepted. This process is now driven by Horse Sport Ireland - the Governance Body for Equestrian Activity in Ireland.
The process is outlined in six steps by Horse Sport Ireland and is available at this link
https://www.horsesportireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/GV-eVetting-Procedure-Graphic.docx-1.pdf
1. Complete the eVetting Invitation form and Vetting Identifier Form and return to Horse Sport Ireland
First make your payment (€10) via the Horse
Sport Ireland Website, Garda Vetting Payment Page. You will then receive and email allowing you download and
manually complete the HSI Invitation Form and GV
Identifier. You next present the forms, original
identification documents with photocopies to the DC, Secretary, Treasurer or Club Children's Officer for validation (you must comply with the 100
point ID check). You are then ready to post the eVetting Invitation and Identifier form
along with photocopies of the ID used to; Ciara
Gorman NSO, Horse Sport Ireland, 1st Floor Beech
House, Millennium Park, Naas, Co. Kildare
Get your documents proving your identity verified by our DC Pat O'Dwyer or our Club Secretary Rebecca O'Sullivan. Original documents should be shown to verify your identity and current address. Photocopies of these documents must then be signed and dated by the officer verifying your identity.
2. Check your email for your Invitation to complete an online vetting application
Horse Sport Ireland validates proof of identity and
submits supplied information to the eVetting system. A link will be sent to you from the National
Vetting Bureau
3. Complete the online application
Visit the eVetting website using the link provided to
you by the National Vetting Bureau (Step 2). Enter your account information to login (Unique NVB
id, Email and DOB). Once you receive the link you will only have 30 days to
activate it or it will expire. Complete the Vetting Application
Form online and submit it to Horse Sport Ireland.
5. Horse Sport Ireland review your application form
Horse Sport Ireland reviews the Vetting Application
Form and submits it to the National Vetting Bureau. You will receive an email once it has been submitted
to the NVB for processing by H.S.I. You can track your application here:
https://vetting.garda.ie/Track
5. National Vetting Bureau return a disclosure to Horse Sport Ireland .
The National Vetting Bureau processes the application
and forwards a vetting disclosure to Horse Sport
Ireland. You will receive an email notifying you of this.
6. Vetting Disclosure is issued to vetting subject.
Horse Sport Ireland reviews the vetting disclosure and
as soon as is practicable provides correspondence of
same to you. You will receive notification of your Garda Vetting
Application via post from the H.S.I. It is your responsibility to issue a copy
of the vetting disclosure to the relevant affiliate of
H.S.I (in this case Muskerry Pony Club)