Code of Ethics Implemenation

The Irish Hockey Association is fully committed to safeguarding the well-being of its participants. Every individual in hockey should at all times, show respect and understanding for participants' rights, safety and welfare and conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of the organisation and the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children's Sport.

In working with young people in hockey our first priority is their welfare and we are committed to providing an environment that will allow participants to perform to the best of their ability, free from abuse, neglect, bullying and intimidation.

The IHA's child welfare policy, the Code of Ethics for Hockey for Young People, contains Codes of Conduct (for Sports Leaders, young people and parents), a recruitment policy, guidelines for travelling, supervision and physical contact along with guidelines for recognising and reporting child protection concerns. This document applies to the IHA's branches, clubs and all affiliated organisations. To view a full copy of the Code of Ethics for Hockey for Young People, click here. Or to see the document broken down into sections, click here.

Child Protection and Recruitment

Clubs and branches must carry out safe recruitment procedures to ensure that all those working with young people are suitable. Click here for more detail on what is required in order to follow safe recruitment procedures.

Good recruitment practice does not guarantee that a concern over a child's welfare may not arise. To be able to respond to a concern, clubs, branches and affiliated organisations need to have child protection procedures in place. Click here for more on child protection procedures.

If you have any concerns, contact your Designated Person who is responsible for reporting any concerns to the Statutory Authorities. For contact details for the IHA and Branch Designated Persons, click here.

Good Practice in Hockey

To ensure that children have a positive experience playing hockey, there are guidelines in the Code of Ethics for Hockey for Young People around good practice. All involved with youth hockey should sign a Code of Conduct to create a child friendly environment in which young people can thrive. This includes Sport Leaders, parents, children and those responsible for the organisation for youth hockey. Click here for more on Codes of Conduct.

The Code of Ethics for Hockey for Young People also includes guidelines for travelling, hosting, physical contact, the use of social media, the use of photographic equipment and supervision. Click here for more on these General Guidelines. Bullying in hockey is unacceptable, click here for more on dealing with bullying.

The Club Children's Officer is responsible for helping the club to create a child friendly environment and is the link between child, parent and club. If you have any questions around good practice in hockey in your club, speak to your Club Children's Officer. For contact details for the IHA and Branch Children's Officers, click here.
Training Courses

The Code of Ethics Basic Awareness Course is run by the Irish Sport Council through the Local Sports Partnerships in the Republic of Ireland. Sport NI run the equivalent for Northern Ireland called Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport. If you cannot access a course, contact your Regional Development Officer as you can receive assistance with organising and running a course in your club. A list of Local Sports Partnerships is available by clicking here. A list of courses run by Sport NI is available by clicking here.
More Information

If you have any questions that have not been answered above, please initially check out our Frequently Asked Questions. There are a range of people that are available to help your club with the Code of Ethics if needed! We would always recommend you to contact your branch initially. Contact for the Branch Children's Officers are available by clicking here. Contact details for the National Children's Officer, Ivy, is available by clicking here. And lastly, don't forget that you can also get in touch with the Development Officers in your area. And once more, contact details are available by clicking here.

http://hockey.ie/contentPage/133021/implementation

http://hockey.ie/contentPage/133025/contact_details

http://hockey.ie/contentPage/204877/code_of_ethics_statement