Background Checking - Ireland

Background Checking In Ireland

In 2015, the CoderDojo Foundation made steps to ensure all Dojos in Ireland will be able to easily comply with the National Vetting Bureau Act 2012 and the Children First Bill 2014. It is a legal requirement to vet regular volunteers, youth mentors, mentors and champions in a Dojo. The acts referenced require Dojo Champions to take 2 key actions:

1. Vet all regular volunteers at the Dojo via the CoderDojo Garda eVetting process.
2. Document A Child Protection Plan:
   • This is a plan that sets out a what will happen in the event that a volunteer/youth mentor/mentor/champion fails to comply with the CoderDojo Child Protection Policy.

The CoderDojo Ireland Child Protection approach is three pronged and each of the following should be utilised in conjunction with one another;

• CoderDojo Child Protection Policy
• Garda eVetting
• Child Protection Awareness Courses

CoderDojo Child Protection Policy

CoderDojo have developed a Child Protection Policy along with some useful support documents, this helps Dojo's understand the importance of following Child Protection legislation. Before starting your Dojo, you are required to do the following:

Step 1. Read these Child Protection Policy Documents here:

CPP Policy Support Docs

CoderDojo Child Protection Policy

Step 2. Adopt the CoderDojo Ireland Child Protection Policy by printing & filing out this “Confirmation of Adoption” form. Scan it back to gardavetting@coderdojo.org.

Confirmation of Adoption form

Garda Vetting Volunteers At Your Dojo

The CoderDojo Foundation process Dojo’s Garda Vetting applications centrally for verified Dojos only. When your Dojo is verified on Zen and when you have sent the Confirmation of "Adoption Of Child Protection Policy" to gardavetting@coderdojo.org you can proceed with Garda Vetting.

Please see the CoderDojo Garda Vetting Process, if you are a Champion share this with your volunteers: here

Please see the CoderDojo Garda Vetting Outline for Champions: here For more information on Garda Vetting see here: https://vetting.garda.ie/Help/FAQ 

Child Protection Awareness Resources and Courses

• Child Protection Awareness Programme: The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) run a Child Protection Awareness Programme (CPAP), click here for more information: here

• Educational resources: Find all the educational resources you need to facilitate Dojo sessions on our community resource platform.

• Online Training: Thorough our community platform Zen, we have e-learning modules available to help volunteers and mentors learn about safeguarding, mentoring and our ethos. Find out more about the modules and how to take them here.

• Code of Behaviour: We have created a Code of Behaviour as a safeguarding framework for all Dojo volunteers, please familiarise yourself with this available here.

Be sure to keep in touch with the community, by joining our private Facebook group, global Slack channel or starting a discussion in our Community Forums.