Child Safeguarding

The Kingdom County Show is committed to promoting the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people who attend or participate in activities at the Show.

Agricultural shows provide a wide range of opportunities for children and young people, including participation in equestrian activities, livestock competitions, children’s games and family entertainment. The Show recognises its responsibility to promote a safe and positive environment for all young participants.

The Show operates in accordance with national safeguarding guidance including the Children First Act 2015 and the safeguarding policies of the Irish Shows Association.

Safeguarding Principles

The Kingdom County Show aims to ensure that:

• Children are treated with dignity, fairness and respect
• Activities involving children take place in a safe and positive environment
• Volunteers and officials maintain appropriate behaviour and boundaries when interacting with children
• Concerns regarding the welfare of a child are taken seriously and responded to appropriately

The Show promotes a culture of fair play, inclusion and respect for all young participants.

Responsibility of Parents & Guardians

The Kingdom County Show is a public event and children attending the Show remain the responsibility of their parent or guardian at all times, unless participating in a supervised activity organised by a recognised group or section of the Show.

Parents and guardians are asked to ensure children are appropriately supervised while attending the event.

Code of Conduct for Volunteers & Officials

All volunteers, stewards, officials and committee members involved in the Show are expected to follow appropriate standards of behaviour when interacting with children.

This includes:

• Respecting the position of trust held when working with young people
• Avoiding behaviour that could constitute abuse or poor practice
• Maintaining appropriate boundaries with children
• Ensuring children are treated fairly and without discrimination
• Reporting any safeguarding concerns appropriately

Failure to follow these standards may result in disciplinary action by the Show Committee.

Reporting a Concern

Anyone who has a concern regarding the safety or welfare of a child during the Show should report the matter to the Show Secretary or a member of the Show Committee.

Where appropriate, concerns may be referred to the relevant statutory authorities including Tusla – Child and Family Agency or An Garda Síochána.

All safeguarding concerns will be handled sensitively and confidentially.

Missing Child Procedure

If a child is reported missing during the Show:

  1. The incident should be reported immediately to the Show Secretary or Event Chairperson.

  2. A coordinated search of the surrounding area will be organised by responsible adults.

  3. A designated safe meeting point (such as the Show Office or Judges Box) will be used.

  4. Parents or guardians will be informed as soon as possible.

  5. If the child is not located after an initial search, An Garda Síochána will be contacted.

The safety and welfare of the child will remain the priority until they are safely reunited with their parent or guardian.

Photography & Filming

Photography and filming may take place during the Show for promotional and event recording purposes.

To safeguard children:

• Images will only be taken in appropriate public settings
• Personal details of children will not be published alongside images without consent
• Photography is not permitted in toilets, changing areas or medical areas
• Concerns regarding photography should be reported to a member of the Show Committee

Safeguarding Contact

Safeguarding queries or concerns can be raised with:

Shannon O'Mahony
Secretary
Kingdom County Show

Email: kingdomcountyshow@gmail.com

Safeguarding Policies

The Kingdom County Show follows safeguarding guidance provided by the Irish Shows Association. Copies of safeguarding policies and procedures are available from the Show Committee upon request.