Website Privacy Statement

South Sligo Summer School CLG is committed to preserving the privacy of all visitors to www.southsligosummerschool.com (‘’our website’’). This privacy statement relates to our practices in connection with our website. South Sligo Summer School CLG fully respects your right to privacy. By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of your information under the terms of this privacy statement which is in accordance of the Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003 & the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011. Please read the following privacy statement to understand how we use and protect the information that you choose to provide to us.

Personal data which we collect from you:

When you visit our website, you will need to provide certain information about yourself in order to register for workshops and other summer school events. You may also wish to provide certain information about yourself when filling out the ‘’Contact Us’’ form.

Non-Personal information which we collect:

Where you visit our website, certain non-personal data is available to us through our internet service provider. This non-personal data is collected on a statistical, aggregate, non-individual basis. This information may include the IP address from which you access our website, the type of browser used to access our website (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.), the type of operating system used to access our website (Windows, Macintosh etc.), the ‘’top-level’’ domain name used (ie, .com, .org, .ie etc.), the date and time of your visit to our website and the number of pages you visited on our website.

Use of your information:

Any information which you provide using the ‘’Contact Us’’ form is not made available to any third parties and is only used by South Sligo Summer School CLG in line with the purposes for which you provided it. Information provided to us when registering for workshops and other summer school events will only be shared with a third party (tutor delivering workshop you signed up for) on a needs basis – you have the option on our registration form to indicate which information we may share with the third party (workshop tutor).

Disclosure to Other People:

Other than as outlined in the ‘Use of your Information’ paragraph above, we do not disclose, sell or distribute any personal information which you send to us to any third parties. We may pass aggregate information on the usage of our site to third parties, but this will not include information that can be used to identify you. Your personal data may also be anonymised and used for statistical purposes. Unless required to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

Use of Cookies:

Our website uses cookies to keep track of your access to the site. By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device. Your browser will give you the option of preventing websites using cookies, or deleting cookies that have been accepted. Your browser’s help service or help manual will show you how this is done. If you do not want your browser to accept cookies, you can ‘’turn off’’ the cookie acceptance setting on your browser setting. However you must note that this may stop our website from working properly on your device. If you do not change your browser settings to refuse cookies, our website will issue cookies when you visit our website. If you continue to use our website, you agree and consent to our use of cookies on your device.

Security:

We employ security measures to protect your information from access by unauthorised persons and to guard against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage and we will do our best to ensure that all records we hold remain secure in line with our obligations under Data Protection Acts, 1988 & 2003. We take our security responsibilities seriously, employing the most appropriate physical and technical measures, including company training and awareness. We review our security procedures regularly.

Retention:

We do not retain your personal data for longer than it is necessary for us to comply with the purpose for which you gave it to us. Any personal data which you provide to us using this website will be used in line with the purposes for which you provided it and after this purpose has been completed, we will delete your personal data. Contact information you provide will only be retained by us with your consent.

Accessing your Information:

You are entitled to see the information we hold about you. On written request, we supply copies of your personal data which you may have supplied to us using our website. If you wish to obtain copies of this personal data, you should write to us at South Sligo Summer School CLG, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo F91 N2N7, asking that we provide you with an Access Request Form. Your request will be dealt with as soon as possible and will not take more than 40 days to process. If you discover that South Sligo Summer School CLG holds inaccurate information about you, you can request that we correct that information. In certain circumstances, you may also request that data which you have supplied via our website be deleted (although you should note that if you request a deletion, you would generally be expected to identify some contravention of data protection law in the manner in which South Sligo Summer School CLG processes the data concerned). Upon written request, we will supply you with a Data Rectification/Erasure Form for this purpose.

Contacting us:

If you are concerned about how your personal data is processed by our website, please do not hesitate to bring these concerns to our attention using the contact details below:

South Sligo Summer School CLG, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, Ireland F91 N2N7

South Sligo Summer School CLG

Child Protection and Welfare Policies & Procedures Document, including

Child Safeguarding Statement & Safeguarding Risk Assessment

Section 1 - Introduction:

The South Sligo Summer School is a week long summer school of traditional music, song and dance which takes place annually in Tubbercurry, Co Sligo. People of all ages, including children, attend our classes and workshops and other activities during the course of the summer school.

In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection & Welfare of Children 2017 and Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice, the organising committee of the South Sligo Summer School has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this document.

1. The ‘Relevant Person’, ie the person to contact in matters relating to this Child Safeguarding Statement, is Seána Haughey.

2. The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is: Marie Flannery.

3. The Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DLP) is: Seána Haughey.

4. The organization keeps a list of names and contact details of members of the organization who are mandated persons. See Attachment A for outline of what mandated persons are required to do.

Section 2 – Guiding Principles:

The organising committee recognizes that child protection and welfare considerations permeate many aspects of the summer school’s activities. This guiding principles declaration is for children, parents and guardians who avail of the services of the organization. The organisers are fully committed to complying with national legislation and guidance for safeguarding children and in its activities they will adhere to the following principles of best practice in child protection and welfare:

The organising committee will:

• Recognize that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations;
• Fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First act 2015 and other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children;
• Fully cooperate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection and welfare matters;
• Adopt safe practices to minimize the possibility of harm or accidents happening to children and protect committee members and tutors from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may leave themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect;
• Fully respect confidentiality requirements in dealing with child protection matters.


The following procedures/measures are in place:

• In relation to the selection or recruitment of staff and their suitability to work with children, the summer school adheres to the statutory vetting requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016.

• In relation to the provision of information and, where necessary, instruction and training, to staff in respect of the identification of the occurrence of harm (as defined in the 2015 Act) the organising committee


- Has provided each tutor with a copy of the summer school’s Child Safeguarding Statement

- Ensures that all new tutors are provided with a copy of the summer school’s Child Safeguarding Statement

- Encourages tutors to avail of relevant training

- Encourages committee members to avail of relevant training

- Maintains records of all such training for tutors and committee members

• In relation to reporting of child protection concerns to Tusla, all tutors and committee members are required to adhere to the procedures set out under mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015.

• The organising committee has appointed the above named DLP as the ‘relevant person’ (as defined in the Children First Act 2015) to be the first point of contact.

• In accordance with the Children First Act 2015, the organising committee has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while attending the summer school or participating in summer school activities. A written assessment setting out the areas of risk identified and the summer school’s procedures for managing those risks is attached as an appendix to these procedures.

• The various procedures referred to in this Statement can be accessed via the summer school’s website or will be made available on request by the organising committee.

5. This statement has been published on the summer school’s website and has been provided to all committee members and tutors. It is readily accessible to all those attending the summer school and a copy of this Statement will be made available to Tusla if requested.

6. This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed every 2 years (at a minimum) or more often if there is any change in the services that the organization provides.

Section 3: - Types of Abuse and How They May be Recognised;

The four categories of abuse are: Neglect, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse & Sexual Abuse.
- The following are features of child neglect:
Children being left alone without adequate care and supervision
Malnourishment, lacking food, unsuitable food or erratic feeding
Non-organic failure to thrive, i.e. a child not gaining weight due not only
to malnutrition but also emotional deprivation
Failure to provide adequate care for the child’s medical and
developmental needs, including intellectual stimulation
Inadequate living conditions – unhygienic conditions, environmental
issues, including lack of adequate heating and furniture
Lack of adequate clothing
Inattention to basic hygiene
Lack of protection and exposure to danger, including moral danger,
or lack of supervision appropriate to the child’s age
Persistent failure to attend school
Abandonment or desertion
- Emotional abuse may be seen in some of the following ways:
Rejection
Lack of comfort and love
Lack of attachment
Lack of proper stimulation (e.g. fun and play)
Lack of continuity of care (e.g. frequent moves, particularly unplanned)
Continuous lack of praise and encouragement
Persistent criticism, sarcasm, hostility or blaming of the child
Bullying
Conditional parenting in which care or affection of a child depends on
his or her behaviours or actions
Extreme overprotectiveness
Inappropriate non-physical punishment (e.g. locking child in bedroom)
Ongoing family conflicts and family violence
Seriously inappropriate expectations of a child relative to his/her age
and stage of development
- Physical abuse can include the following:
Physical punishment
Beating, slapping, hitting or kicking
Pushing, shaking or throwing
Pinching, biting, choking or hair-pulling
Use of excessive force in handling
Deliberate poisoning
Suffocation
Fabricated/induced illness
Female genital mutilation
- Examples of child sexual abuse include the following:
Any sexual act intentionally performed in the presence of a child
An invitation to sexual touching or intentional touching or molesting of
a child’s body whether by a person or object for the purpose of sexual
arousal or gratification
Masturbation in the presence of a child or the involvement of a child in
an act of masturbation
Sexual intercourse with a child, whether oral, vaginal or anal
Sexual exploitation of a child, which includes:
» Inviting, inducing or coercing a child to engage in prostitution or the
production of child pornography [for example, exhibition, modelling
or posing for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification or sexual
act, including its recording (on film, videotape or other media) or the
manipulation, for those purposes, of an image by computer or other
means]
» Inviting, coercing or inducing a child to participate in, or to observe,
any sexual, indecent or obscene act
» Showing sexually explicit material to children, which is often a
feature of the ‘grooming’ process by perpetrators of abuse
Exposing a child to inappropriate or abusive material through
information and communication technology
Consensual sexual activity involving an adult and an underage person


Section 4 – Circumstances That May Make Children More Vulnerable to Harm:

Please refer to pages 11 and 12 of Chapter 2 at the following link:

https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Children_First_National_Guidance_2017.pdf

Section 5- Procedure for Reporting Child Protection & Welfare Concerns:

The organization will follow the guidance provided in Chapter 2 of the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 and report to Tusla – further information at https://www.tusla.ie

Section 6 – Reasonable Grounds for Concern:

Reasonable grounds for a child protection or welfare concern include:
Evidence, for example an injury or behaviour, that is consistent with
abuse and is unlikely to have been caused in any other way
Any concern about possible sexual abuse
Consistent signs that a child is suffering from emotional or physical
neglect
A child saying or indicating by other means that he or she has been
abused
Admission or indication by an adult or a child of an alleged abuse
they committed
An account from a person who saw the child being abused

Section 7 – Immediate Risk of Harm to a Child:

If a member of the organization thinks a child is at risk of harm they must contact the statutory agencies – a contact form can be accessed at http://www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/children-first-information-and-advice-officers

An Garda Síochána can be contacted at 071-9185002

Section 8 – Talking to Parents About Concerns for Their Child:

Further guidance and the procedures to follow in this regard can be accessed here:
https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/4214-TUSLA_Guide_to_Reporters_Guide_A4_v3.pdf

Section 9 – Managing Retrospective Disclosures:

Some adults may disclose abuse that took place during their childhood. Such
disclosures may come to light when an adult attends counselling, or is being
treated for a psychiatric or health problem.
The reporting requirements under the Children First Act 2015 apply only to
information that you, as a mandated person, received or became aware of
since the Act came into force, whether the harm occurred before or after that
point. However, if you have a reasonable concern about past abuse, where
information came to your attention before the Act and there is a possible
continuing risk to children, you should report it to Tusla under this Guidance.

Section 10 – Dealing With Disclosures of Abuse From a Child:

If a mandated person in the organization receives a disclosure of harm from a child, which is above the thresholds set out in Chapter 3 of https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Children_First_National_Guidance_2017.pdf, they must make a mandated report of the concern to Tusla. They are not required to judge the truth of the claims or the credibility of the child. If the concern does not meet the threshold to be reported as a mandated concern they should report it to Tusla as a reasonable concern under this Guidance.
If a mandated person in the organization receives a disclosure of harm from a child, they may feel reluctant to report this for a number of reasons. For example, the child may say that they do not want the disclosure to be reported, or the mandated person may take the view that the child is now safe and that the involvement of Tusla may not be desired by either the child or their family. However, the mandated person needs to inform Tusla of all risks to children above the threshold, as the removal of a risk to one child does not necessarily mean that there are no other children at risk. The information contained in a
disclosure may be critical to Tusla’s assessment of risk to another child either
now or in the future.

The mandated person should deal with disclosures of abuse sensitively and professionally. The following approach is suggested as best practice for dealing with these disclosures.
React calmly.
Listen carefully and attentively.
Take the child seriously.
Reassure the child that they have taken the right action in talking to you.
Do not promise to keep anything secret.
Ask questions for clarification only. Do not ask leading questions.
Check back with the child that what you have heard is correct and
understood.
Do not express any opinions about the alleged abuser.
Ensure that the child understands the procedures that will follow.
Explain one’s duty to report it to the statutory agencies.
Make a written record of the conversation as soon as possible, in as much
detail as possible.
Treat the information confidentially, subject to the requirements of this
Guidance and legislation.



Section 11 – Record Keeping:

The organization will be guided by https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_-_Child_Safeguarding_-_A_Guide_for_Policy,_Procedure_and_Practice.pdf (4.3.2 Page 52) in ensuring that any necessary written records are factual, easy to read, dated and signed and in following all other advice around record keeping.

Section 12 – Training:

The following is a link to Tusla’s e -learning module Introduction to Children First:
https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/children-first-e-learning-programme/ which is shared with all those involved in the organization, as outlined below.

https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/: This link is also provided to all those involved in the organization, including committee members, volunteers, tutors, the DLP, DDLP and mandated persons.

Section 13 – Safe Recruitment & Management:

The organisation will be guided by https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_-_Child_Safeguarding_-_A_Guide_for_Policy,_Procedure_and_Practice.pdf (4.1 – Pages 47 & 48). This includes the procedures to follow regarding Vetting by the National Vetting Bureau.

Section 14 – Code of Behaviour:

- All children and young people attending the summer school shall be treated with respect and listened to.
- Tutors will have a contact number for the parent/guardian of each student under the age of sixteen in the event of an emergency. No other form of communication outside of class time is deemed necessary. Where a pupil requests course material via email this will be arranged directly between the tutor and parent/guardian.
- Positive encouraging language and behaviour toward all attendees is expected and the use of any foul or sexualized language is explicitly banned and will not be tolerated.
- Where any difficulty arises regarding an attendee’s challenging behaviour, the tutor is requested to draw this to a committee member’s attention promptly and communication with the child’s parents, (or directly with the student if an adult), will be made without delay. Every effort will be made to resolve any issues or misunderstandings, again without delay.
- Tutors are responsible for the safe supervision of attendees for the duration of their class each day. Any issues which arise are to be brought to the immediate attention of the organizing committee.

Section 15 – Management of Allegations of Abuse Against Staff or Volunteers:

Please refer to Chapter 3 of the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017:

https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Children_First_National_Guidance_2017.pdf

This link provides clear guidance on the steps to follow for Mandated Persons in the event of a disclosure or allegation of abuse against a member of staff or a volunteer during the course of the summer school activities. Mandated Persons on the organizing committee are familiar with these requirements and with their legal obligations and they know where and how to access this information without delay as needed.

Section 16 – Safe Management of Activities with Children:

The organisers of the summer school will ensure that they:
- provide suitable and accessible venues
- provide resources and materials needed for the workshops
- provide an adult to child ratio that ensures safe levels of supervision
- ensure that the tutors have the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver the workshops
- provide first aid equipment and that each tutor knows where to access this
- manage incidents and accidents promptly and appropriately when they arise
- have parental contact details of parents or guardians in case of an emergency and share this information with the relevant tutor

Section 17 – Complaints:

Most issues that arise can be resolved informally and quickly between the complainant and the summer school organisers. All tutors and volunteers are strongly encouraged to bring any complaints which they are made aware of to the attention of the organising committee without delay. In the event that a complaint cannot be resolved informally, procedures will be followed in line with the best practice guidance outlined in Sections 5.4.1 & 5.4.2 of https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_-_Child_Safeguarding_-_A_Guide_for_Policy,_Procedure_and_Practice.pdf (Page 74 of 119).

The DLP and/or DDLP named in this Child Protection Policy are the members of the organising committee responsible for overseeing the Complaints procedure in a fair and timely manner.

Section 18 – Anti-Bullying:

• Definition of bullying:

Part of empowering children and young people is making sure that they are protected
from bullying behaviour while attending our Summer School. Children First: National
Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, p.12, defines bullying as:
“Bullying can be defined as repeated aggression – whether it is verbal,
psychological or physical – that is conducted by an individual or group against
others. It is behaviour that is intentionally aggravating and intimidating, and
occurs mainly among children in social environments such as schools. It
includes behaviours such as physical aggression, cyberbullying, damage to
property, intimidation, isolation/exclusion, name calling, malicious gossip and
extortion. Bullying can also take the form of identity abuse based on gender,
sexual preference, race, ethnicity and religious factors. With developments in
modern technology, children can also be the victims of non-contact bullying, via
mobile phones, the Internet and other personal devices’’.

• Types of bullying, including cyberbullying

Bullying can take many forms, such as:
• Hitting and/or punching (physical bullying)
• Teasing or name-calling (verbal bullying)
• Intimidation using gestures or social exclusion (non-verbal
bullying or emotional bullying)
• Sending insulting messages by text, email or through social media
(also known as cyberbullying)

• Signs and symptoms

Possible warning signs that a child is being bullied include:
• Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of
clothing, books, or other belongings
• Has unexplained cuts, bruises and scratches
• Has few, if any friends, with whom he or she spends time
• Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school,
taking the school bus, or taking part in organised activities
with peers (such as clubs)
• Takes a long, ‘illogical’ route when walking to or from school
• Has lost interest in schoolwork or suddenly begins to do
poorly in school
• Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes
home
• Complains frequently of headaches, stomach aches, or other
physical ailments
• Has trouble sleeping or has frequent bad dreams
• Experiences a loss of appetite
• Appears anxious and suffers from low self-esteem

Note: In the context of our Summer School, which takes place over a week with children and young people attending events such as morning and/or afternoon workshops and/or practice music sessions, many of these signs of bullying will not be easily detected or identified. Much of what is outlined above will apply more so to a long-term school setting where relationships are more developed between staff and pupils and signs and symptoms of bullying can be read and acted upon more effectively.

We see our role, therefore, as an organisation providing a short-term service once a year, as one of positivity; endeavouring to lead by example in our approaches and communicating openly and honestly with everyone involved in order to avoid any incidents of bullying of any sort.

• How the organisation will respond to bullying concerns

Where a concern is raised, this will be dealt with promptly, fairly and with empathy. Face-to-face communication is our preferred approach to dealing with any such concerns. We will always endeavour to resolve any issues which arise and are brought to our attention as best we can within the timeline of our Summer School week. More serious allegations will be dealt with in accordance with Child Protection guidance by the DLP in the first instance.

• Education, training and support

Tusla is the first port of call for these supports and all those involved in the running of the Summer School and provision of services as part of the school are encouraged to keep themselves updated on best practice in this regard.

Section 19 – Communicating with Children and Parents or Guardians:

All summer school participants, including children, young people and their parents/guardians, are made aware upon registration of our website where they can access copies of our policies.

Phone numbers of parents/guardians are shared with tutors for children under sixteen years of age. This information is gathered at the time of registration and is used in an emergency or to share feedback/notes etc from class with the parent/guardian, for the child’s benefit/future music practice after the summer school has ended.

Section 20 – Information for Children about their Right to be Protected from Harm:

This information is included in our Declaration of Guiding Principles.

Section 21 – Review:

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed every 2 years (at a minimum) or more often if there is any change in the services that the organization provides.

This Child Safeguarding Statement was adopted by the organising committee on 05/02/2018 and reviewed most recently on 04/04/2022.


Signed: Marie Flannery (DLP)

Seána Haughey (Deputy DLP)

Date: 04/04/2023





























Appendix B: Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment Register

In accordance with Section 11 of the Children First Act 2015, the following is the Written Risk Assessment of the South Sligo Summer School.

Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of ‘harm’ as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk.

1. List of summer school activities:

- Arrival and dismissal of students for morning and afternoon classes and workshops
- Recreation breaks for students during morning and afternoon classes and workshops
- Classroom teaching during morning and afternoon classes and workshops
- Use of toilet in the summer school venues
- Training of summer school personnel in child protection matters
- Care of students with specific vulnerabilities/needs such as children whose first language is not English
- Recruitment of summer school personnel
- Use of Information and Communication Technology by students
- Use of video/photography/other media to record summer school events

2. Risks of harm in respect of its activities:

- Risk of harm not being recognized by summer school personnel
- Risk of harm not being reported properly and promptly by summer school personnel
- Risk of child being harmed during the course of summer school activities by a member of the summer school personnel
- Risk of child being harmed during the course of summer school activities by another child
- Risk of child being harmed during the course of summer school activities by a volunteer or visitor to the summer school
- Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children attending the summer school
- Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship/communications between child and another child/adult
- Risk of harm due to children inappropriately accessing computers, social media, phones and other devices while attending the summer school
- Risk of harm caused by member of summer school personnel communicating with students in an inappropriate manner via social media, texting, digital device or other means
- Risk of harm caused by member of summer school personnel accessing/circulating inappropriate material via social media, texting, digital service or other manner

3. Procedures in place to address risks of harm identified in this assessment:

- All summer school personnel are provided with a copy of the summer school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
- All summer school tutors and committee members are required to adhere to the Children First Act 2015
- Appropriate supervision of children during arrival, dismissal and breaks is provided by summer school personnel
- The organising committee adheres to the requirements of the Garda vetting legislation in relation to recruitment of tutors and Garda vetting
- All new summer school personnel are provided with a copy of the summer school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
- Summer School personnel are encouraged to avail of relevant training
- Records are maintained by the organising committee of any such training

In undertaking this risk assessment, the organising committee has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this summer school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the summer school organising committee has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.

This risk assessment has been completed by the organising committee of the South Sligo Summer School on 05/02/2018. It shall be reviewed as part of the summer school’s annual review of its Child Safeguarding Statement.

Signed: Marie Flannery (DLP)

Seána Haughey (Deputy DLP)


Date: 04/04/2025 (latest date of Review)

The organisers of the South Sligo Summer School are dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive culture amongst everyone associated with the summer school and all its activities. It is a priority for us to promote diversity and embrace equality and inclusion as an inherent element of our work in the Traditional Arts sector.
Our aim is to ensure that all employees, volunteers, committee members and summer school participants are given equal opportunity and that our organisation is representative of all sections of society. Each employee will be respected and valued and able to give their best as a result.

This policy reinforces our commitment to providing equality and fairness to all in our employment
and not provide less favourable facilities or treatment on the grounds of age, caring responsibilities,
disability, family situation, gender expression, gender identity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race including ethnic origin, colour, nationality and national origin, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, the effects of the menopause or trade union activity.

All employees will be treated fairly and with respect. When selecting tutors for our summer school,
it will be on the basis of their aptitude and ability.
All employees will be given help and encouragement to develop their full potential and utilise their
unique talents. Therefore, the skills and resources of our organisation will be fully utilised and we will maximise the efficiency of our whole organisation.

These are the South Sligo Summer School’s commitments:

• To create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all team
members are recognised and valued.
• To create a summer school environment that promotes dignity and respect for every employee, committee member, volunteer and participant.
• To not tolerate any form of intimidation, bullying, or harassment, and to discipline those that
breach this policy.
• To make training, development, and progression opportunities available to all organisers and committee members.
• To promote equity in the workplace, which the organisers of the South Sligo Summer School
believe is ethical management practice.
• To encourage anyone who feels they have been subject to discrimination to raise their concerns
so that we can apply corrective measures.
• To encourage employees to treat everyone with dignity and respect.
• To regularly review all our employment practices and procedures so that fairness is maintained at all times.
The organisers of the South Sligo Summer School will inform all employees that an equality, diversity and inclusion policy is in operation and that they are obligated to comply with its requirements and promote fairness in our summer school setting. The policy will also be drawn to the attention of funding agencies, stakeholders, committee members, learners and summer school participants.

This equality, diversity and inclusion policy is fully supported by the organisers of the South Sligo Summer School and has been agreed with all committee members.

Our policy will be monitored and reviewed annually to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is continually promoted as an integral part of our summer school.