The safety and wellbeing of children participating in the Dance World Cup Dublin 2026 Finals is extremely important to us.
As the Finals are being held in Dublin, we are required to follow child protection standards that are broadly aligned with those used in the United Kingdom and Ireland. To help us meet these requirements, we ask schools to please read and adhere to the guidance below.
Who Requires Background Clearance
Any teacher, parent helper, chaperone, or any other supervisory person who will have responsibility for children under the age of 18 years of age, and who wishes to enter changing rooms or backstage areas, must hold the appropriate background clearance.
- Those based outside the UK and Ireland must hold a Police Clearance Certificate or Certificate of Good Conduct from their home country
- Those based in the United Kingdom must hold a valid DBS check
- Those based in Ireland must have completed Garda Vetting
Dancers aged 18 years or older who are attending as competitors are not required to hold background clearance.
Registration and Declarations - Important
When a school collects its tags, lanyards, and helper badges at registration, a Child Protection Declaration must be signed before these items can be released.
Where the Principal does not collect the school’s tags, lanyards, and helper badges in person, they are responsible for authorising an individual to do so on behalf of the school.
By collecting these items and signing the declaration at registration, the authorised person confirms compliance on behalf of the dance school. Responsibility for holding and producing clearance documentation rests with the dance school and Principal, and such documentation must be available for inspection if requested by the Dublin authorities at any time during the event.
Dance World Cup (DWC Limited) does not collect, store, verify, or retain individual clearance documents.
Further Reading
This page must be read alongside our main Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy
For country-specific background check information, please refer to the official sources below:
Garda Vetting – Ireland https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/online-services/garda-vetting/
UK DBS Checks - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service
Other countries - Requirements and application processes vary by country. Schools should refer to their local police authority, national criminal records office, or relevant government authority for guidance on obtaining a Police Clearance Certificate or Certificate of Good Conduct.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Clearance applies only to individuals who:
- enter changing rooms or backstage areas, or
- have unsupervised access to, or a supervisory role over, children in non-public areas
Competitors are not required to hold background clearance.
Each dance school is responsible for ensuring that all required clearance documentation is in place before the event. Schools must be able to produce documentation if requested by the relevant Dublin authorities at any time during the event.
Parents who act as helpers, chaperones, or supervisors in changing rooms or backstage areas are subject to the same clearance requirements as teachers and helpers.
Any substitute helper or supervisory person joining at short notice must meet the same clearance requirements before being issued a tag or helper badge by the school or accessing restricted areas. Responsibility remains with the dance school and Principal.
Clearance documents must be current and valid in accordance with the issuing authority’s rules. Expired documents are not acceptable.