POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Comprehensive. Clear. Concise.
Policy Development includes:
Child Safeguarding Statement
Risk Assessment
Code of Behaviour
Child Safeguarding Policy
Procedure for Reporting Child Protection or Welfare Concerns
Mandated Persons Procedure
Procedure for the Provision of Child Safeguarding Training
Procedure for Responding to Abuse Allegations Against Staff
Internet and Social Media Policy
Recruitment Procedure for Staff Working with Children
Garda Vetting Policy and Procedure
CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
A Child Safeguarding Statement is a written statement specifying the service being provided and the principles and procedures to be observed by an organisation to ensure that children availing of the organisation’s services are safe from harm. It includes an assessment of risk of ‘harm’ to children availing of your services and specifies the procedures in place to manage any identified risks.
The Children First Act 2015 requires that providers of relevant services to children prepare a Child Safeguarding Statement and display it in a prominent place wherever those services are operated. It must also be made available to parents and guardians, Tusla and members of the public upon request.
Large or complex organisations need to consider whether it would be best to have one overarching Child Safeguarding Statement or several Child Safeguarding Statements for different branches or service locations.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Your Child Safeguarding Statement must include a written assessment of risk of ‘harm’ to children availing of your services. That risk assessment should identify any element of the services you provide where there is a risk of harm to children. We can help identify those risks through consultation with the person in an organisation who manages those services.
CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Organisations providing relevant services to children have a legal responsibility to have several policies and procedures in place to manage any risk identified during the risk assessment phase. This must also include, for example, policies and procedures for:
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the recruitment of staff suitable to work with children
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management of any cases where a member of staff or volunteer is the subject of any safeguarding disclosure or concern
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online safety in respect of children who access the internet while using a service
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reporting any concerns or disclosures to the relevant statutory agencies
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the provision of information, instruction and training to staff and volunteers
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maintaining a list of the persons who are mandated persons
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appointing a relevant person in an organisation to be the first point of contact in respect of the organisation’s Child Safeguarding Statement.
CODE OF BEHAVIOUR
The Code of Behaviour emanates from your Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. It is a document clearly outlining to staff and volunteers the procedures they are required to follow and the behaviour expected of them to keep children safe. It extracts the procedures from various policy documents that apply to staff or volunteers and collates them into one accessible document to which staff and volunteers may refer as circumstances require.
GARDA VETTING
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Garda Vetting is an integral element in the recruitment of staff who are suitable to work with children. The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 makes it a criminal offence for an organisation to employ or permit a person to undertake relevant work or activities with children without receiving a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau in respect of that person.
A Garda Vetting Policy and Procedure clarifies those persons in an organisation who require to be Garda Vetted and clearly outlines the vetting procedure that the organisation follows to keep children safe.
PROCEDURE FOR RESPONDING TO ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST STAFF
It is advisable to have a separate policy for considering the suspension of staff and volunteers who become the subject of safeguarding disclosures or concerns.
This process is outside of the usual discipline policy that an organisation may have relating to suspected wrong-doing or breaches of organisational policy. This suspension is without prejudice, as no judgement is made as to the guilt or innocence of the person. A decision to suspend a staff member or volunteer must never be taken lightly, but the risk of harm to the child concerned or to any other child arising from the safeguarding disclosure or concern must be seriously considered.
When a staff member or volunteer is suspended for a safeguarding reason, it is important that there is a risk assessment process, outside of any disciplinary process, when the statutory authorities have completed any investigations or court proceedings in relation to a suspended staff member or volunteer, regardless of the outcome. An organisation needs to establish, in so far as it can, that the suspended person does not pose a risk of harm to children upon a return to the organisation.