CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES
GENERAL INFORMATION
All of us who are involved in working with children and young people have a duty to do our utmost to ensure their protection and welfare. This responsibility is taken very seriously by our school and there is a very strong culture of child protection within the school.
The recent publication of the updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children and the full commencement of the Children First Act 2015 are important milestones in the State’s child protection arrangements and require all of us to place a renewed focus on child protection.
These updated Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 have been developed following extensive consultation with the education partners and take account of the new statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and the recently updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
The purpose of these procedures is to give clear direction and guidance to school management and school personnel in relation to meeting the new statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and in the continued implementation within the school setting of the best practice guidance set out in the updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
With the introduction of the Department of Education & Skills Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools in December 2017, we in St Aidan’s reviewed our policy and procedures. The revised policy and procedure is available on our school website www.staidans.ie and by request from the General Office.
It has and continues to be a requirement for schools to appoint a Designated Liaison person (DLP) and a Deputy Designated Liaison Person (DDLP). Their role is to be responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures are followed i.e. that child welfare and protection concerns are referred promptly to Tusla. Tusla is the organisation tasked with promoting the welfare of children who are at risk of not receiving adequate care and protection. In St Aidan’s the DLP is the Principal and the DDLP is the Deputy Principal.
The new procedures also require all schools to complete a Child Protection Risk Assessment. A Risk Assessment is where the school examines all aspects of the organisation to
Following the completion of a Risk Assessment schools must develop a Child Safeguarding Statement. This outlines the policies and procedures which are in place to manage the risks that have been identified. All of the above documentation: -
The Children First Act 2015 places a legal obligation on certain people, many of whom are professionals, to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to Tusla – Child and Family Agency and these people are called mandated persons. Mandated persons are people who have contact with children and/or families and who because of their qualifications, training and/or employment role are in a key position to help protect children from harm. Schedule 2 of the Act specifies who is deemed a mandated person, the list includes teachers registered with the Teaching Council.
All reports to Tusla by a mandated person or jointly with the DLP/DDLP, even where only advice is sought must also be reported to the Board of Management. No identifying information is given to the Board of Management regarding those involved in the report being made. This is called a Child Protection Oversight Report and is an agenda item for every Board of Management meeting.
A review of the Child Safeguarding Statement must take place annually. Once this has been completed and approved by the Board of Management, a record that the review has been completed will be provided to the Patron, the Parents Association and will be published on the school’s website.
For information on our Child Protection Policy and Procedures please check our website.
For more information please check the following resources: -
All students in Junior Cycle participate in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) as part of the new Well-Being Programme.
All Transition Year students take part in the Health Education Programme.
As part of the SPHE programme in Junior Cycle students participate in a Relationship and Sexuality module (RSE).
In Senior Cycle, this module is delivered within the Religious Education curriculum.
The SPHE and RSE Policies are available on our website and on request from the General Office.
If you have any concerns regarding Child Protection, please come and talk to the Principal, Deputy Principal, Chaplain, Guidance Counsellor or any member of staff, where your concerns will be dealt with in a caring and supportive manner
Action to be taken by all/any school personnel (Teaching and Non Teaching)
If any member of school personnel receives an allegation or has a suspicion that a child may have been abused or neglected, is being abused or neglected or is at risk of abuse or neglect, he or she shall, without delay, report the matter to the DLP or DDLP.
The DLP is the school Principal.
The DDLP is the school Deputy Principal.
Any concerns regarding bullying should always be reported to the Principal or Deputy Principal.
Our Child Safeguarding statement and Risk Assessment is reviewed every year.
A checklist developed by the Department of Education and Skills is used for this review.
Notification of this review is forwarded to our Patron, Parents Association and is published on our school website.
The recent publication of the updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children and the full commencement of the Children First Act 2015 are important milestones in the State’s child protection arrangements and require all of us to place a renewed focus on child protection.
These updated Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 have been developed following extensive consultation with the education partners and take account of the new statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and the recently updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
The purpose of these procedures is to give clear direction and guidance to school management and school personnel in relation to meeting the new statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and in the continued implementation within the school setting of the best practice guidance set out in the updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
With the introduction of the Department of Education & Skills Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools in December 2017, we in St Aidan’s reviewed our policy and procedures. The revised policy and procedure is available on our school website www.staidans.ie and by request from the General Office.
It has and continues to be a requirement for schools to appoint a Designated Liaison person (DLP) and a Deputy Designated Liaison Person (DDLP). Their role is to be responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures are followed i.e. that child welfare and protection concerns are referred promptly to Tusla. Tusla is the organisation tasked with promoting the welfare of children who are at risk of not receiving adequate care and protection. In St Aidan’s the DLP is the Principal and the DDLP is the Deputy Principal.
The new procedures also require all schools to complete a Child Protection Risk Assessment. A Risk Assessment is where the school examines all aspects of the organisation to
- Identify any potential risks
- Develop policies and procedures to minimise risk
- Review whether adequate precautions have been taken to eliminate or minimise risk
Following the completion of a Risk Assessment schools must develop a Child Safeguarding Statement. This outlines the policies and procedures which are in place to manage the risks that have been identified. All of the above documentation: -
- The appointment of the DLP and DDLP
- Risk Assessment
- The Child Safeguarding Statement
The Children First Act 2015 places a legal obligation on certain people, many of whom are professionals, to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to Tusla – Child and Family Agency and these people are called mandated persons. Mandated persons are people who have contact with children and/or families and who because of their qualifications, training and/or employment role are in a key position to help protect children from harm. Schedule 2 of the Act specifies who is deemed a mandated person, the list includes teachers registered with the Teaching Council.
All reports to Tusla by a mandated person or jointly with the DLP/DDLP, even where only advice is sought must also be reported to the Board of Management. No identifying information is given to the Board of Management regarding those involved in the report being made. This is called a Child Protection Oversight Report and is an agenda item for every Board of Management meeting.
A review of the Child Safeguarding Statement must take place annually. Once this has been completed and approved by the Board of Management, a record that the review has been completed will be provided to the Patron, the Parents Association and will be published on the school’s website.
For information on our Child Protection Policy and Procedures please check our website.
For more information please check the following resources: -
- Children First – National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children – Department of Children & Youth Affairs (2017)
- Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 – Department of Education & Skills 2017
All students in Junior Cycle participate in Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) as part of the new Well-Being Programme.
All Transition Year students take part in the Health Education Programme.
As part of the SPHE programme in Junior Cycle students participate in a Relationship and Sexuality module (RSE).
In Senior Cycle, this module is delivered within the Religious Education curriculum.
The SPHE and RSE Policies are available on our website and on request from the General Office.
If you have any concerns regarding Child Protection, please come and talk to the Principal, Deputy Principal, Chaplain, Guidance Counsellor or any member of staff, where your concerns will be dealt with in a caring and supportive manner
Action to be taken by all/any school personnel (Teaching and Non Teaching)
If any member of school personnel receives an allegation or has a suspicion that a child may have been abused or neglected, is being abused or neglected or is at risk of abuse or neglect, he or she shall, without delay, report the matter to the DLP or DDLP.
The DLP is the school Principal.
The DDLP is the school Deputy Principal.
Any concerns regarding bullying should always be reported to the Principal or Deputy Principal.
Our Child Safeguarding statement and Risk Assessment is reviewed every year.
A checklist developed by the Department of Education and Skills is used for this review.
Notification of this review is forwarded to our Patron, Parents Association and is published on our school website.