Safeguarding children
Safeguarding Children Handbook February 2021
This policy is for all Karo employees, contract staff and shift workers and details the policies and procedure for safeguarding Children and to ensure full compliance with the HSE.
1. Purpose
This Child Protection Policy seeks to meet the legal requirements of the Children First Act, 2015 and the obligations that are set out in the Children First National Guidance, 2017 to keep children and young people safe from abuse or harm.
2. Aim
Karo will ensure that all managers, staff are provided with the information and training that they need to safeguard children.
3. Scope
The Child Protection Policy and Child Safeguarding Statement apply to everybody involved in Karo, including its directors, and management team. While it has application for personnel who work directly with children and young people in Karo, it also applies to those staff who are providing services to adults who may come into occasional contact with children or who may receive third party information about a child protection or welfare concern.
4. Glossary of Terms and Definitions:
4.1 In line with Children First Act, 2015 and the Children First National Guidance, 2017, this Child Protection Policy refers to a child as meaning a person under the age of 18 years, who is not or has not been married.
4.2 Types of Abuse: In Children First National Guidance, 2017, child abuse is classified into four separate categories – neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. It is generally accepted, however, that children may be subjected to more than one category of abuse at any given time and that all forms of child abuse have an emotional impact on a child.
4.3 Mandated Persons: The Children First Act, 2015 introduced new measures for key groups of professionals who, because of their qualifications, training or employment roles, were seen to be in key Page 1 of 11 positions to protect children from harm. These people are known as Mandated Persons (See Appendix 1) and they are, under the legislation, legally required to report concerns above a particular threshold to Tusla and to assist Tusla, if requested, in assessing a concern that has been the subject of a mandated report.
4.4 Designated Officer: Karo has in place appointed a Designated Officer(DO) for child protection. This person is principally responsible for reporting reasonable grounds for concern to Tusla and are nominated to liaise with outside agencies and to act as staff resources in the area of child protection.
5 Legislation/other related policies:
5.1.1 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.
5.1.2 Child Care Act, 1991
5.1.3 ‘Trust in Care’ – Guidelines for Health Service Employers on Preventing Patient/Client Abuse and Dealing with allegations of abuse against employees (HSEA, 2005);
5.1.4 National Standards for the Protection & Welfare of Children (HIQA, 2012);
5.1.5 Investing in Families: Supporting Parents to Improve Outcomes for Children (Tusla,2013)
5.1.6 ‘Meitheal’ – a National Practice Model for All Agencies Working with Children, Young People, and their Families. (Tusla, 2013)
5.1.7 Parenting Support Strategy – 50 key Messages to Accompany Investing in Families (Tusla, 2013)
5.1.8 What Works in Family Support (Tusla, 2013)
5.1.9 HSE Works in Family Support (Tusla, 2013)
5.1.10 4.8.10.‘Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures’ – the National Policy Framework for Children & Young People 2014-2020 (DCYA, 2014)
6. Roles and Responsibilities:
6.1 Responsibilities of all Karo directors & staff is to be:
6.1.1 Familiar with the Children First Act, 2015 and Children First National Guidance, 2017.
6.1.2 All staff should read, understand and adhere to Karo’s Child Protection Policy and Child Safeguarding Statement.
6.1.3 If an individual staff member does not understand their responsibilities set out in the Child Protection Policy, he or she should inform their supervisor.
6.1.4 Staff should remain open to the possibility of child abuse, look out for signs and symptoms and record information accurately.
6.1.5 If any staff member has a concern about a child’s safety or welfare, they are required to pass their concerns on to a DO without delay.
6.1.6 Staff members should discuss with their line manager or a DO any behaviour by another staff member that might transgress Page 2 of 11 Karo’s Staff Code of Behaviour, or which gives rise to a child protection or welfare concern.
6.1.7 All staff members should attend information sessions and training events in child protection and welfare that are arranged by Karo.
6.2 Designated Officer for child protection is responsible for:
6.2.1 Ensuring that internal and external reporting procedures are followed in a consistent way so that any child protection or welfare concerns are properly conveyed within the organisation and, if required, reported to Tusla or to An Garda Síochána (in the event of emergencies or outside of office hours) without undue delay. In some instances, DOs may choose to make a joint report to Tusla with a Mandated Person. The report form to be used for making both a mandatory and non-mandatory report is available on the Tusla website (www.tusla.ie).
6.2.2 To act as a resource person within Karo for other staff and volunteers in child protection matters and to liaise with outside agencies.
6.2.3 To encourage and facilitate staff to share any concerns that they might have about a child or young person;
6.2.4 To discuss with a Tusla Social Worker whether reasonable grounds for concern exist that warrant a report being made;
6.2.5 To make a report to Tusla on behalf of the organisation and to identify on the report form whether the report being made is a mandatory report under the Act or not;
6.2.6 To participate at any follow-up meetings in relation to the child and co- operate with Tusla’s plans to keep the child safe;
6.2.7 To contact An Garda Síochána in emergency situations or after hours
6.3 Mandated person: Mandated Persons are seen to have a central role for child protection across the agencies in which they work, both in terms of making mandatory reports and assisting Tusla in assessing the risks to the child. While in some cases they may work with other client groups, such as adults with disabilities or health issues, they are, as a result of their employment or professional duties, legally mandated to report on suspected child abuse.
6.3.1 Under the Children First Act, 2015 mandated persons are legally required to report the harm of children above the defined threshold and, if requested, to assist in the assessment of the concern which has been the subject of a mandated report.
7 Procedure
7.1 Recruitment
Karo is committed to vetting all potential employees who have applied to work with children and vulnerable adults with the National Vetting Bureau prior to appointment and commencement of work and Page 3 of 11 will store and retain records in line with data protection legislation and GDPR.
Applicants and volunteers are automatically excluded from working in Karo if they fail to disclose any criminal convictions or cases pending against them or if they have committed an offence that is deemed to make them unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults. These include all sexual offences, offences against a person, firearm offences, robbery, or serious motoring offences. While some limited discretion may be used in the recruitment and appointment of staff and volunteers, the paramount consideration is the safety and welfare of all of Karo’s clients, children, and adults.
When recruiting new staff, Karo has established a pre-selection process specifically with child protection in mind, which includes the following:
An application form that seeks a systematic record of applicants’ past experience and history of working with children and young people.
Karo will make provision for the re-vetting of incumbent staff and volunteers every five years, following standard procedures, in line with expediency and current best practice.
A declaration form that allows an applicant to self-declare any relevant information, including convictions, cautions or cases pending against them, that may have a bearing on their suitability to work with children and young people;
The obtaining of two references, one professional from their last employer character references in writing sought for selected applicants provided by two non- family member referees, to testify as to the applicant’s suitability to work with children and followed up and confirmed by telephone or in person.
Verification of relevant qualifications with qualifying bodies
Proof of identity (birth certificate, passport or driving license with photograph);
Written consent obtained from selected applicants for Karo to undertake Garda vetting in Ireland and Police clearance in other jurisdictions;
Confirmation of the outcome of the Garda vetting / Police clearance processes.
Setting of a probation period following which employee’s suitability and progress is reviewed.
Ensuring that all appointments are formally signed off by the Managing Director.
7.2 Induction:
7.2.1 An induction programme for newly appointed staff is an important process for introducing new staff to an organisation and helping them to integrate and become familiar with the working environment. It also provides an opportunity for them to learn the importance of child safeguarding, Karo’s staff code of behaviour and their role within the organisation to keep children Page 4 of 11 safe.
7.2.2 Managers should ensure that during this induction period all new staff know how they can access a copy of this Child Protection Policy and Child Safeguarding Statement.
7. 3 Probation:
7.3.1 Following appointment and during the probationary period, staff will be supported by the organization to fulfil their duties to the best of their ability and receive feedback from management on their performance and practice to ensure that appropriate standards of care are achieved. This will include particular attention being paid to the Child Protection Policy and Child Safeguarding Statement and the importance of Karo’s safe management and staff code of behavior
7.4 It should be noted that Karo has no responsibility for investigating allegations of child abuse as this is a matter for Tusla and An Garda Síochána. In this context, the role of Karo is confined to recognizing any signs or symptoms that might be indicative of abuse, to report on any concerns that it has and to co- operate with statutory authorities.
7.5 In the event of an emergency where a child may be in immediate danger or a situation that arises after office hours which requires an immediate response, staff are advised to contact An Garda Síochána without delay.
7.6 Reporting procedure
7.6.1 A key element of this Child Protection Policy is the reporting procedure which all managers, staff and volunteers must follow if information becomes available to them which gives rise to a concern about a child.
7.6.2 Record the details of the concern in writing and complete a Child Concern Report Form (CCRF) for the child, confining the information to facts and observations that are relevant to the concern;
7.6.3 Ensure that details of the concern are passed on to the DO in Karo without undue delay;
7.6.4 The DO will decide if reasonable grounds for concern exist and if this needs to be reported to Tusla and will, if necessary, seek advice from Tusla as to what actions need to be taken;
7.7 Responding to Allegations Against Employees: Karo recognises that staff working with children may sometimes feel vulnerable to accusations of child abuse. There are occasions when a false allegation is made against a staff member either because of a misunderstanding or a genuine mistake. It is for these reasons that Karo will treat any allegation against a staff member openly and without judgement. It is important for all involved that the matters relating to any allegation are treated fairly and expeditiously and that strict confidentiality is observed by all those involved.
7.8 If an allegation or concern regarding a child protection issue is made Page 5 of 11 against an employee of Karo, two separate sets of procedures apply. These procedures are designed to ensure that due regard is given to the rights of the child on the one hand and those of the employee against whom the allegation is made on the other hand. In accordance with the HSEA’s national good practice guidelines ‘Trust in Care’ (2005), Karo seeks to balance its dual responsibility in respect of both the child and the employee. The safety and wellbeing of the child is paramount.
7.9 The two separate procedures are overseen by the Managing Director in Karo. On receiving notice of the allegation or concern, the Managing Director will appoint two managers to manage the two separate processes and will seek legal advice as required.
7.9.1 The first procedure relates to the child and is followed for the purpose of ensuring that the child in question or any other child is kept safe from harm and that a report of the allegation is made to Tusla without undue delay. The first procedure is managed by the DO or Deputy DO for Karo
7.9.2 The second procedure relates to the employee and is for the purpose for ensuring that the employee is dealt with in a fair and even-handed way in accordance with natural justice and that they are facilitated to be accompanied by a Karo colleague. This procedure is managed by a manager of equal rank or grade to the DO or by another senior colleague in Karo.
7.9.3 The procedures for Karo to follow in the event of an allegation or concern being made against an employee are summarised below:
The Director should be notified of the allegation or concern as soon as possible.
Two separate managers should be appointed to manage the two separate processes described above.
The manager dealing with the employee should inform the staff member of the allegation and afford them an opportunity to respond to the allegation;
The manager dealing with the reporting procedure should report the details of the allegation or concern to Tusla and in consultation with Tusla decide upon how the parents of the child should be informed.
Proportionate protective measures will be put in place, as necessary, to ensure that no child is exposed to harm or danger;
Tusla will conduct an investigation into the allegation and provide Karo with notification of the outcome of its assessment. On this basis of this information, the Director will decide upon what further actions should be taken and whether disciplinary action against the employee is required;
If the allegation relates to any person responsible for discharging management duties in relation to this procedure, alternative arrangements will be made by Karo to re- assign key staff to ensure that procedures are followed rigorously and objectively;
A written record of all meetings and communications should be maintained safely and securely by the managers assigned to each procedure within the process.
Sometimes allegations about employees come to the attention of Tusla or An Garda Síochána without the prior knowledge of the employing agency. If the statutory body in receipt of this information considers that the seriousness of the allegation is likely to place any child or group of children at immediate risk, it will make arrangements to notify the institution or employer of the allegation.
In situations where the statutory body receives an allegation about an employee, but it considers that the allegation is not so serious as to place children at immediate risk, it will seek to inform the person in question of the allegation that has been made against them and of its intention to subsequently notify the institution or employer of the allegation.
7.10 Record Keeping:
7.10.1 If a staff member comes across a situation which gives rise to a child protection or welfare concern, they should keep a written record outlining the details of their concern. Relevant observations relating to the concern should be recorded accurately and should include dates, times, names, locations, and other relevant information. This record provides the basis of information needed when the concern is reported to a DO on Karo’s Child Concern Report Form (CCRF) and will assist the DO if the concern is subsequently reported on to Tusla
7.10.2 All records created as a result of this Child Protection Policy that include personal data should be signed, dated and treated as confidential. Where reports are recorded on computer, such files are password protected and accessible by authorised persons only. Karo is committed that all client records that relate to child protection and welfare are retained and stored in a safe and secure place.
7.10.3 Measuring the number of personnel attending the HSE’s Children First e- learning module and other child protection training courses.
7.10.4 Recording the number of concerns of a child protection nature that are conveyed to DOs by Karo personnel over a given period.
7.10.5 Recording the number of reports and consultations made by DOs and Mandated Persons to Tusla over a given period.
7.10.6 Recording the number of allegations against employees that Page 7 of 11 are investigated over a given period.
8.0 References
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures’ – the National Policy Framework for Children & Young People 2014-2020 (DCYA, 2014)
Child Care Act, 1991
National Standards for the Protection & Welfare of Children (HIQA, 2012); Investing in Families: Supporting Parents to Improve Outcomes for Children (Tusla,2013)
HSE Works in Family Support (Tusla, 2013)
‘Meitheal’ – a National Practice Model for All Agencies Working with Children, Young People, and their Families. (Tusla, 2013)
‘Trust in Care’ – Guidelines for Health Service Employers on Preventing Patient/Client Abuse and Dealing with allegations of abuse against employees (HSEA, 2005);
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. Parenting Support Strategy – 50 key Messages to Accompany Investing in Families (Tusla, 2013)
What Works in Family Support (Tusla, 2013)
9.0 Appendices
Appendix 1: SCHEDULE OF MANDATED PERSONS UNDER THE CHILDREN FIRST ACT 2015 Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015 specifies the following classes of persons as Mandated Persons for the purposes of the Act:
Registered medical practitioner within the meaning of section 2 of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007.
Registered nurse or registered midwife within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011.
Physiotherapist registered in the register of members of that profession.
Speech and language therapist registered in the register of members of that profession.
Occupational therapist registered in the register of members of that profession.
Registered dentist within the meaning of section 2 of the Dentists Act 1985.
Psychologist who practises as such and who is eligible for registration in the register (if any) of members of that profession.
Social care worker who practises as such and who is eligible for registration in accordance with Part 4 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 in the register of that profession.
Social worker who practises as such and who is eligible for registration in accordance with Part 4 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 in the register (if any) of that profession.
Emergency medical technician, paramedic and advanced paramedic registered with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council under the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order 2000 (S.I. No. 109 of 2000).
Probation officer within the meaning of section 1 of the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act 1983.
Teacher registered with the Teaching Council.
Member of An Garda Síochána.
Guardian ad litem appointed in accordance with section 26 of the Child Care Act 1991.
Person employed in any of the following capacities: (a) manager of domestic violence shelter; (b) manager of homeless provision or emergency accommodation facility; (c) manager of asylum seeker accommodation (direct provision) centre; (d) addiction counsellor employed by a body funded, wholly or partly, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas; (e) psychotherapist or a person providing counselling who is registered with one of the voluntary professional bodies; (f) manager of a language school or other recreational school where children reside away from home; member of the clergy (howsoever described) or pastoral care worker (howsoever described) of a church or other religious community; (h) director of any institution where a child is detained by an order of a court; (i) safeguarding officer, child protection officer or other person (howsoever described) who is employed for the purpose of performing the child welfare and protection function of Page 9 of 11 religious, sporting, recreational, cultural, educational and other bodies and organisations offering services to children; (j) child care staff member employed in a pre-school service within the meaning of Part VIIA of the Child Care Act 1991; (k) person responsible for the care or management of a youth work service within the meaning of section 2 of the Youth Work Act 2001.
Youth worker who— (a) holds a professional qualification that is recognised by the National Qualifications Authority in youth work within the meaning of section 3 of the Youth Work Act 2001 or a related discipline, and (b) is employed in a youth work service within the meaning of section 2 of the Youth Work Act 2001.
Foster carer registered with the Agency.
A person carrying on a pre-school service within the meaning of Part VIIA of the Child Care Act 1991.
10.0 Revision History
Version:
Date Approved:
List section numbers changed:
Author: