|
1.0
Appointment of a Designated Liaison Person (DLP)
a.
The Board of Management has appointed Ms.
Anne-Marie O Neill as the Designated Liaison
Person (DLP) in Sacred Heart N.S., Newbawn to
have specific responsibility for child protection.
b.
Geraldine Davey has been appointed as Deputy
DLP to take the place of the DLP if he/she is
unavailable for whatever reason.
c.
The DLP will continue to act as such until
such time as he/she is replaced by the BOM for
whatever reason.
2.0
Roles and Responsibilities:
·
The Board of
Management has primary responsibility for the care
and welfare of their pupils.
·
The DLP has
specific responsibility for child protection in the
school.
·
All staff
have a general duty of care to ensure that
arrangements are in place to protect children from
harm.
2.1
Role of the Board of Management
a.
To arrange for the planning, development and
implementation of an effective child protection
programme.
b.
To monitor and evaluate its effectiveness.
c.
To provide appropriate staff development and
training
Specifically
they will
d.
Appoint a DLP and deputy DLP.
e.
Have clear procedures for dealing with
allegations or suspicions of child abuse (See below)
f.
Monitor the progress of children at risk
g.
Ensure that curricular provision is in place
for the prevention of child abuse.
h.
Investigate and respond to allegations of
child abuse against one of the school’s employees
which have been reported to the Health Board or
Gardaí.
i.
To decide on teachers attendance at child
protection meetings/case conferences and to advise
teachers before attending such meetings/conferences.
Procedures for BOM in cases of allegations or
suspicions of child abuse by a school
employee…follow overleaf.
Reporting
In the event
of receiving a complaint or suspicion re an
employee:
i.
The DLP will immediately inform the
Chairperson.
ii.
S/He will seek a written statement of the
allegation from the person/agency making the
allegation. Parents/Guardians may make a statement
on behalf of a child.
iii.
The DLP will seek advice from the relevant
Health Board and will take responsibility for
reporting, based on this advice.
iv.
If the DLP, following consultation with the
Health Board, decides that this matter is not for
reporting, s/he must inform the Chairperson. They
must then inform, in writing, the person or agency
making the allegation, of the reasons for this
decision. If this person or agency still has
concerns, they are free to consult with or report to
the relevant Health Board or Gardaí on an individual
basis. The provisions of the Protection for Persons
reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 apply, once they
report reasonably and in good faith.
v.
If the DLP, following consultation with the
Health Board, decides that this matter is for
reporting s/he should inform the Chairperson, who
should proceed in accordance with the procedures in
‘Children First – National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’ – Appendix 9, p.
93.
vi.
The DLP/Deputy DLP completes a standard
reporting form as comprehensively as is possible.
vii.
When the Chairperson becomes aware of an
allegation of abuse s/he will always seek legal
advice and base his/her response on this advice.
viii.S/he
will privately inform the employee of the fact and
nature of the allegation and whether or not it has
been reported by the DLP to the Health Board. (Refer
to ‘Children First – National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’ – Appendix 9, p.
93.
ix.
The chairperson has a duty to afford the
employee fairness and due process – s/he is
entitled to details and a copy of the written
allegation, to advice and representation and an
opportunity to respond to the Board within a week .
b.
Responding
i.
When the Chairperson becomes aware of an
allegation of abuse s/he will always seek legal
advice and base his/her response on this advice.
ii.
The Chairperson will consider whether there
is any risk to pupils’ safety. If the Chairperson
considers that there is a risk – s/he may require
the employee to take immediate administrative leave.
If unsure the chairperson will consult with the
Health Board/Gardaí.
iii.
If administrative leave has been invoked, the
Chairperson will inform the DES. The Health Board
(in some cases the Gardaí) may also be notified in
accordance with legal advice received.
iv.
Once it is deemed necessary by the DLP and
Chairperson to make a report (after receiving advice
from the Health Board) the Chairperson will convene
and inform a meeting of the BOM as soon as possible.
v.
Where the alleged abuse has taken place
within the school, or relates to the abuse of pupils
of the school, by school employees outside of school
time, the BOM will investigate the matter. They will
convene a further meeting, once the relevant
information has been gathered. At this meeting the
BOM will consider in detail
·
the
allegations made and their source,
·
the advice
given by relevant authorities
·
and the
written responses of the employee.
vi.
At this meeting also
·
the
person/agency who is alleging abuse by the school
employee should be offered an opportunity to present
his/her case to the BOM and may be accompanied by
another person
·
Parents/guardians may act on behalf of child.
·
The employee
should also be afforded an opportunity to present
their case and may also be accompanied.
vii.
The BOM must deal with the matter sensitively
and the employee must be fairly treated.
viii.The BOM
will make a decision on action, if any, based on
their investigation and will inform the employee of
this in writing. They will also inform the DES of
the outcome, if the employee has been absent on
administrative leave.
ix.
Where it is not possible for the BOM to
conduct an enquiry into allegations (e.g. where
abuse has occurred in past employment, or where the
employee is undergoing investigation by relevant
authorities), the Chairperson will act on advice of
authorities. The Chairperson will maintain close
contact with the Health Board and receive reports
and records from them where appropriate.
2.2.
Role of the Staff Member (to include Teachers, SNA’s,
Secretary , Cleaners, Caretakers etc.)
a.
It is the responsibility of all teachers and staff
members to familiarise themselves
with the ‘Children First – National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’
especially
·
Chapter 2
Definition & Recognition of Child Abuse
·
Chapter
3 Basis for Reporting & Standard
Reporting Procedures
·
Appendix
1 Signs and Symptoms Of Child Abuse.
b.
Guidelines for teachers and staff members in
handling…
1.
Disclosures from children
a.
Where a child discloses alleged abuse to a staff
member, the person receiving that information should
listen carefully and supportively. Great care must
be taken not to abuse the child’s trust. This should
not be a formal interview. The following advice is
offered:
·
Listen to the
child.
·
Do not ask
leading questions or make suggestions to the child.
·
Offer
reassurance but do not make promises.
·
Do not stop a
child recalling significant events.
·
Do not
over-react.
·
Confidentiality should not be assured - explain that
further help may have to be sought.
·
Record the
discussion accurately noting
o
What, where
and when?
o
Descriptions
and possible sketches of physical injuries.
o
Explanations
of injuries using direct quotations if appropriate.
·
Retain the record securely in the Principal’s
Office.
· Relevant
authorities to be informed if appropriate.
b.
The staff member should obtain only necessary
relevant facts. It is not the responsibility of
school personnel to investigate allegations of
abuse.
c.
The DLP should then be informed and given relevant
records.
d.
If the suspected abuser is the DLP then the
suspicion and any records will be passed on to the
Chairperson who will proceed as per guidelines.
2. Suspicions of Abuse:
a.
Staff members who suspect abuse should refer to
‘Children First – National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’ - Dept. of
Children and Youth Affairs, Dublin, 2011
especially
·
Chapter 2
Definition & Recognition of Child Abuse
·
Chapter
3 Basis for Reporting & Standard
Reporting Procedures
·
Appendix
1 Signs and Symptoms Of Child Abuse.
·
Appendix
3 Standard Report Form
b.
Staff members
should observe and record over time the
dates/signs/symptoms/behaviour causing them concern.
c.
They should
inform the DLP and pass on all records.
Role
of the Designated Liaison Person (DLP)
a.
The DLP acts
as a liaison with outside agencies, Health Boards,
Gardaí and other parties with child protection
concerns
b.
The DLP will
inform all school personnel of the availability of
the Children First Guidelines in the school. S/he
will photocopy and circulate to all staff Chapters 2
& 3 & Appendix 1 of these guidelines and advise on
good practice.
c.
The DLP will
be available to staff for consultation regarding
suspicions or disclosures of abuse. S/he will keep
records of these consultations.
d.
The DLP will
seek advice from the Health Board.
e.
The DLP will
report suspicions and allegations of child abuse to
the Health Board or/ and Gárda Síochána based on
this advice.
f.
The DLP will
maintain proper records in a secure, confidential
manner and in a secure location.
g.
The DLP will
keep up to date on current developments regarding
child protection.
Guidelines for the DLP in handling reported concerns
and disclosures
a.
Where the DLP/Deputy
DLP have concerns about a child, but are not sure
whether to report the matter to the Health Board,
they should seek appropriate advice. To do this the
DLP/Deputy should make informal contact with the
assigned (on duty) Social Worker. The DLP/Deputy in
this case, should be explicit that s/he is
requesting advice and not making a report. If
advised to report the matter, the DLP will act on
that advice.
b.
A report will
then be made to the Health Board by the DLP/Deputy
in person, by telephone or in writing. In the event
of an emergency or non-availability of Health Board
staff, the report should be made to the Gardaí. The
DLP should also report the matter to the Chairperson
of the BOM, who should then follow the procedures as
outlined in Chapter 3 of Children First – National
Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children.
c.
A standard
reporting form is completed by the DLP/Deputy as
comprehensively as possible. c/f Appendix 3 Children
First – National Guidance for the Protection and
Welfare of Children.
d.
Parents/guardians will normally be informed that a
report is being made. It may be decided that
informing the parent/carer is likely to endanger the
child or place the child at further risk. The
decision not to inform the parent/carer should be
briefly recorded together with the reasons for not
doing so.
e.
When the
allegation is against the DLP, the Chairperson then
assumes responsibility for reporting the matter to
the Health Board and filling in the standard
reporting form.
f.
Where there
are allegations or suspicions of Peer Abuse the DLP
will follow the same procedures.
·
Parents of
all parties will be notified and the DLP will inform
the Chairperson.
·
Principal and
class teachers will make arrangements to meet
separately with all parents, to resolve the matter.
·
The school
will make arrangements to minimise the possibility
of the abusive behaviour recurring.
g.
All Sacred
Heart N.S. staff should familiarise themselves with
the ‘Children First – National Guidance for the
Protection and Welfare of Children’ section on Peer
Abuse (Section 9) with particular reference to
Bullying. (Section 9.4) especially in relation to
the school’s Code of Behaviour and Anti-Bullying
Policy.
3.0 Assessment and Management of Child
Protection and Welfare Concerns
All Newbawn N.S. Staff
familiarise themselves with the protocol outlined in
section 5 of ‘Children First – National Guidance for
the Protection and Welfare of Children.’
4.0 Organisational Implications
School
procedures already in place and new procedures being
put in place will be examined with reference to the
‘Children First Guidance’ and any Child Protection
issues that may arise will be addressed.
Supervision
School
supervision policy will be followed by all staff to
ensure that there is comprehensive supervision of
children at all breaks and before and up to
dismissal at the end of the school day. A rota will
be displayed to cover morning and lunchtime breaks.
Access
The school is
accessible via the front door. This door is locked
with a ‘mag-lock’ which is operated from the office
of the principal’s classroom.
Behaviour
Children are
to be encouraged at all times to play co-operatively
and inappropriate behaviour will be addressed under
our Code of Behaviour. If an incident occurs which
we consider to be of a sexualised nature we will
notify the DLP who will record it and respond to it
appropriately.
Visibility
Teachers will
ensure that children are visible in the schoolyard.
Children will not be allowed to spend time in
classrooms, toilets or any area where they would not
be under adult supervision. They are not to leave
the school yard or to engage with adults who are
outside of the school yard.
Visitors
Teachers on
yard duty will be aware of visitors entering the
schoolyard and will ascertain their intentions. They
will be supervised in the discharge of their
business in the yard. All visitors are expected to
report to the Office.
Working
With Parents
When a parent
is working with a teacher in any school related
activity; he/she is under the supervision of the
teacher throughout. Parents are not to be left
alone with either individual pupils and / or groups.
Mobile
Phones
Children are not allowed to use mobile phoned in
school. If a child has a mobile phone – it must be
switched off during school hours.
Unauthorised use of camera phones is strictly
forbidden in this school.
Bullying
Bullying
behaviour will be addressed under our Anti-Bullying
Policy. If the behaviour involved is of a
sexualised nature or regarded as being particularly
abusive then the matter will be referred to the DLP.
Accidents
While every
precaution will be taken under our Health and Safety
Statement to ensure the safety of children, we
realise that accidents will happen. Accidents will
be noted in our Incident book and will be addressed
under our accident policy as part of Health and
Safety.
·
Teachers /
SNA’s may assist child who needs a change of clothes
following a wetting accident if parental permission
has been given to the school.
Children
travelling in staff cars
Teachers will
not carry children alone in their cars at any time.
Record
Keeping
Teachers will
keep each child’s file updated with results of
assessments carried out, dates and details of
meetings with parents and notes from parents. The
records are kept in the locked filing cabinet. Roll
books will be updated daily. Sensitive information
regarding children will be shared on a need-to-know
basis. All educational files of pupils who no longer
attend this school are kept in ‘boxes’ in the attic
until the ‘child’ is twenty-one years of age when
the files will then be securely disposed of.
Induction of
Teachers and Ancillary Staff
The DLP will
be responsible for informing all new teachers and
ancillary staff of the ‘Children First – National
Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of
Children.’ The Principal, Anne-Marie O Neill, will
provide all new teachers with a copy of the Child
Protection Policy and direct them towards the
relevant documentation.
All
new teachers are expected to teach the objectives in
the SPHE programme. The Deputy Principal is
responsible for ensuring that new teachers know how
to fill in the roll book correctly and informing the
teacher of record keeping procedures within the
school.
Access to
Information and Documentation
‘Children
First – National Guidance for the Protection and
Welfare of Children’ – 2011 and all relevant
documentation have been created in pdf format and
are available to download. http://www.dcya.gov.ie/documents/child_welfare_protection/ChildrenFirst.pdf
Induction of
Pupils
All parents
and children will be made aware of attendance rules
and their implications as laid down in the Education
Welfare Act (2000). All parents will be informed of
the programmes in place in the school that deal with
personal development e.g. RSE, Walk Tall and SPHE.
All new parents are given a copy of the school’s
enrolment policy, which outlines the procedures
parents and children should use when contacting the
school if there are absences or concerns of an
educational/personal/family matter. Parents are
encouraged to make an appointment with the class
teacher/principal if they wish to discuss their
child’s progress. All parents are given a copy of
the school’s Code of Behaviour and Anti-Bullying
policies.
Communication
Every effort
will be made to enhance pupil-teacher communication.
If pupils have concerns they will be listened to
sympathetically. The SPHE/Oral English/RE programmes
allow for open pupil-teacher communication, which is
hoped will aid the pupil-teacher relationship. If
teachers have to communicate with pupils on a
one-to-one basis, they are requested to leave the
classroom door open.
Attendance
Our school
attendance will be monitored as per the guidelines
from N.E.W.B. policy. With regards to child
protection we will pay particular attention to
trends in non-attendance. We will also monitor
non-attendance in correlation with signs of
neglect/physical/emotional abuse.
5.0 Confidentiality
All
information regarding concerns of possible child
abuse should be only shared on
a need to know basis in
the interests of the child. The test is whether or
not the person has any legitimate involvement or
role in dealing with the issue.
Giving information to those who need to have that
information for the protection of a child who may
have been or has been abused, is not a breach of
confidentiality,
The
DLP who is submitting a report to the Health Board
or An Garda Síochana should inform an
parent/guardian unless doing so is likely to
endanger the child or place that child at further
risk. A decision not to inform a parent/guardian
should be briefly recorded together with the reasons
for not doing so.
In
emergency situations, where the Health Board cannot
be contacted, and the child appears to be at
immediate or serious risk, An Garda Síochana should
be contacted immediately.
A child
should not be left in a dangerous situation pending
Health Board intervention.
6.0 Curriculum Implications
Introduction
In Newbawn
N.S. all children will be cherished and in
fulfilling the general aims of the Revised Primary
Curriculum we will :
·
Enable the
child to live a full life as a child and to realise
his or her potential
·
Enable the
child to develop as a social being through living
and co-operating with others and so contribute to
the good of society
·
Prepare the
child for further education and lifelong learning
In
endeavouring to realise these aims we will create a
positive school climate which is open, inclusive,
respectful, fair, democratic and tolerant and which
seeks to support the holistic development of all
children and all adults working with our children.
The strategies we will use to create this
environment are detailed in our SPHE Plan and will
involve:
·
Creating a
health-promoting physical environment
·
Enhancing
self-esteem
·
Fostering
respect for diversity
·
Building
effective communication within the school
·
Developing
appropriate home-school communication
·
Catering for
individual needs
·
Developing
democratic process
·
Fostering
inclusive and respectful language
We strive to
ensure that our school will be physically and
emotionally safe and we will deliver the curricular
content of our SPHE programme with a view to giving
our children the protective skills of self-esteem
and assertiveness. Co-operative interpersonal skills
will be developed through working in pairs and
working in groups. Older children will be encouraged
to work positively with conflict and negotiation and
consensus building skills developed.
SPHE and
Stay Safe
The SPHE
Curriculum will be delivered under the 10 strand
units.
They are
·
Self Identity
·
Taking care
of my body
·
Growing and
changing
·
Safety and
protection
·
Making
decisions
·
Myself and my
family
·
My friends
and other people
·
Relating to
others
·
Developing
citizenship
The SPHE
programme will be supported, using the Walk Tall
resources, our Alive-O programme and Stay Safe
resources.
Stay Safe
will be taught in all classes as mandated in
Circular 65/11. |
