CAVAN REGIONAL HEALTH SPORT & LEISURE CLG
(KNOWN AS CRHSL CLG IN THIS DOCUMENT)
NOP -SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN
- Name of Service Being Provided: Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG
- Principles to Safeguard Children from Harm
Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG is committed to a child-centred approach to our work with children in the delivery of all our services and activities. Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG has an overall duty and responsibility to safeguard the children accessing services and activities.
Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG is committed to:
- Promoting general welfare, health development and safety of children.
- Ensuring safe management procedures are in place for all staff and volunteers including robust recruitment, selection, supervision and support procedures.
- Developing guidance and procedures for staff and volunteers who may have reasonable grounds for concern about the possible abuse or neglect of a child involved in the services or activities of the centre.
- Ensuring Designated Child Protection Liaison Officer is appointed and is accessible.
- Ensuring that the centre has procedures in place to deal with an allegation of abuse made against an employee/ volunteer.
- Raising awareness in the organisation about potential risks to children’s safety / welfare.
- Developing procedures for responding to accidents and complaints.
- Developing and maintaining clear record keeping procedures.
- Ensuring a Code of Behaviour is in place to provide employees and volunteers with clear guidance on how to treat children and young people in the organisation.
- Developing a policy of interagency cooperation with agencies involved in the protection of a child.
Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG child-centred approach will be to:
- Treat all children equally
- Listen to and respect children
- Involve children as appropriate
- Provide encouragement, support and praise (regardless of ability)
- Use appropriate language (verbal and physical)
- Have fun and encourage a positive atmosphere
- Analysis Achievement Assessment
- Offer constructive criticism when needed
- Treat all children as individuals
- Respect a child’s personal space
- Use age-appropriate teaching aids
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
- Be aware of child time limitations e.g. school/exams when scheduling activities
- Create an atmosphere of trust
Be aware of the Equal Status Act 2000-2010 which relates to discrimination based on nine grounds:
- Gender
- Civil Status
- Family Status
- Age
- Race
- Religion
- Disability
- Sexual Orientation
- Membership of the Traveller Community
- Use all information in respect of children only for the purpose for which it is given, subject to child protection concern(s).
- Risk Assessment
We have carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our services. A list of the areas of risk identified and the procedures for managing these risks are available upon request to the Designated Child Protection Liaison Officer.
(It is a mandatory requirement that an assessment of risks are carried out in accordance with Tusla’s Children First National Guidance 2017)
- Procedures
Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy Procedure and Practice, In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our service:
Cavan Regional Health Sport & Leisure CLG, Policy and Procedure for the Protection and Safeguarding of Children, includes:
- Procedure for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against workers/ volunteers of a child availing of our service.
- Procedure for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children.
- Procedure for provision of and access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm.
- Procedure for the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns.
- Procedure for maintaining a list of the persons (if any) in the relevant service who are mandated persons.
- Procedure for appointing a relevant person.
All procedures listed are available upon request.
- Reporting a Concern
- Anyone can report a concern about a child. If you have any concerns about a child, you should report it to Tusla. A report can be made in person, by telephone or in writing. Any member of the public who has a concern about a child can contact the Tusla local social work duty service in the area where the child lives for advice about reporting your concerns.
- In the event of any emergency where you think a child is in immediate danger and you cannot get in contact with Tusla, you should contact: An Garda Sfochána.
- If a child is in danger outside office hours you can contact the Gardai.
- Implementation
We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Our service is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service.
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed on or before 31st December, 2025 or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.
Further information on Child Protection is also available at: www.tusla.ie