Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment

Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment

Child Safeguarding Statement

Scoil Iosef Naofa is a primary school providing primary education to pupils from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Addendum to Children First (2019), the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) and Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of Management of Scoil Iosef Naofa has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this document

  • The Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without modification the Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) as part of this overall Child Safeguarding Statement
  • The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) Ms Samantha Mc Mahon (Mr Hogan will resume the role in her absence)
  • The Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DLP) is Mr John Hogan (Ms Madden will resume the role in his absence)
  • The Relevant Person is Ms Samantha Mc Mahon

(The relevant person is one who can provide information in respect of how the child safeguarding statement was developed and will be able to provide the statement on request. This person can also be the DLP)

  • The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, procedures, practices and activities. In its policies, procedures, practices and activities, the school will adhere to the following principles of best practice in child protection and welfare:

The school will:

  • recognise that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations;
  • fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children;
  • fully co-operate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection and welfare matters;
  • adopt safe practices to minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening to children and protect workers from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may leave themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect;
  • develop a practice of openness with parents and encourage parental involvement in the education of their children; and
  • fully respect confidentiality requirements in dealing with child protection matters.

The school will also adhere to the above principles in relation to any adult pupil with a special vulnerability.

  • The following procedures/measures are in place:
  • In relation to any member of staff who is the subject of any investigation (howsoever described) in respect of any act, omission or circumstance in respect of a child attending the school, the school adheres to the relevant procedures set out in Chapter 7 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023) and to the relevant agreed disciplinary procedures for school staff which are published on the gov.ie website.
  • In relation to the selection or recruitment of staff and their suitability to work with children, the school adheres to the statutory vetting requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and to the wider duty of care guidance set out in relevant Garda vetting and recruitment circulars published by the Department of Education and available on the gov.ie website.
  • In relation to the provision of information and, where necessary, instruction and training, to staff in respect of the identification of the occurrence of harm (as defined in the 2015 Act) the school-
  • Has provided each member of staff with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
  • Ensures all new staff are provided with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
  • Encourages staff to avail of relevant training
  • Encourages Board of Management members to avail of relevant training
  • The Board of Management maintains records of all staff and Board member training
  • In relation to reporting of child protection concerns to Tusla, all school personnel are required to adhere to the procedures set out in the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023), including in the case of registered teachers, those in relation to mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015.
  • All registered teachers employed by the school are mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015.
  • In accordance with the Children First Act 2015 and the Addendum to Children First (2019), the Board has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while attending the school or participating in school activities. A written assessment setting out the areas of risk identified and the school’s procedures for managing those risks is included with the Child Safeguarding Statement.
  • The various procedures referred to in this Statement can be accessed via the school’s website, the gov.ie website or will be made available on request by the school.

Note: The above is not intended as an exhaustive list. Individual Boards of Management shall also include in this section such other procedures/measures that are of relevance to the school in question.

  • This statement has been published on the school’s website and has been provided to all members of school personnel, the Parents’ Association (if any) and the patron. It is readily accessible to parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made available to Tusla and the Department if requested.
  • This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this statement refers.

This Child Safeguarding Statement was adopted by the Board of Management on January 2019 and is reviewed annually.

This Child Safeguarding Statement was reviewed by the Board of Management on__________.

Signed: _________________________                     Signed: ____________________________

Chairperson of Board of Management                      Principal/Secretary to the Board of Management

Date:   __________________________                    Date:  __________________­­­­­­­_

Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

Written Assessment of Risk of Scoil Iosef Naofa

In accordance with section 11 of the Children First Act 2015 and with the requirements of Chapter 8 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023), the following is the Written Risk Assessment of Scoil Iosef Noafa.

  1. List of school activities

·        Basketball

·        Arrival and dismissal of pupils on site

·        Classroom teaching

·        Use of toilet facilities

·        Fundraising of events that involve pupils

·        Use of offsite facilities

·        Travel and transport of pupils

·        Intimate care of children with special needs

·        Administration of first aid/medicine

·        Curricular provision of stay safe programme

·        Recruitment of personnel to work in school (Student teachers)

·        Visitors or building contractors on site during school

·        Use of ICT in school and access to internet

·        Use of social media

·        July Provision

·        Literacy and Numeracy Summer camp

·        Hurling Coaches/teachers

·        Football

·        Soccer

·        Homework clubs

·        Tennis

·        Special education teaching

·        Dancing teacher

·        Breakfast club

·        Maths for fun

·        English for fun

·        Sportsday

·        School choir events/outings

·        Nursing home visits

·        Taste of Roscrea events

·        School Tours

·        Swimming

·        Members of the travelling community

·        Children in care

·        Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) children

·        Pupils perceived to be LBGT

·        Library tours

·        Outside speakers

·        School Completion

·        School Doctor/nurse visit

·        Graduation night

·        Communion/Confirmation

·        School Christmas concerts

·        Outside School Competition program workers

·        Break and yard times

·        Open mornings/nights

·        Athletics

·        Rugby Teachers/coaches

·        Use of Bus transport

·        Erasmus 2023/2024

·        Retreats

·        Parent classes on school premises

  1. The school has identified the following risk of harm in respect of its activities –

·        Risk of harm not being recognised by school personnel

·        Risk of harm not being reported properly and promptly by school personnel

·        Risk of child being harmed in the school by a member of school personnel

·        Risk of child being harmed in the school by another child

·        Risk of child being harmed in the school by volunteer or visitor to the school

·        Risk of child being harmed by a member of school personnel, a member of staff  of another organization or other person while child is participating in out of school activities

·        Risk of harm due to bullying of child

·        Risk of harm relevant to online teaching and learning remotely

·        Risk of harm due to racism

·        Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children in school

·        Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship/communications between child  and another child or adult

·        Risk of harm to children in SEN who have particular vulnerabilities, including medical vulnerabilities

·        Risk of harm due to inadequate code of behavior

·        Risk of harm in one-on-one teaching, counselling, coaching situation

  1. The school has the following procedures in place to address the risks of harm identified in this assessment –
·
The staff of Scoil Iosef Naofa has prepared a Child Safeguarding Statement and it is displayed in the staffroom/Office for all to see.

·        School personnel are required to adhere to the Child Protection Procedures for Primary schools 2017 and all registered teaching staff are required to adhere to the Children First Act 2015 and it’s Addendum (2019)

·        The school implements the stay safe programme

·        The school implements the SPHE curriculum

·        The school has an Anti-Bullying policy which fully adheres to the requirements of the Department’s Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary schools

·        The school has our yard and playgrounds supervised by adults at all times

·        The school has a Health and Safety policy

·        The school adheres to the requirements of the Garda vetting legislation and relevant DE circulars in relation to recruitment and Garda vetting

·        The school has a code of conduct policy for all school personnel

·        The school complies with the agreed disciplinary procedures for teaching staff

·        The school has a Special Needs Policy

·        The school has an intimate care plan

·        The school has a policy in place and procedures for the administration of medicine to pupils

·        The school has provided each staff member/BOM member with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding statement

·        Encourages the staff to avail of relevant training

·        The school maintains records of all staff and members training

·        The school has in place a code of behavior for pupils

·        The school has an Acceptable Use Policy, to include provision for online teaching and working remotely

·        The school has a strict no mobile phone policy for all pupils and staff excluding the HSCL teacher and Principal

·        The school has a Critical Incident Plan

·        The school has in place procedures in respect for student teacher placements

·        The school has in place clear procedures for one-on-one teaching activities

·        The school has in place a Sign in/sign out policy and notebook located at reception

·        Parents are instructed to wait at reception until their child arrives to leave

school early

·        DLP and Deputy DLP nominated personal visible at all times in prominent

location in school

·        Medication is stored and locked away in teachers filing cabinet

Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of

“harm” as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk. The definition

of harm is set out in Chapter 4 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary

 Schools (revised 2023)

In undertaking this risk assessment, the board of management has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the school has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.

 


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