Child Protection

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY @ ‘Tuition Hub’

Introduction

The Child Care Act (1991), Children’s Act 2001 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1992), enshrine in law the paramount principle of the welfare of children. They were designed to promote the welfare and protection of children (0 – 18 years). The Acts cover the rights and responsibilities of parents, the protection of children in emergencies, children in care, the supervision of pre-schools and the duty of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. In 2004 “Child Protection Guidelines for Post Primary Schools”, updated in 2011, was published by the Department of Health and Science and offers support and guidance to people who come into regular contact with children, and who are, therefore, in a position of responsibility in recognising and responding to possible child abuse. Legislative Basis for policy – Child Care Act 1991 – Children’s Act 2001 – Education Act 1998 – Education and Welfare Act 2000 – Protection for Persons Reporting Child Abuse 1998 – Freedom of Information Act 1997/2003 Copies of these acts can be found at http://www.education.ie. This Child Protection Policy is drawn up in conjunction with these acts and guidelines. At ‘Tuition Hub’, the safety and protection of the child is of paramount importance in all situations.

General Purpose Statement

‘Tuition Hub’ seeks to provide a safe and secure environment for the children who participate in our programmes and activities. By implementing the below practices, our goal is to protect the children of ‘Tuition Hub’ from incidents of misconduct or inappropriate behaviour while also protecting our staff and volunteers (workers) from false accusations.

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, the terms “Child” or “Children” include all persons under the age of eighteen (18) years old. The term “Worker” includes both paid and unpaid persons who work with children. The term “Volunteer” means anyone in a daycare or school, in overnight activities involving minors, in counselling of minors, or in one-on-one mentoring of minors.

Selection of Workers

All persons who desire to work with the children participating in our programmes and activities will be screened. This screening will include the following;

1. a) Garda Vetting and Teaching Council number

2. b) Written Application – All persons seeking to work with children must complete and sign a written application in a form to be supplied by us. The application will request basic information from the applicant and will inquire into previous experience with children, reference and employment information, as well as the disclosure of any previous criminal convictions. The application form will be maintained in confidence

3. c) Personal Interview – Upon completion of the application, a face to face interview may be scheduled with the applicant to discuss his/her suitability for the position.

4. d) Reference Checks – Before the applicant is permitted to work with children, at least two of the applicants’ references will be checked. These references should be of an institutional nature as opposed to personal or family references, preferably from organisations where the applicant has worked with children in the past.

Responding To Allegations of Child Abuse

For purposes of this policy, “Child Abuse” is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following;

1. a) Physical Abuse – any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, and burns or biting.

2. b) Emotional Abuse – emotional injury when the child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.

3. c) Sexual Abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least 4 years older than the victim.

4. d) Neglect – depriving a child of his/her essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter and medical care.

Supervisors may have the opportunity to become aware of abuse or neglect of the children under our care. In the event that an individual involved in the care of the children at ‘Tuition Hub’ becomes aware of suspected abuse or neglect of a child under his/her care, this should be reported immediately to the Director of Education and Studies, Derval Newman, for further action and reported to the authorities as may be mandated by state law. Derval is a mandated person for TUSLA-Child and Family Agency.

In the event that an incident of abuse or neglect in alleged to have occurred at ‘Tuition Hub’ or during our sponsored programmes or activities, the following procedure shall be followed;

1. a) The parent/guardian of the child will be notified.

2. b) The worker or member alleged to be the perpetrator of the abuse or misconduct will immediately be placed on leave pending an investigation and instructed to remain away from the premises during the investigation. He or She should be instructed to have no contact with the victim or with witnesses.

3. c) All allegations of abuse should be reported to the civil authorities, and the organisation will comply with the state’s requirements regarding mandatory reporting of abuse as the law then exists. The organisation will fully cooperate with the investigation of the incident by the authorities.

4. d) The insurance company will be notified, and the organisation will complete an incident report. Any documents received relating to the incident and/or allegations will immediately be forwarded to the insurance company.

5. e) The advice of legal counsel will be sought before responding to media inquiries or releasing information about the situation to the public. All other representation of the organisation should refrain from speaking to the media.

6. f) Any person who is not found innocent of the alleged abuse or misconduct will be removed from their position working with children or youth.

Open Door Policy

Classroom doors should remain open unless there is a window in the door or a side window beside it. Doors should never be locked while persons are inside the room.

Teenage Workers

We recognise that there may be times when we have work experience students (paid or volunteer) who are themselves under the age of 18 to assist in caring for children during programs or activities. The following guidelines apply to teenage workers;

1. a) Must be at least aged 16 and be Garda Vetted

2. b) Must be screened as specified above

3. c) Must be under the supervision of an adult and must never be left alone with children

Check In/Check Out Procedure

A security check in/checkout procedure will be followed. The child will be signed in and signed out every day. We also adhere to keeping and updating daily attendance records which will be sent to parents at the end of every term or when requested.

Sick Child Policy

It is our desire to provide a healthy and safe environment for all of the children at ‘Tuition Hub’. Parents are encouraged to be considerate of other children when deciding whether to place a child under our care. In general, children with the following symptoms should NOT be dropped off;

• Fever, diarrhoea, or vomiting in the last 48 hours

• Green or yellow runny nose

• Eye or skin infections; and/or

• Other symptoms of communicable or infectious disease

Medications Policy

It is the policy of ‘Tuition Hub’ not to administer either prescription or non-prescription medications to the children under our care. Medications should be administered by a parent at home. Parents are reminded about our Sick Child Policy.

Exceptions to the Medications Policy may be granted to parents of children with potentially life-threatening conditions (such as asthma or severe allergic reactions). Parents of such children should address their situation with ‘Tuition Hub’ to develop a plan of action.

Restroom/Toilet Guidelines

For the protection of all, workers should never be alone with a child in a bathroom with the door closed and never be in a closed bathroom stall with a child.

Accidental Injuries to Children

In the event that a youth or child is injured while under our care, the following steps should be followed;

1. a) For minor injuries, scrapes, and bruises, workers will provide First Aid (band-aids, etc.) as appropriate and will notify the child’s parent or guardian of the injury at the time when the child is picked up from our care.

2. b) For injuries requiring medical treatment beyond simple First Aid, the parent and/or guardian will immediately be summoned in addition to the worker’s supervisor. If warranted by circumstance, an ambulance will be called.

3. c) Once the child has received appropriate medical attention, an incident report will be completed in the case of injuries requiring treatment by a medical professional.

Training

‘Tuition Hub’ will provide training on this Child Protection Policy to all new supervisors and will strive to provide opportunities for additional training classes or events on an annual basis. All workers are strongly encouraged to attend these training events.

Child Protection Reporting Procedure

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) to deal with Child Protection concerns in this organisation is Derval Newman. Should this person be absent, for whatever reason, the Deputy Designated Liaison Person (DDLP) is Ciarán Mc Fadden. Derval and Ciarán are both mandated persons for TUSLA.