Gaelscoil Chill Dara

Child Protection Policy: Gaelscoil Chill Dara

Foreword
The staff, parents and management of Gaelscoil Chill Dara have developed and agreed a policy on child abuse protection which is in keeping with the current guidelines of the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children.
This policy deals with the school’s responsibilities in the following areas:
Protection through curricular provision
Procedure – procedure with regard to reasons for anxiety / disclosure
Practice – best practice for child protection
A copy of this policy will be provided to every staff member along with:
‘Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures’, The Department of Education and Science, available on www.education.ie and
‘Children First – National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children’, Department of Health and Children, available on www.dohc.ie
Each staff member has the responsibility to inform themselves about these guidelines

Aims
The policy has the following aims:
To create a safe, trusting, responsible and empathic environment,
To provide education on personal safety skills which is directed specifically at child abuse protection to every child in the school
To develop awareness and responsibility on child protection among the school community
To promote behaviours and procedures around best practice to protect children and staff
To ascertain that the entire school staff is aware of the ‘Children First’ guidelines and what is the modus operandi regarding anxiousness or disclosures.
To provide ongoing training to staff in this area.

Protection
The main sources for educating children about child protection in our school are the Stay Safe, Walk Tall and RSE programmes. These programmes are taught as part of the SPHE curriculum as part of the Safety and Protection Strand Unit (Personal Safety)
When the programmes are beginning in school the parents will be informed. The lessons in the programme Stay Safe will be taught alternating with Walk Tall each second year before Easter. The RSE programme will be taught in all classes in January and February.
Copies of these programmes are available on www.staysafe.ie, www.education.ie, and www.walktall.ie

The staff will make every effort to enforce the messages portrayed in the lessons whenever an opportunity arises to do so.

Practice:
The entire staff (teachers, SNA’s, support staff, secretarial and caretaking staff etc.) will follow the proposals and guidelines for reporting contained in ‘Children First’ and the Department’s document: Guidelines and Practice for Child Protection

The Board of Management has appointed Seán de Paor (school principal) as Designated Liaison Person (DLP) and Caitríona Ní Dhúnaí as Deputy Designated Liaison Person.
Any person (parent, member of staff, etc.) should liaise with the DLP or Deputy DLP in the first instance should a concern arise. The DLP and Deputy DLP will examine and assess any cause for concern according to the Department’s guidelines outlined above.

Procedure

The staff and board of management recognise the following areas as areas for concern for child protection. After discussion and interplay between the staff , the parents and Board of Management they accepted the following in particular

a)Physical contact: Physical contact will not be made with children except when absolutely necessary. E.g when it is in the child’s safety interest

b) Visitors / Guest speakers: In general the teaching staff will deliver the courses, but from time to time, or if the teacher is unable to deliver the course, it is permissible to bring in suitable external advisors to school to speak to the children

c)Children with toileting requirements / personal care requirements: This area is the responsibility of the class teacher in consultation with the child’s parents and the SNA
d)Toileting Accidents: Spare clean clothes are kept in the school storeroom. If children are upset parents are contacted


e)Individual teaching : It is not permissible for teachers / instructors to teach individual children in rooms with the door closed

f)Clothes changing for Games / Physical Education / Swimming. Children change in the appropriate changing rooms. Teachers / instructors may not be in changing rooms with individual children.

g)Recruitment and selection of staff: The Garda vetting system will be employed when new staff are being recruited

h)General behaviour: The school has a code of behaviour. It is available on www.gaelscoilchilldara.com

i)Supervision of Children: A teacher constantly supervises the children

j)Internet Use: The school enforces an Acceptable Usage Policy which covers photographs, recognition of children etc. The policy is available on www.gaelscoilchilldara.com

Even though every effort to maintain best practice will be made, as agreed above, if it happens in a case of emergency that it is not possible or practical to enforce the policy a complete account of the incident should be registered and presented to the Principal without delay

Allegations or Suspicion about Child Abuse by School Employees

The Board will make particular reference to the provisions in Chapter 4 of Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures from the Department of Education and Science when it is dealing with such events. The Cathaoirleach will give timely effect to the direct provisions which are laid out in sub-clause 4.3 ‘Action to be Taken by the Chairperson’, and in particular, to take account of sub-clause 4.3.2 which compels the Chairperson to make available directly to the employee a copy in writing of the allegation and any other relevant documentation. This should be done as soon as possible and in any case before any meeting or meetings of the Board of Management which would be dealing with the case.

Subsection 4.4 – ‘Further follow-up required’ has to do with what was brought before the Board of Management. In case of any doubt, the Cathaoirleach and Principal must ensure that the employee is informed properly of any upcoming meeting of the Board and to ensure that he/she is invited to such meetings, and to be present when all information about the case is being presented to the Board members. The employee may bring a person or persons to the meeting to represent him/her. In spite of the employee’s right to have someone at the meeting to ensure that he/she receives a correct, clear account of that part of the meeting which pertains to the case, the Board will furnish the employee with all minutes which pertain to the case. This procedure will be in place for every meeting which makes reference to the case.

Link to other policies / to planning areas:
Protection: SPHE Curriculum, Strand Unit Safety and Protection,
The school’s Code of Behaviour

Customs: Code of Behaviour
Safety Statement


Practice: Swimming Policy
School Tours / Outside Events
I.T. Acceptable Usage Policy

Review and Monitoring
The Board of Management will review and monitor the policy annually or at other times as required.
The staff will be required to review this policy regularly and every effort will be made to direct the attention of new staff members to the child protection policy
The board will ensure that the appropriate training and support opportunities will be made available to the staff.

This policy was compiled in consultation with parents, teaching staff and Board of Management of Gaelscoil Chill Dara and was adopted at a meeting on January 25 2010

Policy accepted by the Board of Management _ Signed: Colm Ó Gógáin__ Cathaoirleach

Counter signed Seán de Paor, Príomhoide


Please note all policies available on www.gaelscoilchilldara.com