Child Protection

Riverview Educate Together National School Child Protection Policy.

Ratified 9th February 2017

Introductory Statement:

 

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, practices and activities. Accordingly, in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Education and Skills’ Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, the Board of Management of Riverview Educate Together National School has agreed the following Child Protection Policy:

  1. 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 as part of this overall Child Protection Policy.
  2. The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Margaret Burke.
  3. The Deputy Designated Liaison Person for 2016/2017 is Gerry McKevitt.
  4. In its policies, practices and activities, Riverview Educate Together 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 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.

 

This policy has been drawn up in line with the current recommendations and guidelines relating to child abuse prevention and child protection guidelines. It addresses the responsibilities of the school in the following areas:

(a) Prevention – curriculum provision

(b) Procedures – procedures for dealing with concerns/disclosures

(c) Practice – best practice in child protection

An individual copy of this policy document and the DES Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools is available to hand in all offices, classrooms and support rooms of the school.

The draft policy was written, in line with DES Circular 0065/2011 in June 2015.

This policy will be circulated to all parents for their information and feedback in Term 1 of the academic year 2015/2016.

Aims:

This policy aims to

1. Create a safe, trusting, responsive and caring environment for all pupils

2. Provide a personal safety skills education which specifically addresses abuse prevention for all children in the school

3. Develop awareness and responsibility in the area of child protection amongst the whole school community

4. Put in place procedures for good practice to protect all pupils and staff

5. Ensure that all staff members are aware of and familiar with the “Children First” and the DES guidelines and procedures in relation to reporting concerns and/or disclosures of child abuse

6. Provide for on-going training in this and related areas for all school staff

Prevention:

The “Stay Safe” programme is the primary resource used in this school to provide education for children on abuse prevention. The programme is taught as part of the school’s SPHE curriculum under the strand unit Safety and Protection/Personal Safety.

On enrolment of their child, parents will be informed at various meetings that the Stay Safe programme is used at all class levels in the school and a copy of the Stay Safe ‘A Parent’s Guide’ will be provided in the Parents’ Welcome Pack. The “Stay Safe” Parents’ Guide is also available at the school in the following languages; English, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Chinese, Polish, French and Spanish.

The formal Stay Safe lessons will be taught in their entirety every second year, in the following classes: Junior Infants, 1st Class, 3rd Class and 5th Class, in accordance with the SPHE two-year cycle. A short set of mini-lessons will be taught every other year to refresh and reinforce the key messages of the programme.

The Child Protection guidelines, our S.P.H.E. school plan and the “Stay Safe” programme will be outlined at the New Parents’ Meeting in June and again at each class meeting in September/October.

Staff will reinforce the messages of the programme whenever possible.

Procedures:

All staff members (teachers, special needs assistants, ancillary staff) in this school will follow the recommendations for reporting concerns or disclosures as outlined in ‘Children First’ and the DES document, ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-primary Schools”

Practice:

Riverview Educate Together National School have identified and adopted the following areas of good practice in relation to child protection:

  1. Visitors/Guests/Coaches/Trips etc. – pupils will always be supervised by a staff member
  2. Toileting accidents – parents/carers will be contacted to come and collect the child or bring fresh clothes. Parent will change the child’s clothes. If the parents are unable to come to the school and agree to it over the phone, a teacher/ SNA will help the child to change, with another teacher/SNA present. If a parent/carer cannot be contacted, the child’s clothes will be changed with two adults present. The child will be encouraged to change their own clothes as far as possible and will be assisted, where needed. Parents/carers will be informed of the incident. (This will also apply to vomiting incidents where a parent/carer cannot be contacted to come and collect their child)

(c) Children with specific toileting/intimate care needs – a procedure will be agreed with the parents/carers.

(d) One-to-one teaching – Teachers and pupils will always remain visible through the glass panel in the door. If there is no glass panel, the door will be left open.

  1. Recruitment and selection of staff – Garda vetting of teaching and non-teaching staff as outlined in DES circular 0063/10.
  2. Supervision of pupils – children will never be left unsupervised at school. In the case of a wet playtime, classroom doors will be left open and teachers rostered for yard duty will share the supervision of all classes while teachers have their lunch.

(g) Internet use – An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) will be implemented in the school

  1. Mobile phones – Mobile phones may not be used by pupils at any time during the school day, on the school grounds. Members of the school staff may not use their phones for personal reasons during class time or contact time with the children.
  2. Swimming lessons – teachers will not get into the pool with the children. Pupils must be able to dry and dress themselves independently. A female teacher plus one other female adult will supervise in the girls’ changing room and a teacher plus one other adult will supervise in the boys’ changing room. For SEN pupils or children with specific toileting/intimate care needs an SNA may be required to get into the pool during swimming lessons. In this case, a procedure will be agreed with parents/carers in advance.
  3. Staff members will never give one child a lift in their car without another adult passenger.
  4. Only one child is permitted in the toilet area at a time, unless an adult is supervising close by. The outer doors of the toilet areas will remain wedged open at all times.
  5. A “Sign-In” book is used in the office to record visitors to the school building.

It is important to note that while every effort will be made to adhere to best practice, as agreed and outlined above, in the event of an emergency or unforeseen occurrence this may not be possible or practicable. In such instances, a full record of an incident should be made and reported to the principal, parents of children involved and the Board of Management, as appropriate.

Links to other policy/planning areas:

Prevention: SPHE curriculum, strand unit on ‘Safety and Protection’

Procedures: School Code of Good Behaviour

Substance Use Policy

Health and Safety Statement

Administration of Medications Policy

Garda Vetting Policy

Parental Involvement Policy – to be drafted.

Mobile Phone Policy – to be drafted.

Review and Monitoring:

This policy, and its implementation will be reviewed by the Board of Management once in every school year, in line with DES Circular 0065/2011 or more often if the need arises. The attention of all newly appointed staff will be drawn to these documents upon their appointment to the school. It is incumbent on all staff to familiarise themselves with the “Children First” guidelines and the DES Child Protection Procedures. This policy will be read through and reviewed at the first staff meeting of each school year.

The BOM will facilitate training and support for all staff members.

This policy will be published on the school website and provided to the Parent-Teacher Association, when established. A copy of this policy will be made available to the Department of Education and Skills and the Patron, if requested. Hard copies of this, and all school policies, are available at the school on request.

This policy was adopted by the Board of Management on February 9th, 2017

Signed: ______________________________________ (Principal)

 

Signed: ______________________________________ (Chairperson)

 

Date: ________________________________________

 

Date of next review: January 2018.