Information for Parents/Guardians

Parents and guardians have primary responsibility for the care and protection of their children, but child safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. One way that parents and guardians can play a key role in keeping children and young people safe in their activities is by understanding what child safeguarding means and what measures are required to be in place.

Those running activities and delivering services have a duty of care to children and young people and must always ensure a child’s safety and wellbeing. Organisations need to show that they are establishing a positive child safeguarding culture and supportive environments.

In services for children and young people, child safeguarding means ensuring safe practice and appropriate responses by all workers and volunteers to concerns about the safety or welfare of children, should these arise.

Child safeguarding is about protecting the child from harm, promoting their welfare, and in doing so creating an environment that enables children and young people to grow, develop, and achieve their full potential. It means keeping children safe from abuse and having robust child safeguarding policies, trained staff, and clear procedures to address concerns and practice issues that parents and guardians should be aware of.

Learning about the various types of abuse – physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect - means parents and guardians can recognise potential issues early on. Early recognition allows timely action to protect children and young people, address any concerns, and help prevent further harm.

Organisations put in place child safeguarding measures to minimise the risk of such harm, and to ensure a quick response if they become concerned that a child is being abused or at risk of abuse. Organisations develop codes of behaviour/conduct to ensure good practice and safe practice when working with your children. If you believe the relevant safeguarding policies and codes of conduct/behaviour are not understood or followed by staff or volunteers, you should raise this with the organisation.

All organisations providing services or activities to children and young people – such as schools, clubs, and childcare settings - should have child safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect them from harm and promote their welfare. Most organisations will also have specific legal obligations, including a requirement to have a Child Safeguarding Statement in place.

Organisations should share their Child Safeguarding Statement, policy, and procedures with parents and children. They should also enable parents and children to ask questions about how children are safeguarded while in the organisation.

Parents and guardians should be assured that the organisation or service has adequate child safeguarding policies/procedures and suitably trained staff to safeguard children and young people.

Parents and guardians may find it useful to ask the following questions:

• Can you tell me what child safeguarding measures you have in place?
• Do you have a Child Safeguarding Statement and child safeguarding policies and procedures to support it?
• Do you have a Code of Behaviour/Conduct for working safely with children?
• Do staff and volunteers go through a recruitment process, including being Garda-vetted?
• Are staff and volunteers trained in safeguarding?
• Who is the Designated Liaison Person and how can I contact them?
• What action/follow-up will your organisation take:
  • If I have a child safeguarding concern or a concern about poor practice?
  • I want to give feedback on my child’s experience, whether good or bad?
  • To provide assurances to parents that all children will be treated equally and included?
  • To ensure that all your staff and volunteers know they are responsible for ensuring that all child safeguarding measures are implemented?

Through an understanding of child safeguarding, parents and guardians can contribute to ensuring there is a culture of safety and protection.

We all should know how to report concerns about a child. The organisation’s reporting procedure describes to staff and volunteers how to raise concerns about a child’s protection and welfare and how to report concerns to Tusla if appropriate.

As a parent, if you are concerned for the welfare or protection of your child or any child, and are not satisfied with an organisation’s response, you should report directly to Tusla.

See also:

What to do if you have a concern about a child or young person