Information for Organisations and Individuals working with Children and Young People

While the role of parents/guardians is to protect their children, society also has a duty of care towards children and young people. Everyone should be alert to the possibility that children they are in contact with may be abused or at risk of abuse or neglect.

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.

All individuals and organisations working with children and young people should create a culture of safety that promotes the welfare of the children and young people using their services.

Children First imposes a number of specific responsibilities on these individuals and organisations, and their staff/volunteers.

• Safeguarding Policies and Procedures

All individuals and organisations providing services or activities to children and young people should have child safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect them from harm and promote their welfare.

Staff in organisations should understand what these policies and procedures mean. They should also expect that parents or guardians may have queries about them. Staff should be prepared to answer those queries and know who will answer them on behalf of the organisation.

• Mandated Persons

Under Children First, certain people who work with children have additional legal obligations. These are known as Mandated Persons. It is your responsibility to determine if you are a mandated person in your current role.

More information on the role of a Mandated Person is available in this dedicated e-learning module on the Tusla website.

• Child Safeguarding Statement

In addition, under Children First, organisations providing certain services to children and young people are legally required to complete a risk assessment and have a Child Safeguarding Statement in place.

A Child Safeguarding Statement is a written statement that sets out the services provided and the policies and procedures in place to ensure, as much as possible, that a child or young person using the service is safe from harm.

See also:

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

Further Information and Resources