Child Protection in IPAS Accommodation Centres

We all have a responsibility to protect children and young people in our centres and to create an environment that makes their lives better and safer.

It is vital that all staff and volunteers in our centres recognise when a child is being harmed and that they understand how to react. The updated Child Protection and Welfare Safeguarding Policy and Practice Document outlines the steps which should be taken to ensure that children or young people are protected from harm. It includes information about the Children First Act 2015 and includes detailed information for the professionals and organisations who have legal obligations to keep children safe.

You can find more information in the guidance document, which is available here:

Child Protection and Welfare Safeguarding Policy and Practice Document

The State’s child welfare and protection policy is based on a legal framework provided by the Child Care Act 1991 and the Children First Act 2015. The policy and practice that applies in this area is outlined in the above guidance document.

There is a free online child welfare and protection training module which is mandatory for all IPAS accommodation centre staff available on the Tusla Website, www.tusla.ie

IPAS also provide follow up Children First Foundation Training for all IPAS staff and IPAS accommodation centre staff nationwide.

If you have a welfare concern about a child in IPAS accommodation, please email residentwelfareteam@justice.ie

In order to thoroughly check your complaint, IPAS need to know:

· that a report has been sent to Tusla;

· when and where the incident happened;

· the type of abuse reported;

· the date it was sent to TUSLA and

· the acknowledgement reference number received from Tusla.

IPAS does not need to know the name of the child / children, the family name or identification number.

To help you report any such concern, you may complete this form and return it to the resident welfare team:

All IPAS centres, including those designated as emergency centres, are required to adhere to the Children First legislation and National Guidance. All managers of IPAS centres are mandated persons under the Children First Act. Each centre is required to have a Child Safeguarding Statement and to implement the IPAS Child Protection Policy.

A principal social worker within IPAS is designated as child safeguarding lead. The Child Safeguarding Lead meets all managers of centres with children as new centres open. The principal social worker and her team at IPAS engage with managers to ensure they appoint a Designated Liaison Person (DLP) under Children First and staff complete the mandatory Children First e-learning module.

Designated Liaison Person

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures within their organisation are followed, so that child welfare and protection concerns are referred promptly to Tusla. The DLP should record all concerns or allegations of child abuse brought to his/her attention and the actions taken in relation to a concern or allegation of child abuse.

Mandated persons

The Children First 2015 Act places a legal obligation on certain people. As a mandated person, under the legislation you are required to report any knowledge, belief or reasonable suspicion that a child has been harmed, is being harmed, or is at risk of being harmed.

The Children First 2015 Act defines harm as assault, ill‐treatment, neglect or sexual abuse, and covers single and multiple instances.

If you are in any doubt about whether your concern reaches the legal definition of harm for making a mandated report, Tusla can provide advice to you in this regard. You can find details of who to contact to discuss your concern on the Tusla website at www.tusla.ie

If your concern does not reach the threshold for mandated reporting, but you feel it is a reasonable concern about the welfare or protection of a child, you should report it to Tusla. Anyone can make a report to Tusla, including staff and volunteers who are not mandated. You should always inform Tusla when you have reasonable grounds for concern that a child may have been, is being, or is at risk of being abused or neglected. If you ignore what may be symptoms of abuse, it could result in ongoing harm to the child. It is not necessary for you to prove that abuse has occurred to report a concern to Tusla. All that is required is that you have reasonable grounds for concern.

The organisation’s Child Protection and Welfare reporting procedures should be followed. If the worker/volunteer or the DLP are unsure if there are reasonable grounds for concern they can informally discuss their concern with the Tusla duty social worker.

If you feel the child is in immediate risk of harm, call An Garda Síochána (Irish Police) immediately on 999. When you make a report to Tusla of a concern about a child you should let IPAS know that a report has been made. We do not need a copy of the report submitted to Tusla, the detail contained in the report or the child’s details. Tusla will acknowledge receipt of your report and issue you with a reference number. You can include this reference number when you are notifying IPAS on the ‘Reporting a child welfare concern to IPAS’ form above.

The Department’s Child Protection and Welfare Safeguarding Policy and Practice Document provides guidance to all staff in accommodation centres, International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS), Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP), International Protection Support Services (IPSS) and State-owned International Protection Accommodation (SIPA).

This policy document commits IPAS, IRPP and all accommodation centres to ensuring that all Child Protection or Welfare issues which arise are dealt with without delay. It comprises both a policy and practice document. In relation to the latter, the specific steps to be taken when a child protection or welfare concern is reported are outlined in greater detail. This document can be found below.