CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR

 BALALLY PARISH

Gárda Síochána (Dundrum):                                                         01-6665600                                             

Dublin Diocese Child Protection Office:                                        01-8360314

Dublin Diocese Director of

Child Protection Service:                                                              01-8842590

Principal Area Social Worker (Area 2):                                        01-2680333

Childline:                                                                                      1850-666666

ISPCC                                                                                         01-6767960

One in Four:                                                                                 01-6624070

Samaritans Helpline:                                                                     1850-609090

Parish Office:                                                                               01-2954296

Emergency Numbers:                                                                  999 or 112

INTRODUCTION

The Priests, the Parish Pastoral Council and the people of Balally value and encourage the participation of children and young people in liturgies and in activities that enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional and social development. We recognise the dignity and rights of all children and are committed to their protection and support.

In keeping with this, the Parish Pastoral Council and the Child Protection Representatives of the Parish, will work to do all in their power to create safe environments for children and young people in order to secure their protection and enable their full participation in the life of the Church.

Garda Vetting in Dublin Archdiocese

Our Children, Our Church (Veritas 2005)¹, which sets out child protection policies procedures for the Catholic Church in Ireland, provides that once a person has been selected, and before they take up appointment, the vetting procedures in the relevant jurisdiction should be fully utilised. This reflects national and international best practice in this area.

1. Our Children Our Church (Veritas 2005) is the best practice Guidelines in Child Protection for the Catholic Church in Ireland, 

BASIC PROCEDURES

The Parish undertakes to have the following procedures in place

• Signed parental consent and participant forms for   each young person and for each activity taking    place in the parish
• Appropriate supervision ratios of adults to young people while maintaining the practice of ensuring that no young person is left alone with an adult. A duty roster of leaders to ensure adequate supervision of young people at all times.
• A code of behaviour for all adult leaders & young people
• Adequate record keeping processes including:

          (a)  Parish Volunteer Forms

          (b)  Incident/Accident Report forms

          (c)  Activity Participation Forms

          (d)  Medical information and treatment permission forms

          (e)  Contact information for parents/guardians form

           (f)  Programme/attendance record forms

RECOMMENDED SUPERVISION RATIO 

The code of practice/child protection for the youth work sector recommends the following:

The minimum adult to young person ratio should ideally be one adult per group of eight, plus one other adult, and allowing an additional adult for each group of eight thereafter.

Local circumstances, the ages of the children, the experience of the volunteers and staff should be taken into consideration. Safety, ability/disability of young people and the nature of the activities being undertaken may require that these ratios be considerably lower.

DUTY ROSTER 

All leaders should draw up and comply with an appropriate duty roster to ensure adequate supervision of young people at all times.

CODE OF BEHAVIOUR

IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO

• Spend excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.
• Take children alone in a car on journeys, however short.
• Take children to your home. 

NEVER

• Engage in rough physical games include horseplay

         – apart from structured sports activities.

• Engage in sexually provocative games.
• Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form.
• Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
• Make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child, even in fun.
• Let allegations made by a child go unchallenged or unrecorded;

         (Always follow procedures, document on the Incident/Accident Report Form).

• Do things of a personal nature for children that they can do themselves.

TASKS OF A PERSONAL NATURE SHOULD ONLY BE CARRIED OUT

• For very young children or children with disabilities.
• With the full understanding and consents of parents.
• In an emergency – parents should be fully informed.

ALL TASKS OF A PERSONAL NATURE ARE TO BE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE UTMOST DISCRETION

TOUCHING SHOULD

• Be in response to the need of the child and not the adult.
• Be with the child’s permission – resistance from the child should be respected.
• Avoid breasts, buttocks and groin.
• Be open and not secretive.
• Be governed by the age and developmental stage of the child.

IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIE

• Always work openly with children.
• If manual support is required it should be provided openly.
• If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure staff and volunteers of appropriate gender work in pairs.
• Where there are mixed groups away from home, a male and female member of staff or volunteer should always accompany them. 

Away from Home 

Ensure you have: 

• Adequate staffing/Volunteer Leaders.
• Programme prepared well in advance.
• Codes of behaviour for all taking part.
• Emergency plan in place.
• Transport.
• All Documentation prepared in advance.
• Incident Record / Accident Reporting forms.
• Insurance.