Child Safeguarding Statements & Safeguarding Risk Assessment Workshop

About the Workshop

On the 2nd of October 2024, NYCI’s Child Protection Programme brought together the youth work sector to explore Child Safeguarding Statements and Safeguarding Risk Assessments within their organisations. Comprehensive safeguarding risk assessments are key to ensuring children and young people are safe from harm and abuse when availing of your service, youth club, project, or programme. They are an integral part of an organisation’s Child Safeguarding Statement and a requirement under the Children First 2015 legislation. Tusla’s Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit presented their findings from a 2023 audit of the youth work sector and their findings from a 2023 youth consultation to measure young people’s awareness and understanding of Child Safeguarding Statements.
Suzanne Phelan, a leading expert in child protection and safeguarding in Ireland, presented a workshop around conducting safeguarding risk assessments, focusing on the process and highlighted the key elements of a comprehensive risk assessment and how organisations should carry these out. Tusla’s Children First Information and Advice Service concluded the day with a presentation on Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and how these are integral to the successful implementation of a Child Safeguarding Statement, including the specified procedures required under the Children First 2015 legislation.
NYCI’s Child Protection programme is committed to supporting the sector to fulfil their obligations under Children First and ensure that children and young people are safe and protected from harm.

Speakers and Resources

Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit

 

The CSSCU is the dedicated Unit within TUSLA set up to ensure that providers’ Child Safeguarding Statements (CSS) are compliant with the requirements of Section 11 of the Children First Act 2015. The unit was established in March 2018 to provide both compliance support and enforcement in relation to Child Safeguarding Statement requirements (s.11). The CSSCU is responsible for Child Safeguarding Statement enforcement (s.12) and maintaining the Public Register of Non-Compliance (s.13).

Maria McGloughlin, Senior Registration & Enforcement Officer and Michelle Hennessy, Senior Compliance Support Officer, will share findings and learning from a Child Safeguarding Statement Sector Compliance Review with the Youth sector and a consultation with young people on awareness and understanding of Child Safeguarding Statements.

CSSCU Presentation Slides
CSSCU Report
CSSCU Review

Suzanne Phelan

 

Qualified as a Social Worker in 1985 and went on to work with the former Eastern Health Board in a number of settings including addiction, CAMHS, medical while always maintaining a focus on Child Protection. Throughout her career she held posts as a Team Leader, Principal Social Worker and Child Care Manager across North Dublin until leaving in 2007 to focus on other avenues. Following this she held a number of positions with Tusla including Chair of Special Care Referrals Committees for 12 years, and was also a member of the Child Deaths and Serious Incidents Review Panel and the Appeals Panel. Currently her work is concentrated in the NGO sector and with public bodies such as local authorities and education and training boards. She also works with a number of religious orders and dioceses.

Suzanne Phelan Presentation Slides
cfias

Children First Information and Advice Service (CFIAS)

 

The CFIAS was established in 2000, to support implementation of Children First legislation and guidance across all stakeholders external to Tusla (then the HSE). The service seeks to support the broad understanding of Children First requirements. It works with individual services, Government Departments, umbrella bodies, etc. to strategically drive understanding of Children First requirements through the development of strategic partnerships, the development and delivery of training and information materials, the review of policy and procedure, facilitating and supporting the development of implementation strategies, etc. The CFIAS scope of work has expanded more recently to encompass support for Tusla Children First compliance and understanding.

CFIAS Presentation Slides