Child Safeguarding
GENERAL STATEMENT
RATOATH COMMUNITY CENTRE – CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
Ratoath Community Centre is totally committed to safeguarding children visiting our centre. We have developed policies and procedures to ensure this commitment is enshrined in all aspects of our operations and such that we can provide children with a safe environment when using our facilities.
This Statement is in accordance with requirements under the Childrens First Act 2015 and in line with Children First : National Guidance for the Protection and Wellbeing of Children 2017.
Ratoath Community Centre is operated as a multi-use, multi-generational community hub that is widely used by the people of Ratoath and surrounding areas. Some activities are carried out directly by Ratoath Community Centre including our Happy Days Childcare services. Some activities are carried out by individuals and organisations who hire out our facilities and have children as their primary audience. Ratoath Community Centre recognise our responsibility to ensure that in the latter case, these individuals and organisations uphold an adequate child safeguarding policy and have a named person for child safeguarding.
Ratoath Community Centre has undertaken a risk assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our services and attending our centre. In addition we have had independent experts conduct an audit of all the services that cater for children within the Community Centre. The following additional procedures support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our services – Procedures for - (1) the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against workers / volunteers of a child availing of our services (2) the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children (3) the provision of and access to child safeguard training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm (4) the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Tusla (5) maintaining a list of the relevant persons in the service who are Mandated Persons (6) appointing a relevant person ‘ Designated Liaison Person’ and ‘Deputy Designated Liaison Person’ and (7) regularly reviewing all policies and procedures, safety statement and risk assessments.
Ratoath Community Centre recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. We are totally committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our services. This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed every 24 months or as soon as practicable after there has been any material change in any matter to which this Statement refers.
Date
April 2023
Name
Laura Murphy, CEO
Designated Liaison Person :
Laura Murphy
Tel 01 6895600
Deputy Designated Liaison Person :
Annette Cosgrave
Tel 01 6895600