Child Protection

These documents are reviewed annually.

Safeguarding-Statement-2024.pdf

Checklist for review -Safeguarding-Statement-2024.pdf

The principle guiding these documents, and the policy and practice of our school, is to ‘recognise that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations.’

This manifests itself in two ways:

  • Borrisokane Community College will endeavor implement the highest standards of care in relation to our students and these standards will be reflected in all school policies.
  • Personnel at the school will follow procedures outlined in the Department of Education and Skills’ Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 in relation to all matters pertaining to child welfare.

 

All registered teachers (i.e. the teaching staff of this school) are mandated persons in accordance with the Children First Act 2015. This means that a teacher will be obliged to report any disclosure or concern she or he may have that a child may be exposed to one or more of the four forms of abuse:

  • Neglect,
  • Emotional abuse,
  • Physical abuse,
  • Sexual abuse.

 

Such referrals will be made to TUSLA (the Child and Family Agency). The school is also guided by the TUSLA publication, Children First. This document gives a full explanation of the forms of abuse listed above. It also outlines the responsibilities of organisations in relation to child protection and how concerns are to be dealt with.

 

Links to relevant documents are to be found below

Children First, National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children

https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Children_First_National_Guidance_2017.pdf

Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools (revised 2023) Department of Education

file:///C:/Users/ceire/Downloads/268613_39868a39-1de4-4890-97a0-2fa388a8a2a9.pdf

Our educational programmes contribute to child protection. In particular, our Relationships and Sexuality Education (R.S.E.), Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.), Wellbeing programmes and Mentoring Sessions equip our students with the knowledge, skills and information required to stay safe and healthy.