Ensuring Children’s Safety and Wellbeing

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We want all children in our parish to feel welcome in all our parish activities and to know that their contribution and participation are respected and valued.  Ensuring these children’s safety and wellbeing is our priority.

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The following requirements and procedures apply to all Parish Groups and Activities in the Harbour Parishes involving children or young persons under the age of eighteen:

• ​All adult leaders and volunteers must undergo Garda Vetting before they take up their role.

• A Joint Guardian / Child Consent Form is required of all children and young people taking part in parish groups or activities.

• A Code of Conduct for Adults is in place for all adult volunteers and leaders.

• A Code of Conduct for Children and Young People will be drawn up with the participation and collaboration of the children and young people participating  in the group/activity.

• An attendance record will be kept of all group activities.

• Each group/activity will carry out a Hazard Assessment to ensure all facilities are compliant with health and safety standards.

• Parents and Guardians are made aware of the complaints procedures, reporting procedures for allegations, suspicions/concerns and the codes of conduct for both children and adults.

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Additionally, each group or activity involving children will retain the following:

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• Accident / Incident Forms

• Complaints Form

• Media Permission Forms [that must be signed before any photos or videos related to parish activities involving children are published either in hardcopy or online].

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Supervision Ratios

At a minimum two adults are required for each activity. In addition the following minimum supervision ratios of adult leaders to children and young people, recommended by Church Policy, apply:

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• Newborn to one year old  - One adult to three children

• One to two years old - One adult to five children

• Two to three years old  -  One adult to six children

• Three to twelve years old - One adult to eight children

• Thirteen to eighteen years old -  One adult to ten children

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For overnight activities, additional adult leaders should be considered.  If the group is mixed, a gender balance of adult leaders should be maintained.

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Safeguarding Records and Files: Data Protection

All records and files related to safeguarding will be stored safely and securely in accordance with the Data Protection obligations of the Harbour Parishes. The data will be used only for the purpose indicated on the form and it may only be accessed by those with responsibility for managing records or the respective group activity.

 

Whistleblowing Policy

The Diocese of Cork and Ross encourages any person who has a concern about people or practices in the Diocese and its services to contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Service. The scope of this policy covers any concerns about the conduct of Church personnel, either staff or volunteers. Any such concerns can be reported under this policy.  The full policy is available on the diocesan website at www.corkandross.org

 

Parish Safeguarding Representatives

Our team of Parish Safeguarding Representatives works to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all children involved in the life of our parish. The Church’s Safeguarding Policy document describes their role as working with the parish clergy in:

• Raising awareness of what child safeguarding is.

• Ensuring that parishioners are informed regarding the standards that apply to all Church activities involving children.

• Ensuring that Church activities in our parish are provided in a way that ensures the safety and well-being of the children involved.

• Ensuring that the contact details of the Diocesan Designated Liaison Person, Tusla [The Child and Family Agency] and An Garda Síochána are widely publicised and are clearly displayed in all Church properties.

• Ensuring that the standards in practice and behaviour laid down in the national policy are upheld.

• ​Each of the Parish Safeguarding Representatives receives training approved by The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

 

Our Parish Safeguarding Representatives are:

 

• Celine Hyde                      Passage West

• Lisa Hanna                        Monkstown

• Nikki O’Neill                    Ringaskiddy

• Jackie Keane                      Shanbally

 

The contact details of each of the Parish Safeguarding Representatives are available from the Parish Office or in any of the sacristies in the parish.