Description
The Child Safeguarding Statement is required for Early Years and After School Services and follows on from the Child Safeguarding Policy, which is also required.
The guiding principles of the Child Safeguarding Statement are to ensure the welfare and safeguarding of all children and young people attending childcare services and a commitment from Service providers to uphold the rights of every child and young person who attend a service, including the right to be kept safe and protected from harm, to be listened to and to be heard. It confirms that all children and young people have an equal right to attend a childcare service that respects them as individuals and encourages them to reach their potential, regardless of their background.
The Child Safeguarding Statement sets out the criteria for putting these assurances in place and the policies and procedures followed by childcare services to ensure that they are put into effect.
It contains a Risk Assessment setting out various risks of harm as defined in the Children First Act 2015, the policies and procedures in place to manage these risks and the people in the Service responsible for ensuring that the policies and procedures are in place and followed.
The Child Safeguarding Statement delineates a consistent and impartial approach to managing complaints, ensuring utmost confidentiality and bias-free.
Key features of the Child Safeguarding Statement include:
- The type of service being operated. (e.g. Full Day Care (FDC), Sessional (SESS) or After School (SAC)).
- Alignment with the Child Care Act 1991 legislation, accompanied by registration details with Tusla.
- Key information particular to each Service like opening hours, capacity, Number of children attending, age range, activities, and key contacts.
- Procedures, emphasising child protection, safety, Garda vetting, and clear conduct codes.
- A thorough risk assessment addressing all potential threats to child safety and the associated countermeasures.
- Complete procedure information, from managing risks and reporting abuse to staff recruitment and training.
- Commitment to consistently implementing and regularly reviewing the Child Safeguarding Statement.
With this document, you can ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest standards in child safety for FDC, SESS and SAC services.
Our Statement is crafted with precision and backed by essential legislation. This document is an indispensable asset for all Child safety.
