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Child Protection
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Training for workers and staff

Ógras are committed to providing healthy, safe services as regards youth work and child protection. We do this by adhering to the following principles at all times within the organisation:

As people that work in the youth sector, we have a responsibility of care. We have to be active in protecting young people and preventing them from coming to harm. Our staff and voluntary workers accept their responsibility to protect young people that are under their care. To ensure that our youth workers have the necessary skills to ensure that they can carry out this aspect of their work effectively, training courses are provided to our staff and voluntary workers on a regular basis. Those who work with young people need to undertake these courses regularly. You can contact your Development Officer to organise a course for your club. We also have a Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Statement, which are both available on our Policies page. If you have any question with regards to child protection, you can contact our staff to get further information.

 

For more serious or urgent concerns, about a particular case or young person, contact our Designated Liaison Person below:

  • The wellbeing of the child/young person holds the most importance. 

  • Everyone is responsible for child safety and protection  

  • Children have a right to be listened to and have all they have to say heard.

  • Respect and esteem are given to parents and caregivers and they should be consulted on certain issues; they should be involved in matters concerning their family except in the case that doing so might put the child in danger or at risk.

  • All members of staff and volunteer workers must undergo Garda Vetting with Ógras. 

  • Provide Child Protection Guidelines and Code of Practice to all staff and volunteers

  • Provide training on the organisation's policies to all staff and volunteers. 

  • Sharing of information with the relevant authorities as is necessary

  • Comply with the standard procedures laid out as regards recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers. 

  • Proper and effective management of staff and volunteers through support, training and supervision

  • Review of our Child Protection Statement and our Child Protection Policy and Guidelines every second year or more often as in line with changes in legislation or national policy

'Everyone who works with young people must take these courses regularly. Get in touch with your local development officer to organise one for your club'

Leaders Must:

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  • Show respect to everyone.

  • Use appropriate language when talking to children, parents and other leaders.

  • Be aware of club policies.

  • Leaders should be good role models for the members. They should listen, encourage good behaviour and treat everyone with respect and dignity.

  • Deal with bullying amongst members, leaders, parents and visitors.

  • Ensure that all paperwork as regards membership and insurance is up to date and in effect.

  • Ensure that records of membership, insurance, trips and events are correct.

  • Ensure that relationships with the members are appropriate.

  • Ensure that any physical contact with members is appropriate and in keeping with child protection policies.

  • Understand and follow club policies.

  • Understand what is involved in discretion.

  • Follow rules around the use of Email, the internet, and phone when contact is made with members.

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Leaders should not

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  • Ignore any accusation of information that is brought to their attention.

  • Promise to keep anything secret.

  • Be sexually provacative or play hard physical games with the members.

  • Use or allow other members to use inappropriate language.

  • Have any part in conduct that could make members uncomfortable of unhappy.

  • Do anything personal for a young person that they are able to do for themselves.

  • Bring children home with them.

  • Take or use pictures or videos without permission.

  • Spend excessive time alone with members.

  • Have members alone in their car, except in emergency 

In the aftermath of any event in which the leader believed there may have been a misunderstanding of their conduct, that leader should make a written report to the Child Protection Officer as soon as possible

Don't forget: your job is to report, not to investigate


If you have any concerns about physical, sexual or emotional abuse of a child, you should:

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  • Record any evidence that supports your concerns.

  • Speak with the club's Child Protection Officer.

  • If necessary, the Child Protection Officer will then contact the appropriate authorities.

 

Of course, we all hope that we will never have to deal with such a case, however it is of vital importance that everyone is aware of the correct procedure for dealing with such cases. Should anything happen that concerns you with regard to child protection, you have a duty to inform the Child Protection Officer and you are also entitled to make a report to the HSE and/or the Gardaí if you are still concerned about child protection in the club.

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Don't forget: your job is to report, not to investigate

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If a child reveals to you that someone

has abused them:

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  • Allow the child to say what they want to without putting in on them or interrupting .

  • Let them know that you accept what they have to say, and that they are not at fault.

  • Do not judge and do not give any promise to keep a secret.

  • Tell them that you are going to support them, but that you MUST inform the Child Protection Officer

  • Make a written record of what was said in the child's words.

  • Inform the Child Protection Officer as soon as possible.

  • If the child is in danger, you should immediately contact the child protection services and/or the Gardaí / PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland)

  • Record any actions you have taken and report them to the Child Protection Officer.

 

 

If other leaders or you yourself are accused

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  • Record what was said

  • Inform the Child Protection Officer

  • The Child Protection Officer will then contact the appropriate
    authorities.
     

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There is a duty to protect the privacy of the child as well, so, keep the details of the situation secret and only share them with the Child Protection Officer, the appropriate authorities and the parents of the child.
 

Points on Safety

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Basic Points on Safety for the club to assess:

 

  • A safety statement should be visible in areas where Ógras vactivities are held.

  • Leaders should have a basic understanding of first aid.

  • A First Aid box should be available at all times.

  • Those responsible in the case of a fire or accident should be recognised and a list of those people should be displayed clearly.

  • Safety exits and assembly points should be organised and shown to everyone.

  • Escape routes should be clearly marked and kept clear at all times.

  • Emergency and Fire Drills should be held regularly.

  • Emergency Telephone numbers should be easily available in the case of an emergency.

  • Parents/Guardians should be informed of the accident and emergency procedures in effect in the club.

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