Child safeguarding statement

Child safeguarding statement – International House Dublin

Name of service being provided: Study Abroad English Language lessons and leisure activities

At International House Dublin, we deliver a high quality, student centred service for children and young adults and adults.

  • We provide English language lessons and leisure activities for children aged 11- 18 staying in on campus and host family accommodation.
  • We take young people on trips and
  • In IH Dublin Young Learner Centre at Wesley College, we have a designated outdoor secure area where we provide outdoor activities for young people
  • In IH Dublin Young Learner Centre at UCC, we have a designated indoor secure are where we provide sports activities for young people
  • In IH Dublin Young Learner Centre at Maynooth University Campus, we have a designated indoor secure are where we provide sports activities for young people

Guiding principles to safeguard children from harm:

  • The welfare and safety of every child and young person who attends our service is paramount
  • Our guiding principles and procedure to safeguard children and young people reflect national policy and legislation.
  • We will review our guiding principles and child safeguarding procedures every two years
  • All children and young people have an equal right to attend a course that respects them as individuals and encourages them to reach their potential.
  • We are committed to upholding the rights of every child and young person who attends our courses, including the right to be kept safe and protected from hard, to be listened to and to be heard
  • Our guiding principles apply to everyone in the organisation
  • Employees must conduct themselves in a way the reflects the principles of our organisation

Risk assessment

We have carried out an assessment of any potential hard to a child while availing of our services, including online safety when accessing the internet. Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks.

 

 

 

 

Risk Identified

Procedure in place
to manage identified risk

1

Risk of harm of abuse
by staff/ host
families Examples of risk
include but are
not limited to:

·      
Rough handling by a staff member in a way that causes harm to a

child/young person

·       Chastising a child/
young person to the extent that it causes harm to
a child/ young person

·       Ongoing provision of inadequate
food to the extent that it causes
harm to a child

·      
Recruitment and induction procedures

·       Complaints/ feedback procedures

·       School emergency phone

·       Child Protection policy/
training

·      
Garda
Vetting procedures

2

Risk of abuse by staff not knowing correct procedures

Examples include but are not limited to:

 

·       Children/ Young people places at

risk due to inadequate supervision

·       Children being harmed due to staff not reporting appropriate concerns

·       Children being harmed by inappropriate actions/ interactions with staff

·       Recruitment and induction procedures

·       Complaints/ feedback procedures

·       School emergency phone

·       Child Protection policy/ training

·       Garda Vetting procedures

·       Leisure programme risk assessment and procedues

3

Risk of abuse in residential/ host families Example of risk include but are not limited to:

·       An incident of sexual abuse by a staff member/ host family member in bedroom/ bathroom or

unmonitored environments

·       An incident of physical abuse by a staff member/ host family member in bedroom/ bathroom or

unmonitored environments

·       An incident of physical abuse by a staff member/ host family member in bedroom/ bathroom or

unmonitored environments

·       Recruitment and induction procedures

·       Complaints/ feedback procedures

·       School emergency phone

·       Child Protection policy/ training

·       Garda Vetting procedures

4

Risk of harm by use of unauthorised photography or from online abuse through social media/internet access.

 

Examples of risk include but are not limited to:

·       Poor management of images or recording of children/ young people including those shared publicly or on social media

·       GDPR policy and social media policy

·       Training for staff managing/ accessing social media

5

Risk of harm from unannounced visitors to premises (maintenance/ repairs)

Example of risk include but are not limited to:

·       Staff absence/ supervision procedures

·       Child Protection policy

·       Recruitment and induction procedures

·       Complaints/ feedback procedures

·       School emergency phone

 

 

·       Risk of physical, sexual/ emotional abuse to children/ young people

from visitors

·       Child Protection policy/ training

6

Risk of harm form peer to peer abuse.

Examples of risk include but are not limited to:

·       Repeated, extreme acts of bullying ( verbal, psychological or physical aggression between children)

·       Children using social media platforms to post derogatory comments or picture of other children

 

·       Child Protection policy

·       Ani-bullying policy

·       Recruitment and induction procedures

·       Complaints/ feedback procedures

·       School emergency phone

·       Child Protection policy/ training

·

7

Risk of harm on outings

Examples of risk include but are not limited to:

·       Children places at risk of harm due to inadequate supervision on outings

·       A child going missing/ unaccounted for, for any period of time

·       Leisure programme risk assessment procedures

·       Staff training

·       Child safeguarding policy

·

 

Procedures

Our Child safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children ( 2017) and Tusla’s Child Safeugarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice. In addition to the procedures listed, our risk assessment, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children and young people while they are availing of our service:

  • Procedure for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against workers/ host family of a child/ young person availing of our services
  • Procedures for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children
  • Procedure for provision of and access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification or the occurrence of harm
  • Procedure for the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to TUSLA
  • Procedure for appointing relevant persons and maintaining list of mandated persons

Implementation

We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Our service is committed to the

implementation of this Child Safeguarding statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing or our service.

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed on 1st June 2025 or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter which the statement refers.

Signed:

(Provider’s name and address)

For queries, please contact Carmel Hickey/ Nicole Hanna Relevant Person under the Children First Act 2015.

Version 3: 18 December 2024