Child Safeguarding Statement

                                                      Drumgallagh N.S 

                                 Child Safeguarding Statement

Drumgallagh National School is a primary school providing primary/post-primary education to 

pupils from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

 In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National 

Guidance

 for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Addendum to Children First (2019), the 

Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023) and 

Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of 

Management of Drumgallagh N.S. has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this

 document.

 

1       The Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without 

modification the Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools

(revised (2023) as part of this overall Child Safeguarding Statement

 

2       The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is         Maura Kilbane

 

3       The Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DLP) is    Elizabeth Mulloy

 

4       The Relevant Person is           Maura Kilbane

(The relevant person is one who can provide information in respect of how the child

 safeguarding statement was developed and will be able to provide the statement on request. 

In a school setting the relevant person shall be the designated liaison person.)

 

5       The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations 

permeate 

all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, procedures, 

practices and activities. In its policies, procedures, practices and activities, the school will

 adhere to the following principles of best practice in child protection and welfare:

 

The school will:

·        recognise that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, 

regardless of all other considerations;

·        fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and 

other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children;

·        fully co-operate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection 

and welfare matters;

·        adopt safe practices to minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening to 

children and protect workers from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may 

leave

 themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect;

·        develop a practice of openness with parents and encourage parental involvement 

in the

 education of their children; and

·        fully respect confidentiality requirements in dealing with child protection matters.

 

The school will also adhere to the above principles in relation to any adult pupil with 

a special vulnerability.

 

6       The following procedures/measures are in place:

 

·        In relation to any member of staff who is the subject of any investigation

(howsoever 

described) in respect of any act, omission or circumstance in respect of a child 

attending the

 school, the school adheres to the relevant procedures set out in Chapter 7 of 

the Child 

Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023) and

 to the relevant

 agreed disciplinary procedures for school staff which are published on the gov.ie

website.

 

·        In relation to the selection or recruitment of staff and their suitability to work 

with 

children, the school adheres to the statutory vetting requirements of the 

National Vetting 

Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and to the wider

 duty of care

 guidance

 set out in relevant Garda vetting and recruitment circulars published by the 

Department of 

Education and available on the gov.ie website.

 

·        In relation to the provision of information and, where necessary, instruction 

and training, 

to staff in respect of the identification of the occurrence of harm (as defined 

in the 2015 

Act) the school-

 

Ø  Has provided each member of staff with a copy of the school’s Child 

Safeguarding 

Statement

Ø  Ensures all new staff are provided with a copy of the school’s Child

 Safeguarding 

Statement

Ø  Encourages staff to avail of relevant training

Ø  Encourages Board of Management members to avail of relevant training

Ø  The Board of Management maintains records of all staff and Board 

member training

 

·        In relation to reporting of child protection concerns to Tusla, all school 

personnel are 

required to adhere to the procedures set out in the Child Protection Procedures 

for Primary

 and Post Primary Schools (revised 2023), including in the case of registered teachers, 

those in

 relation to mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015.

 

·        All registered teachers employed by the school are mandated persons under the 

Children

 First Act 2015.

 

·        In accordance with the Children First Act 2015 and the Addendum to

 Children First 

(2019), the Board has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to 

a child while 

attending the school or participating in school activities. A written assessment 

setting out the

 areas of risk identified and the school’s procedures for managing those risks is

 included with 

the Child Safeguarding Statement.

 

·        The various procedures referred to in this Statement can be accessed 

via the school’s 

website, the gov.ie website or will be made available on request by 

the school.

 

Note: The above is not intended as an exhaustive list. Individual Boards of

 Management shall 

also include in this section such other procedures/measures that are of relevance

 to the school in 

question.

     

7       This statement has been published on the school’s website and has been 

provided to all member

 of school personnel, the Parents’ Association (if any) and the patron. It is 

readily accessible to 

parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made 

available to Tusla and the 

Department if requested.

 

 

8       This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually or as

 soon as practicable after 

there has been a material change in any matter to which this statement refers.

 

 

 This Child Safeguarding Statement was adopted by the Board of 

Management on 06/11/2023. This Child Safeguarding Statement was reviewed

by the Board of Management on 06/11/2023

 

Signed: Tom Butler                                      Signed: Maura Kilbane

Chairperson of Board of Management             Principal/Secretary to the B.O.M.

     

Date:   06/11/2023                                              Date:  06/11/2023