Irish Workers Release Child Safeguarding PolicyChild Safeguarding January 2024
Dear Friends,
For some time now we have felt that it is important that we write to you all about the matter of child safeguarding.
We are all deeply saddened and upset by incidents of abuse that have recently come to light. We want to support those who have been victims, and we want to apologise for any cases that weren’t dealt with correctly in the past. We feel for these victims who still suffer from these cases. We want to learn from this and our purpose is to do all we can to protect children and to help those that have been affected. We want to ask all of you, and parents in particular, to be vigilant.
We also feel it is important that you are made aware of our child safeguarding statement/policy, procedures and practice.
The protection and welfare of children is of the utmost importance, and we want to do everything possible to ensure that no children come to any harm while involved with our fellowship. To this end, a child protection policy was put in place in 2018 with professional legal help to ensure it complied with regulations in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (Nl). It sets out what we as a fellowship are doing to protect children and how we deal with any incidents that are notified.
Since 2018, a Designated Liaison Person (for ROI)/Designated Officer (for Nl) and two deputies have been appointed to provide information and advice on safeguarding children within the fellowship. They are responsible for ensuring that reporting procedures are followed correctly and promptly. Their names and contact details are listed overleaf. If you have any concerns or questions at any time, please contact any of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers or any worker.
We now want to make sure the policy is available to all. Anyone who wishes can get an electronic or paper copy of the policy by requesting it from any of the Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers or a worker. Designated Liaison Persons/Designated Officers are also in a position to answer queries or to put you in contact with someone else who can do so.
In ROI, workers are mandated persons’ who are legally required to report allegations of child abuse to the authorities in ROI. In order to help workers to fully understand their responsibilities a meeting for workers was held in January which was dedicated to enhanced training with the overall aim of improving our child protection practice.
Guidance in ROI and Nl makes it clear that the safety and welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Accordingly, anyone who has been a victim or has reasonable grounds for concern about child abuse should either report this directly to the appropriate authorities or contact a Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer for advice.
Where an allegation against a worker or a friend is disclosed to a worker, or a Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer we will immediately report this to the relevant authorities in accordance with the requirements of the law. The senior workers and the Designated Liaison Person/Designated Officer in consultation with workers, and friends as considered appropriate, and any professional advice, will decide on actions required to safeguard against further instances of potential abuse.
In general, a person who is subject to an allegation will not be allowed to attend fellowship meetings until the allegation has been thoroughly addressed.
The words from James 3,17 – “easy to be intreated” – has been in our thoughts. This is what we are striving for, along with the other qualities in this verse:
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
We want to emphasise that we are here for you all and that we care.
With kindest regards,
Craig Fulton & John Conley
