The Parish Child Protection Policy

Parish of Clane & Rathcoffey – Safeguarding Children

The Parish of Clane & Rathcoffey values and encourages the participation of children and young people in parish life and in liturgies and activities that enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional, social and intellectual development, and is committed to working in partnership with parents and with children and young people at all times to achieve this goal..

The Gospel of Christ invites us to cherish and affirm each child as a gift from God with an inherent right to dignity of life and bodily integrity which shall be respected, nurtured and protected by all. Everyone in the Church has an obligation to ensure that the fundamental rights of children are respected.

In keeping with this the Parish of Clane & Rathcoffey undertakes to do all in its power to create and maintain a safe environment, where the welfare of children and young people is paramount. This duty of care extends to all the many and varied ways that children share in the life of the Church in our parish and diocese. Our Parish Safeguarding policy has two main aims;

1. To ensure that any suspected, observed or disclosed abuse of a child will be reported without delay to the statutory authorities for investigation. The abuse of a child generally involves one of the four main categories identified by Children First—physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or neglect.

2. To put in place good practice, to ensure that the environments which we provide in parish programmes are as safe as possible for all those involved.

Partnership with Civil Authorities

Our Parish is committed to working in partnership with the civil authorities to ensure that all aspects of child welfare are managed promptly, professionally and justly. We will observe the guidelines set out in ‘Children First’: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children (1999). In accordance with these guidelines, all child protection concerns shall be reported to the civil authorities without delay.

The Parish Designated Persons, (being the persons responsible for dealing with Child Welfare Concerns in parish activities) are:

Damian McCaffrey, Parish Manager 045 861393
Paul O’Boyle PP, Parish Priest 045 868249
Patricia O’Neill, Parish Youth Co-ordinator 045 861393

Civil Authority contact details are:

Duty Social Worker HSE, Naas 045 882400
Clane Garda Station 045 868262

Diocesan Delegate

Mgr John McDonald 045 441369

The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is committed to following best practice as specified by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC). Our diocesan child protection policy and procedures are set out in the Diocesan publication – ‘Kildare & Leighlin Diocese: Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedures’ (AUG 2009). As required of all church personnel in this diocese, we will adhere to ‘Kildare & Leighlin Diocese: Safeguarding Children Policy & Procedures’ (AUG 2009). A hard copy of each of these documents is available for reference purposes in the Parish Office.

This policy applies to all those activities which are organized directly by the Parish of Clane & Rathcoffey relating to the pastoral care of children and young people under the age of eighteen. It aims to enable the parish to put in place the structures that will help us to provide the safest possible environments for all those involved in parish based youth activities—our children, our young people, our volunteer adult leaders and parish staff and priests. The welfare and safety of children and young people engaged in parish groups or activities is always the most important consideration.

All those adults who are involved with children or young people under the age of 18 in Parish programmes or activities must familiarize themselves with, accept, and act in accordance with the Parish Child Protection policy and procedures. Adults involved in parish groups which deal with children or young people will be expected to sign an undertaking to abide by the Parish Child Protection Policy. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from their involvement. Group leaders will take responsibility for informing young people who reach the age of eighteen that they are now adults involved in a programme, and will inform the Parish Designated Person that this is the case. One of the Parish designated persons will then explain the policy and procedures to the young adult concerned.

Code of Conduct basics

• All children and young people will be treated with dignity, respect and courtesy, and will be expected to treat each other and their leaders in the same manner. Parents and guardians will be expected to adopt the same attitudes of courtesy respect and dignity with regard to the participation of their children in parish activities.

• No child or young person must ever be left in a situation which exposes them to danger or puts them at risk of harm.

• No physical chastisement or rough handling of children is appropriate.

• When in leadership roles in parish activities, adults will not use alcohol, tobacco or any other substances.

• Inappropriate language or behavior will not be used by children, young people or leaders.

• Any behaviour which is of a bullying nature will not be tolerated.

• All leaders will be familiar with the procedures for dealing with a suspicion, observation or disclosure of abuse.

• The physical integrity and right to privacy of children and young people must be respected.

• Leaders must not engage in inappropriate physical contact or conversation with children or young people.

• Leaders must not do for a child anything that the child is capable of doing for him or herself.

• Those in leadership roles will not allow parental or personal relationships with children or young people to interfere with the running of programmes. Favouritism or unnecessary or unapproved contact with children outside of the parish activity is to be avoided by adult leaders.

• If a situation demands that a child is alone with an adult, parents or guardians should be made aware of this, and the meeting should be held in a place which is open and visible to others rather than in an isolated environment.

• All leaders should be aware that sharing concerns about a child is not a breach of confidentiality—concerns should be brought to the Designated Person, rather than being discussed with other leaders involved in the same programme.

Recruitment and Selection Procedures

• All those who have contact with children or young people under eighteen in parish activities will be asked to complete an application form and declaration of suitability, which will include referees. These will be treated as confidential documents and stored with appropriate security measures.

• As Garda Vetting becomes available through the authorized signatory of the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin those who have contact with children in Parish activities will be expected to undergo this process.

• As of November 2009 all parish staff have submitted Garda Vetting Documentation to the Diocesan Authorised Signatory, to be processed by An Garda Siochana.

Reporting Procedures

• All parents of children and young people involved in parish programmes will receive a permission form to sign. This form will include the contact details of the Parish Designated persons. Any complaints arising from any parish programme whether from children, parents, staff or volunteer leaders should be brought to the attention of the leader in charge of the programme and also to one of the Parish designated persons. If a complaint is to be made regarding a member of staff or volunteer who is the programme leader, this should be brought directly to one of the Parish Designated Persons

• Any leader observing a situation which exposes a child or young person to danger or puts them at risk of harm must act immediately to ensure the safety of the child.

• Where abuse is observed, suspected or disclosed the one thing leaders must not do is nothing—any concern or incident must be passed on to the Parish Designated Person as soon as possible. A written record of what is observed, suspected or disclosed must be made. This written record will be stored securely and confidentially by the Parish Designated Person, in a folder in a secure location.

• Where a report is to be made to the HSE or to the Gardai, the Parish Designated Person will make the contact with or on behalf of the concerned leader. The Parish Designated Person will also inform the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin once the report has been made to the statutory authorities.

• If there is any type of incident, leaders must not discuss it with anyone other than the Parish Designated Person. This is to protect confidentiality for those involved; for children and young people and for adult leaders. No leader will ever promise a child that they will keep a secret.

• If a situation arises where there are reasonable grounds for concern about the welfare of a child, parents will be notified and the concern discussed with them in all situations, except those which the Parish Designated Person feels might cause further risk to the safety or welfare of the child or children concerned.

• If any child or adult is unhappy with any aspect of a programme involving children or young people, they should bring that concern to one of the Parish Designated Persons

• If an allegation of abuse is made against a member of staff or a volunteer leader in a parish youth programme, that person will be removed from contact with children and young people in parish activities until an investigation is carried out. The matter will be referred to the statutory authorities for investigation, and the Diocese will be informed. The person against whom the allegation is made will also be informed of the nature of the allegation. The Parish Priest and the Diocesan Designated Person will deal with and manage any disciplinary matters relating to the continued employment and/or voluntary service of the person concerned.

Management of Activities with Children and Young People

• Appropriate training will be mandatory for those engaged in organising activities with children and young people in the parish.

• Adequate ratios of leaders to young people must be maintained in parish activities. Those who are under eighteen must not be used to make up this ratio. For general parish activities, two adults must be present for the first eight children, and one for every further eight children. However, ratios must take into account the age of the children and the nature of the activity, and may need to be adjusted accordingly.

• A current permission form must be signed by a parent or guardian, before a child or young person can participate in any parish activity. This form must include parental consent, contact details, medical/other relevant information and whether children have permission to walk home alone. All written consent forms will be treated as confidential information and will be stored with appropriate security measures. Only programme leaders and the Parish Designated Persons will have access to the information where necessary. Parents/guardians may have access to information concerning their own child.

• Attendance records will be kept for all activities where anyone under the age of eighteen is present. Registers for youth groups meeting on a regular basis or for liturgies which involve the participation of anyone under the age of eighteen, will be checked by the Designated Person periodically. These registers will be stored securely in the Sacristy.

• All parish youth activities will have at least two named adult supervisors in attendance. No leader will spend time alone with individual children who are participating in parish activities. If an emergency situation arises proper and sensible precautions will be taken by leaders. An open door policy will be implemented in all situations where children or young people are present eg in the Sacristy at Mass times where altar servers are attending.

• Accurate records must be kept of any accident or incident that gives rise to any type of concern regarding a child or young person. An incident book will be provided for all activities involving children or young people. This incident book will be confidential, and will be stored with appropriate security measures.

• No young person will be asked or expected to take on any responsibility that is more suited to an adult. While those under 18 can take a leadership role, their responsibility will not be equal to that of an adult leader.

• These requirements will apply whether parish activities take place on parish property or in an outside venue.

• All groups using the parish centre for youth activities will be required to provide their insurance details and details of their child protection policy and procedures. Groups must operate in partnership with this policy and subsequent revisions to it, and must appoint their own designated person to deal with concerns that might arise within their own activities.

• Information will only be shared on a “need to know” basis, in order to safeguard the child. Images of the child will only be used with the consent of the child and the parent/guardian. The parish will store all information regarding children in a secure location with no public access.

Further Information and Reading

• The Kildare & Leighlin Safeguarding Document can be downloaded in full from the diocesan website – www.kandle.ie

• The National Safeguarding Policy and procedures document for the Catholic Church in Ireland can be downloaded from www.safeguarding.ie

• Children First is available to download from the website for the office of the Minister for Children and youth affairs at www.omc.gov.ie

• The National Youth Council of Ireland also provides useful information at www.youth.ie

Parish Child Protection Advisory Group

Our Parish Child Protection Advisory Group of Dr Clare O’Flynn, Sergeant John Cribbin, Edwina Flavin (HSE), Eleanor Cunney, and Maggie Connolly, have assisted Trish O’Neill, Damian McCaffrey and Fr Paul O’Boyle in ensuring that the policy conforms to best practice in this area.

We are fully committed and determined to create caring and secure environments for all our young people and for the adult leaders who are involved in parish life. Your comments and feedback are most welcome.