Jill O’Neill School of Dance
Child Safeguarding Statement
Jill O’Neill School of Dance is a dance school that provides dance training to students aged 3+ at
schools, community centres and camps. In accordance with the requirements of the Children First
Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 and
Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, Jill O’Neill School of Dance
agrees with the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this document.
Our school is committed to safeguarding our students and to providing a safe environment in which
they can create, learn and develop as dancers. We believe that the welfare of children is paramount.
We are committed to child-centred practice in all our work with children. We are committed to
upholding the rights of every child and young person who attends our school, including the rights to
be kept safe and protected from harm, listened to, and heard.
Our policy and procedures to safeguard children and young people reflect national policy and
legislation and are underpinned by Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare
of Children 2017, the Tusla Children First – Child Safeguarding Guide 2017, and the Children First Act
2015.
Our policy declaration applies to all staff, volunteers and students on work placement within our
school. All staff, volunteers and students on work placement must sign up to and abide by the
policies, procedures and guidance covered by this policy declaration and our child safeguarding
policy and accompanying procedures.
| Designated Liaison Person (DLP) | Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DDLP) |
|---|---|
| Jill O’Neill | Sadbh Lawlor |
| 0876959762 | 0860744511 |
Risk Assessment:
We have carried out an assessment for any potential harm to a child while availing of our services.
Below is a list of the areas of risks identified and the procedures for managing them:>/p>
| No. | Risk Identified | Policies and/or Procedures in place to manage Risk |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Risk of harm not being recognised by teachers. Risk of not properly and promptly being reported. | – All staff being trained in regards to child protection. – All staff being aware and up to date on the child Safeguarding statement and policy. – All staff knowing the proper procedures and person to report to. |
| 2. | Risk of a child being harmed by another child in class. | – All children aware of the code of behaviour. – Supervision Procedures – Disciplinary Procedures |
| 3. | Risk of a child being harmed by staff or a student on work experience. | – Recruitment procedures. – Training of all staff. – Supervision procedures. – Code of Behaviour for staff. – Disciplinary procedures. – Class inspections |
| 4. | Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision. | – Supervision procedures. – General safety and management procedures. |
| 5. | Risk of harm to child due to inadequate consideration being given to known medical conditions or special needs. | – General safety and management practices. – Record keeping procedures. – Teaching Assistant when required. – Risk Assessment of Needs. |
| 6. | Risk of harm due to the bullying of a child. | – Anti-bullying policy implemented. – Code of behaviour for all children. – Disciplinary procedures. |
| 7. | Risk of a child being harmed by another adult from another organisation using the same premise | – Risk assessment of all locations. – Supervision Procedures – General Safety Procedures |
Procedures
Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children
First Act 2015, the Children First: National Guidance, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for
Policy, Procedure and Practice. In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the
following procedures support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our
service:
- Procedure for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against
workers/volunteers of a child availing of our service. - Procedure 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 of the occurrence of harm. - Procedure for the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Tusla.
- Procedure for maintaining a list of the persons (if any) in the relevant service who are mandated
persons. - Procedure for appointing a relevant person
Implementation
We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Our school 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 of our service.
We will review our child safeguarding statement and accompanying child safeguarding policies and
procedures every 2 years, or sooner if necessary, due to service issues or changes in legislation or
national policy.
Signed:
Jill O’Neill 11/08/2018