Child Safeguarding Statement
Name of service: Dublin City Council Culture Company
Nature of service and principles to safeguard children from harm
Dublin City Council Culture Company (the Culture Company) runs cultural initiatives and buildings across the city with, and for, the people of Dublin. We collaborate with people, communities, cultural organisations, businesses, and Dublin City Council to embed cultural experiences and increase cultural participation throughout Dublin.
Under the Children First Act (2015) (as amended), the Culture Company is a relevant service as it undertakes: “Any work or activity which consists of the provision of— (a) educational, research, training, cultural, recreational, leisure, social or physical activities to children.”
We provide various cultural services to children, young people and their families, including one-off guided tours and workshops, and longer-term projects and activities. These take place onsite at 14 Henrietta Street and Richmond Barracks; across Dublin City in partner organisations, youth clubs, schools and other community settings; and online through workshops and resources.
While the primary responsibility for a child’s welfare rests with the parent / primary carer or teacher, Dublin City Council Culture Company will ensure, in so far as it is reasonably practicable, that children or young people who interact with the Culture Company and our team members, artists and contractors are safe and protected from harm. The welfare of the child is paramount. All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, membership of the Traveller community, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from mistreatment and abuse.
Our Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures are fully compliant with the Children First Act (2015) and apply to all workers (any individual whether employee, self-employed contractor or intern, or who works within our programmes under the aegis of any other body on behalf of the company who interacts in any way with visiting children). All such persons have been provided with a copy of this Statement and are obliged to be familiar with and to adhere to its terms. The full Statement is also published on our website and is available in the buildings which we operate to parents / primary carers or teachers, Tusla and any member of the public upon request from any member of our team.
Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment
We have carried out this assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our services including the area of online safety when accessing the internet. We have identified seven potential risk areas. We have included a list of procedures we have for mitigating these risks under each area. Below is a list of the seven areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks.
1) Risk from workers
- Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures are in place and reviewed annually.
- Implementation of Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures in line with Children First requirements.
- Appointment of Designated Liaison Person and Deputy DLP .
- Guidelines on recognising, recording and reporting child protection issues are outlined.
- Procedures to deal with an allegation of abuse made against a worker.
- Robust Recruitment and Procurement Procedures.
- Appropriate Garda Vetting Procedures.
- Child Protection training provided for all workers as part of induction and at regular intervals.
- Child Safeguarding Code of Behaviour (within the Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures) to provide workers with clear guidance on how to treat children.
- Work practices continuously evaluated and guidelines and training updated as appropriate.
2) Risk from other service users
- Adequate adult to child ratios.
- Appropriate supervision of children/young people by workers.
- Security staff in relevant services.
- Active involvement of parent / primary carer or teacher encouraged and obligatory for specific services.
- Ensure that parent / primary carer or teacher / group leader consent is granted as outlined in the Permission Form Procedure for children who undertake activities with Dublin City Council Culture Company.
- Work practices continuously evaluated and guidelines and training updated as appropriate.
3) Risk of Harm caused to child during offsite engagement
- When working off-site, workers should always adhere to the Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures.
- Partner venue to advise Dublin City Council Culture Company that they have a Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures in place or agree to adhere to Dublin City Council Culture Company’s Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures.
- Ensure that parent / primary carer or teacher / group leader consent is granted as outlined in the Permission Form procedure (as part of the Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures) for children who undertake activities with Dublin City Council Culture Company.
- Adequate adult to child ratios.
- Appropriate supervision of children/young people by workers.
- Active involvement of parent / primary carer or teacher encouraged and obligatory for specific services.
- Work practices continuously evaluated and guidelines and training updated as appropriate.
4) Risk of harm caused to a child due to them accessing inappropriate online content or inappropriate/abusive communications via social media or during online engagement
- Device Usage Policy in place for staff.
- Firewall in spaces where children can access the internet and social media on Dublin City Council Culture Company devices.
- In situations where workers are interacting with children online or digitally, the principle that the online space is an extension of the physical space applies.
- All activities are fully risk-assessed to ensure adherence to the Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures and other relevant policies including data protection policies.
- When working digitally, staff and contracted facilitators should always adhere to the same Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures as working in person
- All data relating to children is protected in line with the Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures and Data Protection Policy and the GDPR Policy
- Where photos of children (those aged under 18 years of age) appear on our website/social media, permission has been sought and granted by the child’s parent / primary carer or teacher / group leader, and the permission form is kept securely on file within GDPR retention policy guidelines.
5) Risk of Non-Compliance with Children First Act 2015 and National Guidance
- Implementation of Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures in compliance with Children First Act.
- Appropriate recruitment and selection of workers.
- Appropriate vetting procedures (in accordance with the National Vetting Bureau Act 2012 – 2016) for all relevant workers.
- Appropriate training of staff.
- Appointment and training of DLP and deputy DLPs.
- Completion of Risk Assessment and Child Safeguarding Statement.
6) Risk of harm/concern not being recognised by staff
- Relevant Child Safeguarding and awareness training to all workers.
- Clear reporting procedures in place.
- Details of DLP and deputy DLPs circulated to all workers.
- Implementation of Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures compliant with Children First requirements.
7) Risk from external contractors/facilitators
- Individual external contractors/facilitators to agree to adhere to our Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures.
- Individual external contractors/facilitators who have direct contact with children are appropriately Garda Vetted.
- External organisations who we contract to provide services to children to advise Dublin City Council Culture Company that they have a Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures in place or agree to adhere to Dublin City Council Culture Company’s Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Safeguarding Policy & Procedures.
Child Safeguarding 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 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 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 safeguarding 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. All procedures listed are available upon request.
Implementation
We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Dublin City Council Culture Company 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 services.
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed in August 2028, or as soon as
practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement
refers.
For queries, please contact the CEO, Dublin City Council Culture Company, Relevant Person under the Children First Act 2015.