POLICY STATEMENT :

The Parish of Moate, Mount Temple and Castledaly encourages the participation of children and young people in parish liturgies and in activities that enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional and social development.  The Parish recognizes the dignity and rights of all children and is committed to their protection and support. The Parish undertakes to do all in its power to create safe environment for children and young people and to ensure their protection from physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

 

CODE OF CONDUCT: (which will help outline how people will conduct themselves and help create a safe environment whilst working with children and young people).

 

.Do Value children as individuals Have appropriate supervision ratios of adults to young people – 1:8 while maintaining the practice of ensuring that no young person is left alone with an adult. This will apply to both based activities or away trips, eg. Retreats/pilgrimages, etc. Have a designated leader within each group with whom young people can speak about their experience and raise any concerns should they arise. Contact Designated Liason Person in Diocese immediately re concerns. Have adult volunteers of appropriate gender working in pairs when working with mixed gender groups.

DON’T · Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form. · Don’t single out an individual child or have favourite. · Don’t allow young people or leaders to drink or smoke. · Don’t allow use of bad language and offensive comments by young people or leaders. · Do not engage in any rough play with children or young people. · Do not undertake any task of a personal nature with/for young people except in cases of medical necessity when the welfare of the child depends on it.

 

 

BASIC PROCEDURES: (DESCRIBES THE PRACTICE TO BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT THE INTENTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS OF YOUR POLICY).

 

· Have a Duty Roster of leaders (who have completed confidential form which are kept on Parish Record)

· Have signed Parental consent for each young person for all activities.

· Have a Code of Conduct for all adult leaders and young people (and make young people, leaders and parents aware of them).

· Keep records of the following:

o Participant forms

o Incident/Accident report form

o Volunteer Application form

o Medical information for all young people.

o Programme/attendance records.

 

· Contact information for parents/guardians.

· Have an accident/emergency plan, i.e. access to phone and contact numbers at hand.

· Have insurance.

Have programme of activity prepared well in advance.

 

 

Handling A Disclosure:

 

Should a disclosure be made to you regarding any type of abuse:

You must record it and report it to the Designated Liason Person.

Once you do that it is taken out of your hands.

 

Designated Liason Person: Fr. Bernard Hogan,

     Phone; (071) 9631024.

     Deputy Designated Liason Person: Fr. Liam Murray

     Phone: (090)6472088.

 

You must tell person making disclosure that you have to tell the Designated Liason Person.

 

Do not investigate the case further.

 

Do not gossip about it

 

Keep all information confidential (except for informing the Designated Liason Person).

 

Remember that the welfare of the child is paramount at all times.

 

 

Duties of the Parish Representatives:

 

The parish representatives will co-ordinate the following:

 

Awareness of the Church’s Child Protection Policy.

Through information meeting for leaders of various organisations.

On Parish Bulletin.

On Notice Board in Church (i.e. Our Parish has a Child Protection Policy – copy of which can be had on request from Mon. Bernard Noonan).

On notice board in Community/Parish Halls.

 

The Parish Representatives will ensure the public will have access to contact details for the Diocesan Designated Liason Person and Deputy Designated Liason Person in the following way;

Number on Notice Board in Church

Number on Parish Bulletin

Yearly Calendar

 

The Parish Representatives will facilitate anyone in the Parish in bringing an allegation or suspicion of child abuse to the attention of the Designated Liason Person by supplying contact details.

 

Child Protection Policy

for Parish of Moate, Mount Temple and Castledaly