LYDC’s Designated Liaison Person is Katy Hewison.
Katy can be contacted
Email: katy@dancelimerick.ie
Phone: 085 138 9906
In her absence, the Deputy Designated Liaison Person is
Lucy Dawson, Limerick Youth Dance Company.
Email: limerickyouthdance@gmail.com
Phone: 0831411787
It is the responsibility of the Designated Liaison Person or Deputy to support and advise staff and ensure all procedures are followed and to liaise with the relevant organisations and individuals where appropriate.
MANDATED PERSONS
The Children First Act 2015 places a legal obligation on certain people, many of whom are professionals, to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to TUSLA - Child and Family Agency. Such people are defined as MANDATED PERSONS, and are “people who have contact with children and/or families and who, because of their qualifications, training and/or employment role, are in a key position to help protect children from harm” Child First National Guidance 2017. Mandated persons include professionals working with children in recreational, cultural, and educational activities.
According to the Children First Act 2015, MANDATED PERSONS have two main legal obligations. These are:
1. To report the harm of children above a defined threshold to TUSLA – Child & Family Agency
2. To assist TUSLA if requested, in assessing a concern which has been the subject of a mandated report.
Any member of staff who is made aware of actual or possible abuse of a child, young person or vulnerable adult should report and discuss their concerns as soon as possible to LYDC’s Child Protection Officer/Designated Liaison Person or Deputy.
In an emergency – and in the unlikely event of a member of staff being unable to contact the Designated Liaison Person or Deputy you must immediately report any urgent concerns directly to the Garda (See section 4 for contact details).
All incidents, disclosure or observations however minor, should be recorded in the incident book provided by the company and when appropriate, by filling in the Child Protection Monitoring Report form, available on request from the Designated Liaison Person.
If you have a suspicion or concern about a child, young person or vulnerable adult behaviour of staff, volunteer or other never ignore or delay taking action.
You must inform either:
· Child Protection Officer/ Designated Liaison Person
· Deputy Child Protection Officer/Designated Liaison Person
After full consideration of all factors and information you may:
· Have your concerns allayed
· Ensure a record is kept anyway (in the incident book provided by LYDC)
· Take no further action
Or you may decide your concerns are ongoing and work with the Designated Liaison Person to:
· Undertake a mandated report to TUSLA – Child & Family Agency and/or Garda
· Make an assessment in consultation with TUSLA – Child & Family Agency and proceed with a child protection investigation.
REASONABLE GROUNDS FOR CONCERN
Tusla should always be informed, when there are reasonable grounds for concern that a child may have been, is being, or is at risk of being abused or neglected. If, what might be symptoms of abuse, are ignored, it could result in ongoing harm to the child.
Although this list is not definitive, reasonable grounds for concern include:
· Evidence, for example of an injury or behaviour, that is consistent with abuse and is unlikely to have been caused in any other way
· Any concern about possible sexual abuse
· Consistent signs that a child is suffering from emotional or physical neglect
· A child saying or indicating by other means that he or she has been abused
· Admission or indication by an adult or a child of an alleged abuse they committed
· An account from a person who saw the child being abused
In determining the threshold to undertake a mandated report to TUSLA please see the following guidelines: https://www.tusla.ie/children-first/mandated-persons/how-do-i-report-a-concern-about-a-child/
The reporting requirements under the Children First Act 2015 apply only to information that you, as a mandated person, received or became aware of since the Act came into force, whether the harm occurred before or after that point. However, if you have a reasonable concern about past abuse, where information came to your attention before the Act and there is a possible continuing risk to children, you should report it to Tusla under this Guidance. Child First National Guidelines 2017.
In the event you have reasonable concern about past abuse or an allegation has been made by a child or vulnerable young person concerning a past incident – and if there is possible continuing risk to a child/vulnerable young person, the same procedures as listed above apply, in line with Child First National Guidelines 2017.
The legal principle that the ‘welfare of the child, young person or vulnerable adult’ is paramount means that the considerations of confidentiality, which might apply to other situations at LYDC, should not be allowed to override the right of the child, young person or vulnerable adult to be protected from harm. Every effort however, will be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned when an allegation has been made and is being investigated.
Tusla – Child and Family Agency
St Camillus’ Hospital,
Unit 3,
5 Shelbourne Road,
Limerick
Phone: 061 588688
Email: info@tusla.ie
An Garda Siochána Local Station
Henry Street,
Limerick
Tel: 061 212 400
Children First Information and Advice Officer
Laura Nee,
Child and Family Agency,
Civic Offices,
Limerick Road,
Nenagh,
Co. Tipperary
HSE Children and Family Services
DUBLIN NORTH CENTRAL
Social Work Office, 22 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1 | Social Work Office, Ballymun Health Centre, Dublin 11 (01) 877 2300 (01) 846 7236
Childline
A national freephone listening service for children. Tel: 1800 666 666 (24 hour service)