Safeguarding Policy For Vulnerable Children
Last Revised on 21-May-2025
Name of Service Being Provided
Cork Unitarian Church maintains an office at 7 Cois Coillte, Ballinure Road, Cork, T12 K4DW. We provide a variety of religious services. These services are delivered both on-site and on-line. These services include worship services, life event services (e.g. birth / marriage / death), educational and cultural religious events, and pastoral services (e.g. spiritual counselling). Cork Unitarian Church is structured as a company limited by guarantee. It is run by a Board of Directors made up of senior members of its congregation.
Nature of Service and Principles to Safeguard Children from Harm
Our ministry is primarily targeted at adults. We do not currently have or envision any programming specifically focused on children. Of course parents are welcome to bring their children along to church services. Cork Unitarian Church is an affirming and safe place for people to experience, enhance, and share their spirituality. We aspire to extend that safe space to all, including the most vulnerable adults and children. As a result we look to protect children who are accompanying adults to our religious services and we look to be vigilant in our duty of care with respect to our mandated persons on our ministry team who might possibly become aware of possible child abuse.
Risk Assessment
We have carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our services including the area of online safety when accessing the internet. Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks:
Risk Identified
Procedure In Place to Manage Identified Risk
Risk of harm to a child from a member of staff
- Recruitment and selection policy and procedure
- Staff procedure for reporting child protection and welfare concerns
- Code of Behaviour Guidance for working with Children and Young People
- Child protection and welfare allegations against Cork Unitarian Church staff policy and procedure
- Child Safeguarding Statement: Additional Guidance to Manage Risk of Harm
Risk of harm by a visitor to the service (workers, parents, placements, etc.)
- Supervision/ accompaniment/ admission/ Anti-bullying policies as relevant to local services.
- Policies, protocols, procedures and guidelines regarding safe practice and service delivery
Risk of harm by another child in the service
- Supervision/ accompaniment/ admission/ Anti-bullying policies as relevant to local services.
- Policies, protocols, procedures and guidelines regarding safe practice and service delivery
Non-compliance with the Children First Act 2015 and Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children
- Children first governance structures
- Cork Unitarian Church quality and risk management services
- Children first commissioning processes
- Procedure for maintaining a list of mandated persons
Risk of harm or concern not being recognised or reported by Cork Unitarian Church staff
- Staff information and supervision procedure
- Reporting procedure
- Mandatory Children First training
Risk of harm to a child through use of ICT and social media, and inappropriate use of photography and imagery
- Social media and digital images guidance for staff working with children and young people, including online safety
- ICT acceptable use policy
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 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 in the relevant service who are mandated persons
- Procedure for appointing a relevant person
All procedures listed are available upon request.
Implementation
Cork Unitarian Church recognises that implementation is an on-going process. Our service 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.
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually at the January meeting of the Church Board of Directors, or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.