Procedure for Appointing a Relevant Person
Last Revised on 21-May-2025.
Introduction
The Children First Act 2015 sets out the requirement of providers of relevant services to have a Child Safeguarding Statement and specified procedures. Cork Unitarian Church is identified as a provider of a relevant service. The specified procedure herein as required under the act details the appointment of a relevant person for the purposes of this part. This part refers to in this case the Child Safeguarding Statement.
Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to:
- Meet the requirements of the Child Safeguarding Statement and specified procedures under the Children First Act 2015.
- To provide all Cork Unitarian Church staff and board members with the process of identifying a relevant person
- To provide the name of a relevant person for the purpose of the Child Safeguarding Statement
Scope
This procedure applies to all staff of Cork Unitarian Church. In this procedure, references to staff should be interpreted as applying to direct employees of Cork Unitarian Church, agency contracted staff, persons on work placements, student placements and volunteers.
This procedure sets out guidance and direction for the Cork Unitarian Church Board of Directors and all Cork Unitarian Church staff and any member of the public who may request a copy of the Child Safeguarding Statement’s specified procedure relating to the appointment of a relevant person.
A relevant person is defined within the Children First Act 2015 and is a person who is appointed by a provider of a relevant service to be the first point of contact in respect of the provider’s child safeguarding statement.
Legislation and Other Related Policies
- Children First Act 2015
- Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017
- Tusla Guidance on the Developing a Child Safeguarding Statement
- Tusla Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice
Policy/Procedure/Protocol/Guidance
The procedure to appoint a relevant person for Cork Unitarian Church is as follows:
- The Cork Unitarian Church Board of Directors will appoint a Safeguarding Officer for the purpose of the Child Safeguarding Statement.
- The name of the relevant person will be displayed on the Cork Unitarian Church Child Safeguarding Statement.
Review and Audit
This Cork Unitarian Church Child Safeguarding Statement Procedure for the appointment of a Relevant Person will be reviewed 12 months after adoption and every 12 months thereafter. It should be reviewed earlier if there is a material change to legislation and policy, or if there is an incident relating to matters covered in this policy. All managers must ensure that all staff comply with this procedure.