Turloughmore Medical Centreprovides a family doctor service caring for all patient medical needs in a courteous, professional and confidential manner.
Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
What is the Objective of this Policy?
To keep children safe while attending Turloughmore Medical Centre
What is Children First?
It is a generic term used to encompass the guidance, the legislation and the implementation of both.
This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed every two years.
- Risk Management Procedure
We will carry our a risk assessment to identify any potential risks to a child while availing of our services. 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 | |
| 1 | Risk of harm to a child in WFD |
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| Risk of harm to a child from a member of staff |
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| Risk of harm or concern not being recognised or reported |
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- Procedure for reporting Child Protection or Welfare Concerns
Please refer to http://www.tusla.ie/children-first/mandated-persons/making-a-mandated-report/
- The employee who has received a disclosure of child abuse or who has concerns about a child should bring them to the attention of the GP. The GP will be responsible to ensure that the child protection guidelines are appropriately implemented.
- In making a report on suspected or actual child abuse, the GP must ensure that the first priority is always for the safety and welfare of the child/ young person.
- Procedure to appoint a relevant person to oversee the assessment of risk and development of service specific Child Safeguarding Statement as required
A Relevant Person as defined in the Children First Act 2015 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. In this instance Orla Moran and Denise Fitzmaurice, Practice Managers are appointed the relevant persons.
- Procedure for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children
- A minimum of two references (one from the most recent employer) will be taken up followed by a telephone reference check. References should be in writing.
- Garda Vetting will be undertaken for all staff at Turloughmore Health Centre.
- All employees will sign the Turloughmore Health Centre Child Safeguarding Statement.
- These guidelines will apply both to the recruitment of new employees and to the selection of internal candidates for promotion or job change.
- Turloughmore Medical Centre will not knowingly employ, contract or involve as a volunteer, any person to work with children or young adults who has a criminal conviction for criminal offences deemed inappropriate in relation to work with children.
- An Introduction to Children First mandatory eLearning training
All staff at WFD will participate in appropriate child protection training at specified intervals. This is currently available at https://childrenfirst.hseland.ie/
- Policy to investigate an allegation made against a staff member;
The practice policy is to adhere to Tusla’s National Policy and Procedure for Responding to Allegations of Abuse and Neglect will be implemented in the case of an allegation made against a staff member.
Upon receipt of an allegation relating to a staff member the GP Partners (the GP Partners at Turloughmore Medical Centre are also known as the Designated Liaison People), will immediately be made aware. If the allegation relates to one of the GP Partners, all GP Partners will immediately be made aware.
If an allegation is made against an employee or a GP Partner, in these situations there are two parts to the process, i.e. dealing with the allegation of abuse and dealing with the employee. Where possible these two pieces should be dealt with by two different people.
There are two different procedures to be followed:
- The reporting procedure in respect of the child
a) The safety of the child is the first priority of Turloughmore Medical Centre and all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that the child and other children/young people are safe.
b) The GP Partners will deal with the procedure involving the child/young person and the reporting to Tusla, Child and Family Agency.
- The procedure for dealing with the employee
a) In making an immediate decision about the employee’s presence in the organisation, the GP Partners should as a matter of urgency take any measures necessary to protect the child/young person. These should be proportionate to the level of risk to the child/young person; ‘protective measures’ do not presume guilt.
b) The GP Partners should privately inform the employee that an allegation has been made against her and the nature of the allegation.
c) If a formal report is being made, the GP Partners, will notify the employee that an allegation has been made and what the nature of the allegation is. The employee has a right to respond to this and this response should be documented and retained. Furthermore, Turloughmore Medical Centre will ensure that the principle of ‘natural justice’ will apply whereby a person is considered innocent until proven otherwise.
d) While Tusla will not provide advice on employment matters, advice and consultation with regard to risk to children/young people can be sought from the local Tusla social work office. Turloughmore Medical Centre will also seek the support of their external HR company.
e) The GP Partners, will liaise closely with the HSE Children and Family Services/An Garda Siochana to ensure that the actions taken by Turloughmore Health Centre Doctors will not undermine or frustrate any investigations.
f) The protective measures which can be taken to ensure the safety of children and young people can include the following:
- suspension of duties of the person accused,
- re-assignment of duties where the accused will not have contact with children / young people,
- working under increased supervision during the period of the investigation,
- or other measures as deemed appropriate.
- List of Mandated Persons
Mandated persons are people who have contact with children and/or families who, by virtue of their qualifications, training and experience, are in a key position to help protect children from harm.
Turloughmore Medical Centre list of Mandated Persons as at 1st March, 2020.
General Practitioners
Dr. Eamonn Twomey
Prof. Andrew W. Murphy
Dr. Onora Lynch
Dr. Liam O’Reilly
Dr. Aisling Byrne
Dr. Orna McCarthy
Dr. Rachel Young
Dr Claire Quinn
Dr. James Killen
Dr. Onora Lynch
Practice Nurse
Aisling McGann
Nurse Anne Bradshaw
