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Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

Kilmacanogue National School Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

(of any potential harm)

List of School Activities	Risk Level	The School has identified the following Risk of Harm	The School has the following Procedures in place to address risk identified in this assessment
Training of school personnel in Child Protection matters	High	Harm not recognised or reported promptly	Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment & DES procedures made available to all staff DLP& DDLP to attend PDST face to face training All Staff to view Tusla training module & any other online training offered by PDST BOM given Child Protection Procedures (DES) BOM to record all records of staff and board training
Employment of any new staff	Med	Harm not recognised or reported promptly	Follow Garda Vetting Circular 31/16 Statutory Declaration and Form of Undertaking signed New Staff given copy of Child Protection Safety Statement and Risk Assessment Signed confirmation that Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children and Children First Act 2015 have been read
One to one teaching	Med	Harm by school personnel Rooms not suitable for teaching	Open doors or glass panels in doors Table between teacher and pupil, where possible and appropriate
Care of children with special needs, including intimate care needs	High	Harm by school personnel Toileting	Toileting guidelines Health and Safety Specific toilet for children with special needs
Toilet areas	High	Inappropriate behaviour	Supervision policy
Curricular Provision in respect of SPHE, RSE, Stay safe.	Med	Non-teaching of same	School implements SPHE, RSE, Stay Safe Programme in full
List of School Activities	Risk Level	The School has identified the following Risk of Harm	The School has the following Procedures in place to address risk identified in this assessment
Managing of challenging behaviour amongst pupils, including appropriate use of restraint	Low	Injury to pupils and staff	Health & Safety Policy Code Of Behaviour Policy
Daily arrival and dismissal of pupils	Med	Harm from other pupils Unknown adults in attendance Traffic on avenue	Supervision Policy Teachers/SNAs Health & Safety Policy
Recreation breaks for pupils	High	Injury to pupils/Bullying Harm not recognised or properly and promptly reported	Supervision Policy Health & Safety Policy Code Of Behaviour Policy Two minders with high vis jackets supervised by teachers accompany children from yard to toilets/office
Classroom teaching/outdoor teaching	High	Inappropriate comments Lack of respect for individuals	Code of Behaviour Anti-Bullying Policy Health and Safety Code of Professional Conduct 2016 (Teaching Council)
Sporting Activities	High	Inappropriate comments Inappropriate physical contact	Health and Safety Code of Behaviour Code of Professional Conduct 2016 (Teaching Council)
Choir	Med	Lack of respect Bullying	Code of Behaviour Supervision Policy Anti-Bullying Policy
Coaches to/from various activities/tours	High	Harm to pupils from other pupils Harm not recognised or properly and promptly reported Harm to pupils by others	Code of Behaviour Health and Safety Supervision Policy School Tour Policy Garda vetted teachers and other adults present
List of School Activities	Risk Level	The School has identified the following Risk of Harm	The School has the following Procedures in place to address risk identified in this assessment
Students/Adults participating in work experience	Med	Harm to pupils	Garda Vetted Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment given to individuals At all times under supervision
Student teachers on teacher-practice placement	Med	Harm to pupils	Garda Vetted Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment given to individuals
Volunteers/Parents	Med	Harm to pupils	Garda Vetted Liaise with School Principal on all activities involving the school building and children and any concerns Child Safeguarding Statement available to and read by volunteers Health and Safety Policy/Code of Behaviour Policy available to and read by volunteers
Administration of First Aid	High	Harm to pupils Inappropriate comments Inappropriate physical contact	Health and Safety Policy Code of Professional Conduct 2016 (Teaching Council) Appropriate training of staff who administer or may administer First Aid
Administration of Medicine	High	Harm to pupils Inappropriate comments Inappropriate physical contact Incorrect administration of medication	Health and Safety Code of Professional Conduct 2016 (Teaching Council) Policy on Diabetes Appropriate training of staff who administer or may administer any medical treatment Administration of Medication
Yard duty carried out by teachers	High	Harm to pupils	Health and Safety Policy Log book to detail any concerns Teachers and SNAs on duty at all times during break-times, inside, if raining, and outside Supervision Policy
List of School Activities	Risk Level	The School has identified the following Risk of Harm	The School has the following Procedures in place to address risk identified in this assessment
Prevention and dealing with bullying amongst pupils	Med	Harm to pupils from other pupils	Code of Behaviour Anti-Bullying Policy AUP
Use of Information and Communication Technology by pupils in school and at home (where it compromises school life)	High	Bullying Staff not following policies & procedures	ICT policy Anti-Bullying Policy Code of Behaviour
Use of video/photography/other media to record school events	Med	Harm to pupils Sharing information over social media	Parents sign permission slip allowing appropriate use of child’s image/work on media sites/magazines recognised by the school Teachers requested to upload images for School newsletter to designated shared folder on Google drive and to double delete any photos of children from their electronic devices Parents informed regularly through various correspondence not to post videos/images on social media
Use of (ICT) Information and Communiciation Technology	Med	School personnel unaware of/not following policies and procedures Bullying Inappropriate use of images/language	ICT Policy Anti-Bullying Policy Code of Behaviour Policy
Visitors to the school	High	Harm to pupils	Intercom security in place at school entrance Visitors report to office Visitors sign in and out at school office as required Supervised throughout visit
Children going on messages throughout the school	High	Harm to pupils	Go in pairs Report back to teacher/office/Principal
Teachers on yard duty taking their break or out of the room for any reason	High	Harm to pupils	Supervision Policy Teacher informs nearest class teacher to keep an eye on his/her class Door left open Two supervised ‘minders’ in classroom as required

Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of “harm” as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk. The definition of harm is set out in Chapter 4 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post- Primary Schools 2017 as outlined below:

In accordance with section 2 of the Children First Act, 2015 the defined threshold of “harm” in relation to a child is as follows: “harm” means, in relation to a child(a) assault, ill-treatment or neglect of the child in a manner that seriously affects or is likely to seriously affect the child’s health, development or welfare, or (b) sexual abuse of the child, whether caused by a single act, omission or circumstance or a series or combination of acts, omissions or circumstances, or otherwise;” “ill-treatment” means, in relation to a child, to abandon or cruelly treat the child, or to cause or procure or allow the child to be abandoned or cruelly treated; “neglect” means, in relation to a child, to deprive the child of adequate food, warmth, clothing, hygiene, supervision, safety or medical care; “welfare” includes, in relation to a child, the moral, intellectual, physical, emotional and social welfare of the child.

In undertaking this risk assessment, the board of management has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the school has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.

It should be noted that in these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, all procedures outlined in the Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment as in the Child Safeguarding Statement will take into account, where appropriate, those regulations pertaining to the health and safety of the children and school community in line with HSE and gov.ie guidelines and all school policies relating to COVID-19

This risk assessment was completed by the Board of Management on 21-3-2018 and reviewed most recently as part of the school’s annual review of its Child Safeguarding Statement on December 9th 2020

Signed: Judy O’Toole (Chairperson)

Signed: Niamh Murray (Principal)

Date: 09-12-2020

Updated: March 2022

Judy O’Toole, (Chairperson)

Ann Marie Bourke (Acting Principal)

Under review for November website update – Ann Marie Bourke & Judy O’Toole November 1st 2022

Reviewed 18th March 2023 by Ann Marie Bourke, Acting Principal

Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

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