Frequently Asked Questions

Child Safeguarding “…is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. While protecting children from abuse is one part of safeguarding, children and young people also need safeguarding in order for them to grow, develop and achieve their full potential.”

(Tusla's Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice (PDF, 1.29 MB, 119 pages) , p6).

Safeguarding is about protecting children.

• This means being alert to their safety and care
• Recognising concerns about a child’s welfare
• And taking action when we are worried about a child

Safeguarding is also about promoting children’s welfare.

• This means seeking support for children
• And hearing children’s voices and thoughts about their lives 

Safeguarding is also about providing children with appropriate care.

• That is ensuring their basic needs are met
• And making sure that they have access to the services that they require

The Child Care Act 1991 defines a child as "a person under the age of 18 years other than a person who is or has been married”.

Yes. Children First is very clear that all individuals and agencies, particularly those that provide services to children, or that are in direct contact with children, have responsibilities under Children First.

The responsibilities of the HSE under Children First are:

• to promote the welfare of children at all times even when not directly working with a child (a service may be working with a parent);
• to be alert to the possibility that children who use HSE services may be suffering from abuse or neglect;
• If any member of staff has reasonable grounds for concern (PDF, 535 KB, 2 pages) that a child has been, is being, or is at risk of being abused, they have a responsibility to make a report to Tusla - Child and Family Agency;
• to ensure that staff who work in the HSE, and organisations which are funded by the HSE, undertake training in recognising and responding to child protection and welfare concerns;
• to ensure that relevant staff or volunteers have been Garda vetted, references have been checked and they have been provided with induction, training, a probationary period and on-going supervision and management;
• to develop policies, procedures and guidance in line with Children First.

As a provider of ‘relevant services’ under the Children First Act, all relevant services in the HSE are legally required to:

• keep children safe from harm whilst availing of its services.
• carry out a risk assessment of any harm to a child while availing of HSE services.
• prepare and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement that outlines the policy and procedure which are in place to manage identified risks.
• appoint a relevant person to be the point of contact in respect of the child safeguarding statement.

A ‘relevant service’ is a service or organisation that, due to nature of the service, has a statutory responsibilities under the Children First Act 2015. A full list of relevant services is available in Schedule 1 of the Children First Act 2015.

Details of roles and responsibilities of the HSE under Children First are available in the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. If you have a query in relation to your responsibilities under Children First please email: childrenfirst@hse.ie

Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children is available to download at: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/2/primarycare/childrenfirst/children-first-national-guidance.html

Useful Links:

HSE Children First Website: www.hse.ie/childrenfirst

Child and Family Agency: www.tusla.ie

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-children-equality-disability-integration-and-youth/ 

The Child Care Act 1991 defines a child as "a person under the age of 18 years other than a person who is or has been married”.

In criminal law the age of consent to sexual intercourse is 17 years for both boys and girls. Any sexual relationship where one or both parties are under the age of 17 is illegal.

It is an offence for a person in authority to engage or attempt to engage in a sexual act with a child under 18 years of age.

While under criminal law the age of consent to sexual intercourse is 17 years, it may not necessarily be regarded as child sexual abuse. There are certain exemptions for mandated reporting to Tusla - Child and Family Agency in relation to certain cases of underage sexual activity under section 14(3) of the Children First Act 2015. Details on these exemptions can be found in Chapter 3 of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. In summary, if a mandated person knows or believes, based on clear, credible information and sound professional judgement, that all of the following apply, they are not required to make a report to Tusla:

• A young person who is aged 15 years or more, but less than 17 years is engaged in sexual activity, and the other party to the sexual activity concerned is not more than 2 years older than them.
• There is no material difference in the maturity or capacity of either young person.
• The relationship is not intimidatory or exploitative of either person.
• The young person has not been, is not being, and is not at risk of being harmed.
• The young person concerned has made known their view that they do not want any information about the activity to be disclosed to Tusla.

There is a legal obligation to report underage sexual activity to An Garda Síochána. The child should be informed of any intention to report such activity to An Garda Síochána and/or Tusla - Child and Family Agency. Staff members may wish to informally consult with their local Garda Station in advance of making a report.

An Garda Síochána also have statutory responsibilities for the protection of children. No child should be left in a situation which exposes them to harm. Where there is immediate or serious risk, and Tusla - Child and Family Agency is not available, contact should be made with An Garda Síochána.

In other circumstances, concerns arising about the protection or welfare of a child may also mean that a criminal offence may have been committed. If you know or believe that a serious offence has been committed against a child, and the information you have may be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of another person for that offence, it is a legal requirement to report this to An Garda Síochána. Not to do so may be considered an offence under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. It is not a defence to expect that Tusla will make any necessary report to An Garda Síochána.

You can informally consult with your local Garda Station in advance of making a report. Services dealing with regular issues of concern that may fall under the requirement to report to An Garda Síochána may also consider liaising with their local Garda Station to discuss the nature of issues that arise; if they are issues that warrant a report being made to An Garda Síochána and how best to manage them.

A template Notification to An Garda Síochána (Microsoft Word, 35.7 KB, 4 pages) has been developed for completion by HSE Staff when they need to make a notification under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012.

If you work in a HSE led multiagency team you need to follow the HSE reporting procedure and you need to inform your line manager or supervisior when a child protection or welfare report is made to Tusla - Child and Family Agency, or where a decision is made not to report a concern.

If the team is led by a HSE funded or voluntary organisation or a HSE contracted organisation you need to follow the reporting procedure of that organisation, and also inform your line manager or supervisor when a report is made to Tusla, or where a decision is made not to report a concern.

Where a staff member of a multi-agency team has a child protection or welfare concern that does not relate to a child under the multi-agency team case load, the reporting procedure in the staff member's employing organisation should be followed.

If you are still unclear about any issues in relation to reporting child protection and welfare concerns you should speak to your line manager or most senior staff member available.

HSE staff who work in external services should follow the reporting procedure of the external organisation and inform their HSE line manager/supervisor when they report a child protection or welfare concern to Tusla - Child and Family Agency, or where a decision is made not to report a concern.

Under the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 persons are protected by law if they reasonably and in good faith report suspected child abuse to a Designated Officer of the HSE, Tusla or a member of An Garda Síochána. This means that even if a communicated report of child abuse proves unfounded, a person who took an action would have to prove that the person who communicated the concern had not acted reasonably and in good faith in making the report. Section 4 of the Act protects employees from penalisation by employers for having made a report of child abuse.

The Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 makes it an offence to report child abuse to the appropriate authorities “knowing that statement to be false”.

Staff may be subject to a range of consequences for failing in their duty of care to a child. This may include:

• • HR/Disciplinary procedures by the HSE.
  • Fitness to practice complaint to the professional’s regulatory body.
  • Information could be disclosed to current or future employers when the professional is next vetted or applies for a new post.
  • A fine or imprisonment, or both, in the case of a failure to report serious harm to a child or sexual abuse of a child to An Garda Síochána under the Criminal Justice Act 2006 (Reckless Endangerment of Children).
  • A fine or imprisonment, or both, in the case of a failure to report a Schedule 1 offence to An Garda Síochána under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012.

For further information see Section 8.9 and Appendix 2 of the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy.

Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017) recommends that organisations that are providing services to children should consider appointing a Designated Liaison Person. The Designated Liaison Person acts as a resource person for any staff member who has child protection concerns, to ensure they follow the correct reporting procedures.

This is not a statutory obligation under the Children First Act 2015 or a requirement under the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy.

This role was considered by Senior Management to be a potential barrier to the implementation of the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Reporting Procedure.
Given line management responsibilities within the HSE to support their staff to adhere to and follow procedures, it was decided that a direct line of responsibility should be maintained between line managers and staff, particularly staff who are Mandated Persons as their reporting responsibility cannot be discharged by another person.

Where senior management consider that delegating functions to a person(s) would assist the implementation of Children First in a particular HSE service, due to its needs or circumstances, they may appoint or delegate such a resource. If such resource is put in place, Line Manager responsibility in relation to decisions made by their staff must be preserved.

To use the Tusla Web Portal, you will first need to create a user account. Tusla’s portal allows users to securely submit Child Protection and Welfare Report Forms (CPWRFs) and Retrospective Abuse Report Forms (RARFs) to Tusla online. Assistance with registering and logging on to the portal is available here. There is a user guide available to assist you to submit a Child Protection and Welfare Report online (PDF, 773 KB, 18 pages) and a guide to assist you to submit a Retrospective Abuse Report online (PDF, 550 KB, 12 pages). After you complete and submit your report on the Tusla Portal you can then print a copy for your records up to 48 hours after.

Please refer to Tusla’s guidance document A Guide for the Reporting of Child Protection and Welfare Concerns (PDF, 538 KB, 28 pages) for additional assistance on the steps to consider in making a report to Tusla.

Some tips on completing this section include asking yourself the following questions:

What am I worried about?
What have I seen or heard that worries me about the child?
What behaviours in the family may pose a risk to the child?
What is the harm being caused to the child?

What is working well?
Who helps to support the family?
Has a problem happened but been dealt with in a safe way?

What needs to happen?
What do I think needs to happen to make this situation better?

Tusla’s first consideration on receiving a report of a concern is always the immediate safety of the child. All reports are “screened” by Tusla to determine the most appropriate response and intervention if necessary. The immediate safety of the child is always of paramount concern. Please note that if you have immediate concerns about a child you should always contact a Tusla Social Worker or An Garda Síochána by phone.

Tusla will always seek to acknowledge a report of a concern, and are legally required to acknowledge a mandated report. If you submit your report through Tusla’s web portal you will receive an automated acknowledge receipt within one day to confirm that your receipt has been successfully submitted.

If you do not receive an automated acknowledgement receipt with a unique tracking reference please either contact the Tusla Local Area Office or email portalsupport@tusla.ie.

 

This short video explains some of the ways Tusla responds to child protection or welfare reports:

 

While reports can be made anonymously to Tusla - Child and Family Agency this will limit Tusla’s ability to assess and respond to concerns. No assurance of anonymity can be given to a member of the public reporting a concern as their identity may be accessible under Freedom of Information legislation or through a court process.

HSE staff have a duty of care to safeguard children, and when making reports to Tusla in their professional capacity there should be no expectation of anonymity.

If you are a mandated person you cannot submit a mandated report anonymously, as to do so would mean you are not complying with your obligations under the Children First Act 2015.

If, having made a report to Tusla’s social work service, you remain concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, you should contact the Social Work Team in the area where the child resides to discuss the concern. It may be necessary to make subsequent reports where there are on-going concerns, where further information is available, or where new concerns arise. Do not assume that a child is safe because a report has been made.

In an emergency or if a child is at immediate risk and you cannot make contact with the Tusla Duty Social Worker you should contact An Garda Síochána immediately.

The following general principles should be observed in relation to information sharing and confidentiality:

• Where the interests of the parents and the child appear to conflict, the child’s interests must be paramount in relation to child protection and welfare issues.
• The safety and welfare of children is paramount and staff must always consider the safety and welfare of a child or young person when making decisions on whether to share information about them.
• Giving information to a person who has a bona fide need-to-know for the protection of a child is not a breach of confidentiality or data protection, where the best interests of the child or young person require it.
• Where the disclosure of confidential information is necessary, the ‘need to know’ principle should apply, i.e. only those who need to know should be given the relevant information.
• All relevant and proportionate information regarding a reasonable concern, a report, or the assessment of a child protection or welfare concern, should be shared with Tusla in the best interests of the child.
• Information sharing should be consistent with the Information Sharing Framework (PDF, 352 KB, 1 page) as outlined in the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. If in doubt about what information should be shared, consult with your line manager.
• Information should be accurate and up-to-date, shared in a timely fashion and in a secure manner.

You can, at any time, contact the Duty Social Worker to request information in relation to what action may be taken in response to your report. There may be limits to what Tusla can discuss with you however, due to confidentiality and the rights of children and families.

The Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 do not prevent the sharing of information on a reasonable and proportionate basis for the purposes of child protection.

Please see HSE Child Protection and Welfare Information Sharing Framework (PDF, 352 KB, 1 page).

Section 17 of the Children First Act 2015

• Where Tusla - Child and Family Agency share information with a person in the course of carrying out an assessment of a mandated report, it is a criminal offence under Section 17 of the Children First Act 2015, for that person to disclose the information to a third party, unless in accordance with law, or unless there is written authorisation from Tusla. It is important to note that it is only information shared by Tusla during the period of assessment of a mandated report that is covered by Section 17 of the Act. If a staff member of the HSE is the person who received the information from Tusla, then it would not be considered an offence to share that information on a need-to-know basis with other HSE staff, as they would not be considered ‘third parties’.
• However, under Section 17 of the Act, in order to share the information received from Tusla (during the period of assessment of a mandated report) with someone outside of the HSE, such as staff of a HSE Funded agency, GPs, etc. this can only be shared in accordance with law, or if there is written authorisation from Tusla. Practice Tip: If Tusla are sharing information that you believe you need to share with others outside of the HSE in order to safeguard the child, ask Tusla if they are carrying out an assessment of a mandated report and if you need their consent to share this information with the relevant people.

Certain individuals known at Mandated Persons have statutory responsibilities under the Children First Act 2015. Mandated Persons are people who because of their qualification, training and employment, are in a key position to help protect children from harm.

To find out if you are a mandated person check Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015.

It is the responsibility of individual staff to identify if they are a mandated person particularly staff members that are registered professionals regardless of role or grade.

Mandated Persons have two main legal obligations under the Children First Act 2015 in relation to reporting and assisting.

The Children First Act 2015 places a legal obligation on Mandated Persons to report child protection concerns at or above a defined threshold to Tusla - Child and Family Agency. A mandated person must report to Tusla without delay, any knowledge, belief or reasonable suspicion that a child has been harmed, is being harmed, or is at risk of being harmed. This includes where a child discloses their belief to a mandated person that they have been, are being or are likely to be harmed. Harm is defined in the Act as 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 any concern regarding sexual abuse.

A mandated person is required to assist Tusla, in their assessment of any concern which has been the subject of a mandated report, if requested.

For additional information see Chapter 3 of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017).

The legal obligation to report under the Act applies only to information that you acquire in the course of your professional work or employment. It does not apply to information you acquire outside your work, or information given to you on the basis of a personal rather than a professional relationship. While the legal obligation to report only arises for employment or professional duties, in the interest of protecting all children and young people, you should report all reasonable concerns to Tusla - Child and Family Agency.

If you are a professional who works with or treats persons with mental health difficulties, intellectual disabilities, addiction or domestic violence issues, you must consider the welfare and safety of any children in that person’s family or children in regular contact with the person. You may find yourself working with people whose health and behaviour has harmed or may harm a child. If there are concerns which meet or exceed the threshold of harm, then you must report them to Tusla - Child and Family Agency using Tusla’s Child Protection and Welfare Report Form.

An adult you work with may also disclose that they were abused as a child. If you receive a disclosure from an adult that they were abused as a child, and you have reasonable grounds for concern that a child (who is under the age of 18 years at the time of the disclosure) has been, is being or is at risk of being harmed, you must report this to Tusla.

If you do not have a concern for a child, you are not required to make a report unless the adult wants you to. If you do have a concern for a child it is not necessary to have the adults consent to make a report.

Tusla’s Web Portal allows users to securely submit child protection and welfare concerns to Tusla online. Alternatively, you can report your concern in person, by telephone or by downloading and completing the Tusla reporting forms and sending them by registered post to Tusla’s social work service in the area where the child lives.

Mandated persons can access Tusla's emergency out-of-hours social work service. If as a mandated person you have a concern about a child you can contact Tusla’s out-of-hours social work service on 0818 776 315 between 6pm and 6am every night and between 9am and 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.

If you feel the concern may require urgent intervention to make the child safe, Section 14(7) of the Children First Act 2015, allows you to alert Tusla of the concern in advance of submitting a written report. You must then submit a mandated report to Tusla on the Web Portal or by using the Child Protection and Welfare Report Form (by registered post) within 3 days.

There are also Dedicated Contact Points for Tusla’s social work service.

If you cannot contact Tusla and have an immediate concern about the safety of a child, please contact An Garda Síochána without delay.

Child protection is everyone’s responsibility. Adult based services play an important part in the identification and assessment of child protection and welfare concerns. Consideration of the impact of parental problems on a child or children should be a routine part of practice in adult as well as in children’s services.

It is HSE policy that all staff comply with Children First and the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy.

If you are a professional who works with or treats persons with mental health difficulties, intellectual disability, addiction or domestic violence issues you must consider the welfare and safety of any children in that person’s family or children in regular contact with the person. You may find yourself working with people whose health and behaviour has harmed or may harm a child.

You may observe or hear of concerning behaviours that give you reasonable grounds for concern about a child.

You must always inform Tusla - Child and Family Agency when you have reasonable grounds for concern that a child may have been, is being or is at risk of being abused or neglected.

Some adults may disclose abuse that took place during their childhood. Such disclosures may come to light when an adult is attending counselling, receiving palliative care, or is being treated for psychiatric or other health issue. If you receive a disclosure from an adult that they were abused as a child, and you have reasonable grounds for concern that a child (who is under the age of 18 years at the time of the disclosure) has been, is being or is at risk of being harmed, you must report this to Tusla - Child and Family Agency.

If you do not have a concern for a child, you are not required to make a report unless the adult wants you to. If you do have a concern for a child it is not necessary to have the adults consent to make a report.

Tusla's web portal is the preferred method for reporting and allows users to securely submit child protection and welfare concerns to Tusla online. Alternatively the reporting forms can be completed and sent to Tusla by registered post. You can also report your concern in person or by telephone but this must be followed up with a written report within three days. 

Garda Vetting is a process to check whether a person has a criminal record, or if there is any specified reason why a person might pose a threat to children or vulnerable adults.

Statutory obligations on employers in relation to Garda vetting requirements for persons working with children and vulnerable adults are set out in the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012–2016. Under these Acts, it is compulsory for employers to obtain vetting disclosures in relation to anyone who is carrying out relevant work with children or vulnerable adults.

No. Provided the school is not employing, contracting or placing the individual concerned in relevant work (as defined in the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012) with children or vulnerable adults or that it is not permitting the individual to undertake the relevant work concerned on behalf of the school, there is no statutory obligation on the school in respect of the vetting of that individual.

However, given schools’ general duty of care it may be helpful if the HSE service or relevant employing organisation (in the case of HSE Funded or contracted organisations) could provide an assurance to the schools concerned that the individuals have been vetted.

You can also access further details about this from Circular 0031/2016. 

Any person working within a relevant service/role of the HSE must have Garda vetting processed via the HSE only. Third party organisations cannot undertake this process on behalf of their staff/the HSE, unless there is a formal arrangements in place (registered with the National Vetting Bureau) that such third party vetting is allowed on behalf of the HSE. e.g. where the HSE has a formal reciprocal with a university to student college placements within a HSE service, the university may arrange to process Garda vetting of their own students to be shared with the HSE. If no such formal arrangement is in place the student should be asked to apply for vetting via the HSE Garda Vetting Liaison Office.

For contractors, etc. who supply staff to work within relevant HSE services/roles, Garda vetting applications for those staff need to be arranged via the HSE Garda Vetting Liaison Office. This does mean that a contractor's staff members who work across multiple relevant organisations may be required to undertake the Garda vetting process multiple times, as each separate organisation must follow their own Garda vetting processes and cannot rely on Garda vetting undertaken by the contractor/third party.

Assuming it has been confirmed that the role involves relevant work, then age is the key determinant for applicable vetting process.

Those over 15 years of age but not yet 18 (i.e. minors) can apply for vetting but only with the consent of their parents/guardians. The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 does not permit vetting of children 15 years or younger. The service can satisfy themselves as to the suitability of an individual to take up a work placement by obtaining a character reference letter from the school signed by school principle.

If vetting is required, the HSE carry out this vetting with consent of the parent/guardian.

There are a few different ways of accessing Children First e-learning training depending on who you are:

HSE staff, staff of HSE Funded Agencies and staff of private nursing homes and private hospitals access the HSE Children First training through www.hseland.ie.

If you accessed the training via this link, when you log on to HSeLanD you can launch the assessment by clicking on the ‘Go’ tab as indicated by the red circle in the image below:

Find the ‘An Introduction to Children First’ module that you have already started and click on ‘Show Sub Modules’ as indicated by the red arrow in the image below:

Find the ‘An Introduction to Children First: Assessment’ and click on ‘Launch’ as indicated by the red arrow in the image below:

The online programme needs to be completed in full before you can launch the assessment.

Staff of HSE Contracted Services and volunteers access the HSE Children First training through https://childrenfirst.hseland.ie/

If you completed the training via this link, when you log on you can launch the assessment by clicking on the ‘Launch Assessment’ icon as indicated by the red circle in the image below:

 

If you are none of the above categories of staff, you may have accessed Tusla's Children First training through https://childrenfirstuniversal.hseland.ie/

 

The HSE’s ‘An Introduction to Children First’ certificates are valid for three years. You will get an email from HSeLanD to the email address that you registered with when your certificate is about to expire advising you that you need to complete it again.

If you still have trouble accessing the assessment you can contact HSeLanD support on support@hseland.ie or via 01 9638272.

There are a few different ways of accessing Children First e-learning training depending on who you are.

HSE staff, staff of HSE Funded Agencies and staff of private nursing homes and private hospitals access the HSE Children First training through www.hseland.ie.

If you completed the training via this link, when you log on to HSeLanD you can find copies of certificates for any module that you have completed by clicking on the ‘Certificates’ tab as indicated by the red circle in the image below:

Please Note: If you completed the An Introduction to Children First e-learning programme through HSeLanD's temporary portal that was available during the 2021 HSE Cyber Attack, this portal is no longer available and you can no longer re-download your certificate from that portal. Please check your emails as you were emailed the certificate on the date that you completed the assessment. If you deleted the email that had your certificate attached, then you will need to complete the programme again on HSeLanD to receive a new certificate. 

Staff of HSE Contracted Services and volunteers access the HSE Children First training through https://childrenfirst.hseland.ie/

If you completed the training via this link, when you log on you can find a copy of your certificate by clicking on the ‘Certificates’ tab as indicated by the red circle in the image below:

 

If you are none of the above categories of staff, you may have accessed Tusla's Children First training through http://childrenfirstuniversal.hseland.ie/

 

The HSE’s ‘An Introduction to Children First’ certificates are valid for three years. You will get an email from HSeLanD to the email address that you registered with when your certificate is about to expire advising you that you need to complete it again.

If you still have trouble accessing your certificate you can contact HSeLanD support on support@hseland.ie or via 01 9638272.

All students on placement in a professional capacity and adult students are required to complete the mandatory children first e-Learning programme.

The majority of transition year students are under 18 years old and are therefore identified as a child under the Children First Act. HSE services must complete a Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment and Child Safeguarding Statement, which should include any risks of harm to transition year students in the service while on work experience. A copy of the Child Safeguarding Statement should be made available to transition year students and they should be informed about the service’s child protection and welfare policy.

As a transition year student on work experience with the HSE you should be fully supervised at all times by a staff member. For this reason it is not mandatory for you to complete the HSE Children First e-Learning programme. With parental consent, you may wish to complete the programme for your own learning experience.

Being a parent is rewarding but it can bring its own challenges. Getting help and support is important. Friends, family and neighbours who have been through similar experiences can be a source of support or you can ask your GP or Public Health Nurse about community resources available.

The HSE has created a website www.mychild.ie to support new parents and parents-to-be. It contains information on pregnancy and the first three years of your child’s life. Parenting support is also provided by Tusla – Child and Family Agency. Visit www.tusla.ie for further information.

The HSE has a responsibility to put the welfare of children first and report reasonable grounds for concern in respect of child protection and welfare concerns to Tusla- Child and Family Agency. All HSE staff who work within the HSE, and within organisations which are funded by the HSE, undertake training in recognising and responding to child protection and welfare concerns. The welfare of children is of paramount importance.

HSE staff may become aware of such concerns through their contact with children, but also through their contact with parents who attend adult services.

It is HSE policy that these concerns be discussed with you prior to reporting unless doing so would place a child at greater risk.

It is important to note however that where a HSE staff member has reasonable grounds for concern, it is HSE Policy that they must report this to Tusla, even if you request that they don’t.

You can contact the Duty Social Worker in the area where the child lives to get advice and information without making a formal report. If you have a concern about your child, you can make a report directly to Tusla - Child and Family Agency Duty Social Worker. This can be done in person, by phone or in writing.

If you or your child are attending a HSE service, you can also make a report to a HSE Designated Officer (PDF, 1,056 KB, 2 pages).

If you make a report about a child protection or welfare concern in good faith believing your concerns to be true, you are protected from being sued under the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998.

In an emergency or if a child is at immediate risk and you cannot make contact with the Duty Social Worker in the Child and Family Agency you should contact An Garda Síochána immediately.

If you disclosure that you were abused when you were a child, if there are reasonable grounds for concern that a child (who is under the age of 18 years at the time of the disclosure) has been, is being or is at risk of being harmed, this must be reported to Tusla - Child and Family Agency.

Your service provider should have discussed the limits to confidentiality with you at the beginning of their contact with you. If they have not, please bring this up and discuss it with them so that you are clear of what actions may be taken in the event they have a concern.

The HSE National Counselling Service is available to offer support to any adult who has experienced childhood abuse.

• to be treated with courtesy and respect;
• to be heard and listened to;
• to be consulted and involved in matters that concern your child(ren);
• to seek legal advice;
• to ask questions and seek explanations;
• to be supported;
• to access the HSE complaints process if you are dissatisfied with the service made available to your and your child;
• to have an interpreter (if you have difficulty communicating in English or if your hearing is impaired);
• to have your cultural and religious background taken into account.

A proper balance must be made between protecting children and respecting the rights and needs of parents/guardians and families. It is HSE policy that where there is conflict around a child protection or welfare concern that the child’s welfare must come first.

The HSE seeks to promote the rights of all children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989. These include:

• to be heard, listened to and taken seriously;
• to be consulted and involved in all matters and decisions that affect their lives (taking into account their age and level of understanding);
• to be protected from harm and discrimination;
• to be supported;
• to ask for explanations.

The HSE actively encourages all service users to comment, compliment or complain about any service(s) provided by the HSE and is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of all children/young people with whom we work. You can let us know what you think by accessing Your Service, Your Say. All responses are forwarded to relevant managers where a complaint is made and where a compliment is received.

If you are dissatisfied with a decision made by Tusla - Child and Family Agency please see www.tusla.ie/about/feedback-and-complaints.

The HSE National Counselling Service welcomes calls from adults who have experienced abuse in childhood. It is a professional, confidential counselling and psychotherapy service available free of charge in all regions of the country.

Connect is an additional service to the HSE’s National Counselling Service. Connect provides counselling services by telephone which may suit some people better. To speak to a counsellor call Freephone:

• Republic of Ireland: 1800 477 477
• UK and Northern Ireland: 00800 477 477 77
• Outside RoI and UK: 00353 (0) 1 865 7495 (Int. call rates apply)

Rape Crisis Network Ireland is the representative, umbrella body for Rape Crisis Centres across Ireland who provide free advice, counselling and support for survivors of sexual abuse.