HSE Children First Awareness Campaign

Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

 

HSE Children First Awareness Campaign - 14 to 20 October 2024

Campaign Objective

To promote Children First across the HSE and HSE funded organisations and raise awareness by highlighting a number of key messages about our responsibilities under Children First.

Key Child Safeguarding Messages for the Campaign

  • All staff should promote the welfare of all children.
  • All staff have a responsibility to report reasonable grounds for concern about the protection or welfare of a child to Tusla - Child and Family Agency. Never assume someone else will report.
  • Mandated Persons have a legal obligation to report to Tusla, harm or the risk of harm to a child. Check Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015 to find out if you are a Mandated Person.
  • Read and follow the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. This Policy states that all staff irrespective of role, grade or position must promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Sign the signature sheet in the appendices of the Policy (or an equivalent version set by your line manager) and give to your line manager to retain on file.
  • Complete the mandatory e-Learning programme 'An Introduction to Children First' on HSeLanD every 3 years. The certificate of completion should also be given to your line manager to retain on file.
  • Services for adults play an important part in the identification and assessment of child protection and welfare concerns. All services should consider the impact of parental difficulties on a child. Think Family, Think Child.
  • Services working with children and young people are ‘Relevant Services’. They are legally obliged, under the Children First Act 2015, to:
    i. Keep children safe from harm.
    ii. Undertake a child safeguarding risk assessment.
    iii. Develop a Child Safeguarding Statement.

The HSE Children First National Office has created a number of resources for staff and services, to help promote Children First awareness and communicate key messages throughout the campaign.

These resources can be shared and highlighted to staff, utilised at team meetings or used locally in whatever way may be deemed appropriate throughout the week and beyond in order to support the campaign.

We kindly request that all our HSE services, including our funded and contracted services, support the campaign by joining in during the week to create awareness.

 

Recording of Children First Awareness Webinar for HSE Staff

As part of Children First Awareness Week, this webinar has been recorded to assist all HSE staff in recognising, responding and reporting child protection and welfare concerns. It will provide you with information on your responsibilities under Children First.

 

Posters

Posters containing Key Child Safeguarding Messages, can be downloaded for display in offices, staff rooms, staff vaccination centres, etc. These can be utilised if organising Children First Awareness events in your service during the awareness week.

HSE funded services may wish to adapt these posters for their own organisation, so a link to an editable Microsoft Word version of each poster is included below also. 


 

Children First. Child Safeguarding in the HSE. All HSE staff have a responsibility to report to Tusla – Child and Family Agency, when they have reasonable grounds for concern about the protection or welfare of a child. Mandated Persons have a legal obligation to report when they are concerned that a child has been, is being or is at risk of being harmed. To help safeguard children: Read and follow the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. Complete the mandatory eLearning programme 'An Introduction to Children First' every 3 years. Ensure that your service has undertaken a Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment and developed a Child Safeguarding Statement. Child Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst . An image of seven young children standing in a circle with arms linked. (PDF, 425 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 932KB, 1 page)

 

Reasonable Grounds for Concern. An image of two young children kneeling on a couch looking out a sitting room window. Children First. Recognise, Respond, Report and Record are written to the left of the image with the children. Reporting concerns. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All HSE staff have a responsibility to report to Tusla - Child and Family Agency, when they have reasonable grounds for concern about the protection or welfare of a child. Never assume that someone else will report. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst.  (PDF, 614 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 445KB, 1 page) 

 

Child Protection and Welfare Policy. The image of the cartwheeling children as per the cover of the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. Children First. Child Protection and Welfare Policy. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All HSE staff are required to read and follow the HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy. You must understand your responsibilities in order to safeguard children. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst.  (PDF, 361 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 101KB, 1 page)

 

Mandatory Training. An Introduction to Children First eLearning programme. An image of several health and social care professionals extending their hands to join as they stand in a circle. Children First. Mandatory Training. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. All HSE staff must complete 'An Introduction to Children First' eLearning on HSeLanD every three years. You should give your certificate of completion to your line manager to retain on file. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst.  (PDF, 413 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 209KB, 1 page) 

 

Mandated Persons. An image of a boy and a health or social care professional smiling and giving a ‘high five’. Children First. Mandated Persons. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Mandated Persons have a legal obligation to report when they are concerned that a child has been, is being or is at risk of being harmed. Check Schedule 2 of the Children First Act 2015 to find out if you are a Mandated Person. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst.   (PDF, 410 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 190 KB, 1 page)

 

Services Working with Children and Young People. An image of a teenager sitting with a health or social care professional who is holding a pen and clipboard. Children First. Services working with children and young people. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Services working with children and young people are Relevant Services. They are legally obliged, under the Children First Act 2015, to: 1. Keep children safe from harm (as far as practicable). 2. Undertake a child safeguarding risk assessment. 3. Develop a Child Safeguarding Statement. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst. (PDF, 411 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 195KB, 1 page) 

 

Child Safeguarding in Adult Services. An image of an adult standing sideways as a young boy peeps his head out while standing in from of the adult. Children First. Child safeguarding in adult services. Child safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Staff working with adults have an important role to play in safeguarding children. All HSE staff have a responsibility to make a report to Tusla - Child and Family Agency, when they have a reasonable ground for concern about the protection and welfare of a child. For more information go online and visit www.hse.ie/childrenfirst. (PDF, 404 KB, 1 page) (Microsoft Word, 520KB, 1 page)

 

Practice Scenarios

Below are some practice scenarios which support the above posters containing Key Child Safeguarding Messages. These can be downloaded and utilised if organising Children First Awareness events in your service during the awareness week.

Editable word versions of these scenarios which funded services may wish to adapt for their own organisation can be made available through your local HSE Children First Training and Development Officer.

 HSE Child Protection and Welfare Policy Scenario Image (PDF, 164KB, 1 page)

 

Mandatory Training Scenario Image (PDF, 197KB, 1 page)

 

Mandated Persons Scenario Image (PDF, 213KB, 1 page)

 

Relevant Services Scenario Image (PDF, 160KB, 1 page)

 

Adult Services Scenario Image (PDF, 191KB, 1 page)

 

Further Children First awareness resources, can be found on the Gov.ie Children First webpage.