Child Safeguarding Statement

Last updated: 8 June 2026

Hollyhill Knocknaheeny Family Centre is committed to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare, safety, dignity, and wellbeing.

This Child Safeguarding Statement explains the principles and procedures we follow to help ensure, as far as practicable, that children attending or using our service are safe from harm.

This statement has been prepared in line with the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, and Tusla guidance on Child Safeguarding Statements. Tusla describes a Child Safeguarding Statement as a written statement setting out the service provided, the safeguarding principles and procedures in place, the risks identified, and the procedures used to reduce those risks.

Hollyhill Knocknaheeny Family Centre
Harbour View Road, Hollyhill
Cork T23 T861
Ireland

Phone: +353 (0) 21 439 2300
Email: thefamilycentre2020@gmail.com

1. Name of Service

Hollyhill Knocknaheeny Family Centre provides early years, crèche, preschool, family, community, and related support services for children and families.

The Centre operates from Harbour View Road, Hollyhill, Cork, T23 T861.

2. Nature of Service

The Centre provides services that may include:

crèche care
preschool care
early years education
family support
adult and community classes
student placement and work-experience support
parent communication and engagement
child development and wellbeing support
additional needs support, where relevant
referral and liaison with relevant support services, where appropriate

Children attending the Centre may take part in indoor and outdoor play, learning activities, meals, rest, personal care routines, group activities, individual support, outings or events where applicable, and communication activities involving parents and guardians.

3. Our Safeguarding Principles

The Centre is committed to:

keeping children safe from harm
promoting children’s welfare, wellbeing, dignity, and rights
treating all children with respect, equality, and inclusion
listening to children and taking concerns seriously
working in partnership with parents and guardians
following Children First guidance and statutory obligations
maintaining safe recruitment, Garda vetting, and reference-checking procedures
supporting staff, students, and volunteers to understand their safeguarding responsibilities
reporting child protection and welfare concerns appropriately
maintaining appropriate records
reviewing safeguarding procedures regularly

The safety and welfare of children is central to how the Centre operates.

4. Designated Liaison Person

The Designated Liaison Person is the person responsible for receiving child protection and welfare concerns and for ensuring that reporting procedures are followed.

Designated Liaison Person: Lisa O’Brien
Role: Manager
Phone: 021 439 2300

Deputy Designated Liaison Person: Niamh Kiely Hickey
Role: Early Years Supervisor
Phone: 021 439 2300

Parents, guardians, staff, students, volunteers, and visitors may contact the Designated Liaison Person if they have a child safeguarding or welfare concern.

5. Mandated Persons

Certain staff members may be mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015.

Mandated persons have specific legal responsibilities, including reporting mandated concerns to Tusla and assisting Tusla, if requested, in assessing a concern. Tusla guidance states that mandated persons have duties to report child harm above the defined threshold and to assist Tusla where requested.

The Centre maintains an internal list of mandated persons and ensures that staff are informed of their responsibilities.

6. Risk Assessment

In accordance with Children First requirements, the Centre has carried out a risk assessment to identify potential risks of harm to children while they are attending or using the service. The Children First Act requires relevant services to prepare a Child Safeguarding Statement that includes an assessment of risks and the procedures in place to manage those risks.

The table below summarises key areas of risk and the procedures in place to reduce those risks.

Area of Risk	Procedures in Place to Reduce Risk
Recruitment of staff, students, or volunteers	Safe recruitment procedures, Garda vetting, reference checks, induction, supervision, and Children First awareness.
Staff, student, or volunteer not properly vetted	Garda vetting is required before a person begins relevant work with children, in line with Centre procedures.
Inappropriate behaviour by staff, students, volunteers, or visitors	Code of conduct, supervision, reporting procedures, staff awareness, management oversight, and safeguarding procedures.
Visitors to the Centre	Controlled access, sign-in/sign-out procedures, staff awareness, and visitor supervision where appropriate.
Collection of children	Authorised collection procedures, parent/guardian information, staff checks, and clear communication about collection arrangements.
Child absent or not collected as expected	Attendance monitoring, parent/guardian contact, emergency contact procedures, and escalation where needed.
Accident, incident, injury, or illness	Accident/incident records, first-aid procedures, parent/guardian notification, health and safety procedures, and medical guidance where appropriate.
Medication or medical needs	Medication procedures, parent/guardian instructions, record keeping, safe storage, and staff awareness.
Allergies, dietary needs, or health information	Parent/guardian information, allergy/dietary records, meal procedures, staff awareness, and communication with families.
Toileting, nappy changing, and intimate care	Personal care procedures, dignity and privacy, appropriate supervision, and staff awareness.
Online communication, photos, and videos	Parental consent, communication policy, privacy policy, staff guidance, appropriate use of Child Path, WhatsApp, website, and social media.
Use of WhatsApp or digital communication	Optional participation, consent, group rules, privacy warnings, moderation, and limits on confidential or sensitive information.
Use of Child Path or similar systems	Controlled access, appropriate content, parent communication, consent where needed, and data protection procedures.
Internet, devices, and digital systems	Appropriate access controls, password protection, staff guidance, data protection procedures, and review of digital systems.
Bullying, inappropriate language, or harmful behaviour	Behaviour management procedures, respectful communication, supervision, parent partnership, and staff intervention where needed.
Safeguarding concern or disclosure	Reporting procedures, Designated Liaison Person involvement, mandated reporting where required, record keeping, and referral to Tusla where appropriate.
Child protection allegation against staff, student, volunteer, or adult	Internal safeguarding procedures, reporting procedures, management response, Tusla/Garda involvement where required, and appropriate record keeping.
Outings, events, or activities outside normal routine	Planning, risk assessment, supervision, parent/guardian communication, consent where needed, and emergency procedures.
CCTV and premises security	CCTV where used, access control, restricted access to footage, signage, and data protection procedures.

7. Safeguarding Procedures

The Centre has procedures in place to support child safeguarding and welfare, including procedures for:

recognising and responding to child protection or welfare concerns
reporting concerns to the Designated Liaison Person
reporting concerns to Tusla where appropriate
mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015
responding to disclosures from children
recording child protection and welfare concerns
managing allegations or concerns about staff, students, volunteers, or other adults
safe recruitment and selection
Garda vetting
checking references
staff induction
staff training and awareness
supervision and support of staff, students, and volunteers
managing visitors to the Centre
managing collection arrangements
managing accidents, incidents, illness, medication, and allergies
managing photos, videos, digital communication, Child Path, WhatsApp, and social media
maintaining confidentiality and data protection
reviewing safeguarding practice

Tusla guidance states that organisations should develop safeguarding procedures and make the Child Safeguarding Statement available to staff, parents, guardians, Tusla, and members of the public on request.

8. Reporting a Child Protection or Welfare Concern

Any person who has a concern about the safety, welfare, or wellbeing of a child should report the concern to the Designated Liaison Person as soon as possible.

Where there is an immediate risk to a child, emergency services should be contacted without delay.

Concerns may be reported to Tusla where appropriate and in line with Children First guidance and the Centre’s internal procedures.

If a concern involves an immediate danger or emergency, contact:

Emergency Services: 999 / 112

9. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Child protection and welfare information is handled carefully and shared only where necessary and appropriate.

Information may need to be shared with Tusla, An Garda Síochána, emergency services, health professionals, or other relevant bodies where required for safeguarding, legal, welfare, or emergency reasons.

The Centre will not promise absolute confidentiality where a child protection or welfare concern arises. The safety and welfare of the child is the priority.

Personal data connected to safeguarding is processed in line with data protection law and the Centre’s Privacy Policy.

10. Recruitment, Garda Vetting, and Staff Suitability

The Centre is committed to safe recruitment and selection.

Relevant staff, students, volunteers, and work-experience participants are subject to appropriate recruitment checks, which may include:

application and selection procedures
identity checks
Garda vetting
reference checks
qualification checks, where relevant
induction
supervision
training and awareness of safeguarding responsibilities

No person should have unsupervised access to children unless appropriate safeguarding checks and Centre procedures have been completed.

11. Training and Awareness

The Centre supports staff, students, and volunteers to understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

This may include:

Children First awareness
internal safeguarding procedures
reporting procedures
role of the Designated Liaison Person
mandated-person responsibilities, where relevant
confidentiality and record keeping
safe communication with children and families
appropriate professional boundaries
digital communication and photo/video consent

Staff are expected to follow the Centre’s safeguarding policies and procedures at all times.

12. Digital Communication, Photos, Videos, and Social Media

The Centre recognises that digital communication, photos, videos, websites, social media, WhatsApp, and childcare communication systems must be used carefully and safely.

The Centre uses appropriate procedures to manage:

photo and video consent
website and Facebook images
Child Path communication
WhatsApp Community/groups
internal records
graduation albums or displays
privacy and confidentiality
data protection
appropriate communication with parents and guardians

Photos or videos of children are only published on the website, Facebook, or other public platforms where appropriate parental consent has been obtained.

Parents and guardians must not share images, videos, or private information about other children without permission.

13. Code of Behaviour

All staff, students, volunteers, parents, guardians, and visitors are expected to behave respectfully and appropriately while engaging with the Centre.

The Centre will not accept:

aggressive behaviour
abusive or threatening language
discriminatory comments
inappropriate physical contact
harassment
intimidation
unsafe behaviour
inappropriate photography or recording
sharing confidential information about children, families, or staff
conduct that places a child or adult at risk

Where behaviour raises a safeguarding concern, the Centre will respond in line with its safeguarding procedures.

14. Partnership With Parents and Guardians

The Centre recognises the important role of parents and guardians in safeguarding children.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to:

share relevant information about their child’s needs
update the Centre about changes to health, allergies, collection arrangements, or emergency contacts
raise concerns early
communicate respectfully with staff
follow Centre policies and procedures
support safe arrival and collection arrangements
respect the privacy and dignity of all children and families

15. Availability of This Statement

This Child Safeguarding Statement is available on the Centre’s website.

A copy may also be requested from the Centre.

The Centre will make this statement available to staff, parents, guardians, Tusla, and members of the public as required.

16. Review of This Statement

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed at least every two years, or sooner if there is a material change in the service, procedures, legislation, guidance, staffing, risk assessment, or safeguarding practice.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Child Safeguarding Statement, please contact: