Child Protection

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

We at St. John’s believe that every child has the fundamental right to be safe from harm and given proper care by those looking after them with regard to their physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.  The welfare of the child must always be paramount.

At St. John’s we follow the detailed guidance set out in the;

• Education Authority Child Protection Procedures
• The Department of Education for Northern Ireland Circular 1999/10
• The Northern Ireland Children Order 1995 and
• The Southern Area Child Protection Committee Procedures 

We recognise five main responsibilities in the area of Child Protection;

• Prevention
• Recognition
• Response
• Referral
• Confidentiality

All staff at our school is fully aware of our Child Protection Policy and procedures.

The school’s designated teacher for Child Protection is Mrs. O'Hagan

The deputy designated teacher for Child Protection is Mrs Deeney

Both designated teachers work in close consultation with the Principal Mr. O’Neill.

The school will update the Child Protection policy and related Procedures in light of any further guidance and legislation and review it as a whole staff annually

 Procedures for Reporting Child Protection Concerns.

1. Member of staff should make notes of what was said or observed and must ACT PROMPTLY
2. Members of staff only record what is said to them.They do not investigate any concerns.
3. Staff member with a concern for a child must report the concern to the designated teacher.
4. The Principal and designated teacher will discuss the concern in detail and plan a course of action.
5. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance.

Following this, appropriate action may involve;

• Monitoring the situation
• Consult Social Services/CCMS/EA
• Refer to Social Services/CCMS/EA

 If you have any questions or concerns please speak to the principal or one of  the designated teachers.

A copy of the Child Protection Policy is available in the Safeguarding Section of this website or alternatively a copy can be obtained from the school office.