Children First Act 2015 update

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As you are aware, the Children First Act 2015 came into effect on 11 December 2017 and the implementation deadline of 11 March 2018 has now passed. As it stands, all youth organisations are required to have:

  • Carried out a risk assessment to identify whether a child or young person could be harmed while receiving their services;
  • Developed a Child Safeguarding Statement that outlines the policies and procedures which are in place to manage the risks that have been identified;
  • Appointed a relevant person to be the first point of contact in respect of the organisation’s Child Safeguarding Statement.

We have had numerous queries from members in relation to the Children First Act so here is an update from IAYO:

IAYO are currently working with a number of partner organisations, with assistance from the National Youth Council of Ireland, to create child protection resources that can be adopted throughout the sector. Once we have completed the resources, they will be available at www.iayo.ie.

Reminder: Retrospective Garda Vetting

We would also like to remind members that the deadline for retrospective Garda Vetting has passed (30th April). According to the National Vetting Bureau, employees who were in employment prior to 29th April 2016 and who were not previously vetted, must have been vetted by the deadline.