Parents/carers have primary responsibility for the care and protection of their children. Boards of Management, Principals, Teachers and other school staff also have responsibility for the care and welfare of their pupils. The Board of Management has set out below its policy in regard to the identification, reporting, and procedures for dealing with child abuse or allegations of child abuse, and clarifies the responsibilities of teachers and other school staff.

Child abuse can be categorised into four different types: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. The child may be subjected to more than one form of abuse at any given time.

The following examples would constitute reasonable grounds for concern:

• A specific indication from a child that (s)he was abused
• A statement from a person who witnessed abuse
• An illness, injury or behaviour consistent with abuse
• A symptom which may not in itself be totally consistent with abuse, but which is supported by corroborative evidence of deliberate harm or negligence.
• Consistent signs of neglect over a period of time.

The Board of Management must designate a senior member of staff to have specific responsibility for child protection. This person will be the designated liaison person for the school in all dealings with health boards, the Garda Siochana and other parties in connection with allegations of abuse.

If a child discloses to a teacher or to other school staff alleging that (s)he is being harmed, the person who receives the information should listen carefully and supportively. The child or young person should not be interviewed formally. The teacher/staff member should obtain only necessary relevant facts. Confidentiality must never be promised to a person making a disclosure and the requirement to report to the health board must be explained in a supportive manner. The teacher/staff member should then inform the person who is responsible for reporting the matter to the health board or An Garda Siochana.

If child abuse is suspected or alleged, the designated officer should make a report to the Health Board in person, by phone or in writing. Each health board has a social worker available to meet with, or talk to on the phone to persons wishing to report child protection concerns. The Standard Reporting Form, as supplied by the health board, should be used when making the report. The designated person who is submitting a report to the health board or An Garda Siochana should inform a parent/guardian unless doing so is likely to endanger the child or place the child at further risk. A decision not to inform a parent/guardian should be briefly recorded together with the reasons for not doing so. The Chairman of the Board of Management should be informed of any report of child abuse having been made to the health board.

It is essential that the designated officer keeps contemporaneous records of all reported child protection concerns; this should include details of contacts, consultations and any actions taken.

Where the designated person becomes aware of an allegation of abuse by a teacher or staff member the standard procedure for reporting allegations to the health board should be followed without delay. A written statement should be sought from the person making the allegation. The decision to report should be based on reasonable grounds for concern as outlined under the heading "Recognition" above. The Chairman should be informed as soon as possible.

Basic level Training in child protection and welfare must be provided in all organisations that offer services to children. The key elements of effective training are;

• The inclusion of different disciplines and agencies
• A focus on child protection and welfare legislation and policy along with national and local procedures.
• Dissemination of knowledge about child abuse, including physical and behavioural signs, effects and appropriate interventions.
• A focus on inter-professional and inter-agency work along with roles and responsibilities of individual and organisations.
• Dissemination of information about local services, contact addresses and methods of referral.

Basic level child care and protection training must be delivered on a multi-disciplinary inter agency basis. The B.O.M. has to rely on the state services to provide this training.

All information regarding concern or assessment of child abuse should be shared with relevant agencies on "a need to know" basis in the interests of the child. Confidentiality and due discretion should apply at all times in the interests of the child.

Organisations, as well as individuals, may avail of the immunity from civil liability provided in the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, 1998, provided they report 'reasonably and in good faith.'