Here at Counselling for Wellness we provide the following activities to children/young people:

Counselling services including Play Therapy to children and adolescents ages 4-17 years.

 

Guiding principles to safeguard children from harm

 

We believe that:

• Our priority is to ensure the welfare and safety of every child and young person who attends our service is paramount;

• Our guiding principles and procedures to safeguard children and young people reflect national policy and legislation and we will review our guiding principles and child safeguarding every two years;

• All children and young people have an equal right to attend a service that respects them as individuals and encourages them to reach their potential, regardless of their background;

• We are committed to upholding the rights of every child and young person who attends our service, including the right to be kept safe and protected from harm, listened to and heard;

• Our guiding principles apply to everyone in our organisation;

 

Risk Assessment

 

We have carried out an assessment of any potential for harm (as defined in the Children First Act, 2015) to a child while availing of our services.  Risk of harm as defined in the Act means, in relation to a child – (a) assault, ill-treatment or neglect of the child in a manner that seriously affects or is likely to seriously affect the child’s health, development or welfare, or (b) sexual abuse of a child.  

_________________________________________________________________________

Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks.

​

1. One to One Contact between Counsellor and Child or Adolescent – Safeguarding, reporting, record keeping, boundaries.

 

1. Attending HSE mandatory reporting online training once yearly and a bi-annual workshop to account for legislative change.

2. Ensuring active Garda clearance, appropriate training and qualifications, insurance, supervision and are a member of a recognised professional body.

3. Strict adherence to the code of ethics and practice as set out by their member organisation

4. Ensuring a detailed counselling contract between child/adolescent, parents/guardians and counsellor is discussed thoroughly and signed at the outset of therapy.

5. Informing parents/guardians that they are required to accompany the child/adolescent to and from the building.

6. Keeping clear, confidential records/notes of all counselling sessions in adherence to the GDPR regulations.

7. Ensuring parents/guardians are aware of their responsibilities throughout the counselling process and that mutual written consent from both parents is sought prior to commencement of counselling.

8. Compliance with all Health and Safety requirements within the building.

 

2. Multidisciplinary interaction

1. As part of our intake procedure, a record of the child’s mental health history is sought, the name of their GP and any other physicians they may be attending along with details of any psychoactive medications. Where required we will seek written clarification from other mental health professionals that are treating the child or adolescent to ensure that it is clinically safe for them to commence or to continue to partake in counselling.

2. In certain cases, our therapists will signpost parents to other services which may be better placed to assist their child.

3. Working with An Tusla, we endeavour to maintain regular contact with social works, parents, foster parents and any other members of the minor’s support team.

__________________________________________________________________________

Procedures

 

Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice.

 

The following procedures list in our risk assessment and the specified procedures below support our intention to safeguard children while they are availing of our service:

• Procedure for the management of allegations of abuse or misconduct against workers/volunteers of a child availing of our service;

• Procedure for the safe recruitment and selection of workers and volunteers to work with children;

• Procedure for provision of and access to child safeguarding training and information, including the identification of the occurrence of harm;

• Procedure for the reporting of child protection or welfare concerns to Tusla;

• Procedure for maintaining a list of the persons (if any) in the relevant service who are mandated persons;

• Procedure for appointing a relevant person;

• Additional procedures identified in risk assessment.

 

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be displayed prominently.

All procedures will be made available to staff, parents, young people, members of the public and Tusla if requested. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Implementation and Review

 

We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Our service is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service.

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed on 1st January 2027 or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.

​

Signed: Andrew Maher (Provider of the relevant service)

 

Andrew Maher, Counselling for Wellness

___________________________________________________________________

 

For queries, please contact Andrew Maher, who is the relevant person and the first point of contact regarding this Child Safeguarding Statement under the children First Act, 2015.

 

Andrew Maher

Counselling for Wellness

087-6948969

counsellingforwellness@gmail.com