Child Safeguarding Statement

Our mission is to ensure a thriving, diverse and safe online and media landscape. This includes protecting children and all of us from harmful content.

Our service

Coimisiún na Meán, operating at One Shelbourne Buildings, Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4, D04 NP20, was established further to the provisions of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. We are Ireland’s media regulator and development agency.

In advancing our mission, we provide or will provide in due course, as the case may be, a number of services and activities to children, which include:

The establishment of a Youth Advisory Committee, whose members may include both children and young people.
Research and consultation with children and young people in relation to media content and services.
Receiving complaints from members of the public, including children and young people regarding any failure by an intermediary service provider to comply with any provision of the Digital Services Regulation. In due course, and further to our online safety code, we will also receive and investigate complaints from children and young people about harmful online content about online services to which our online safety code applies.

Our principles to safeguard children from harm¹

The safety and welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.
The best interests of the child must be paramount in all decisions made by Coimisiún na Meán personnel.
All children and young people, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, race or ethnicity, will be safeguarded by providing safe and structured child-centred services and activities.
Children and young people have a right to dignity and respect.
Children and young people have a right to be heard, listened to and taken seriously. Taking account of their age and understanding, they should be consulted and involved in all matters and decisions that may affect their lives.
Parents/carers have a right to respect and should be consulted and involved in matters concerning their children. We respect that right, properly balanced with the need to safeguard children from harm.
Child safeguarding requires multi-agency, multi-disciplinary cooperation. We will work together with Tusla and other agencies and professionals in the best interests of children or young people.

Risk assessment

We have carried out an assessment of the potential for harm to a child availing of our services and activities. A written assessment setting out the risks identified and the procedures for managing those risks is summarised below:

Risk of harm to a child from a member of staff.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Recruitment and selection procedures for staff; Garda Vetting requirements, as appropriate.
– Code of Behaviour².
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Commission Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of harm to a child by a parent, carer or guardian, a third party, or a member of the public.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.

Risk of harm to a child or young person from another child or young person.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Anti-Bullying Guidelines.
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern regarding child abuse, not being recognised or reported.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Mandated Persons Policy and Procedures.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Commission Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.

Risk of harm to a child with access to Information Communications Technology (ICT) or through unauthorised photography.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Recruitment and selection procedures for staff; Garda Vetting requirements, as appropriate.
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Commission Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Notes:
¹ Harm to a child means: ‘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 sexual abuse of the child’.
² Code of Behaviour means Coimisiún na Meán’s Code of Behaviour for Commission personnel working with children and young people.

Our full, detailed risk assessment is available below.

Our Child Safeguarding Policies and 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, and Tusla’s Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice.

In addition to the procedures listed in our risk assessment, the following procedures support our intention to safeguard children:

Procedure for maintaining a list of persons at Coimisiún na Meán who are mandated persons.
Procedure for appointing a relevant person for the purposes of the Children First Act 2015.
Procedure for Implementation, Monitoring & Review of Child Safeguarding Procedures.

All policies and procedures mentioned in our Child Safeguarding Statement are available upon request.

Implementation and review

We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Coimisiún na Meán is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the accompanying child safeguarding policies and procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service.

This Statement will be reviewed by 08 June 2028, or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in legislation, national policy or any other matter to which the statement refers.

A copy of this statement is displayed in the reception area of Coimisiún na Meán, in each area where children and young people avail of our services and activities and on the Commission’s website. It has been provided to all staff, and third parties contracted to Coimisiún na Meán. Our Child Safeguarding Statement will be made available upon request to parents, carers or guardians of children availing of our services and activities, to members of the public, and to Tusla upon request.

Child Safeguarding Statement – Detailed Risk Assessment

In accordance with the Children First Act 2015, Coimisiún na Meán has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child or young person availing of our services or activities. A written assessment setting out the areas of risk identified, and the procedures in place to manage those risks, is outlined below:

Risk of harm to a child from a member of staff.

Risk of harm to a child as a result of abusive or inappropriate behaviour by a staff member at Coimisiún na Meán.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Recruitment and selection procedures for staff.
– Garda Vetting requirements, where appropriate and necessary.
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of harm to a child as a result of abusive or inappropriate behaviour by a staff member while away from the Coimisiún na Meán premises on a journey or activity.

Risk of harm as a result of insufficient or inadequate supervision of children at Coimisiún na Meán premises.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Missing Child Policy and Procedures.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of harm as a result of inadequate supervision of children during any activity away from the Coimisiún na Meán premises.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy
– Missing Child Policy and Procedures.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of harm to a child by a parent, carer or guardian, a third party, or a member of the public.

Risk of harm to a child or young person by the child or young person’s parent, carer or guardian.

Risk of harm to a child or young person by a third party admitted to Coimisiún na Meán’s premises.

Risk of harm to a child or young person in the care of Coimisiún na Meán by a member of the public.

Risk of harm to a child or young person from another child or young person.

Risk of bullying of a child or young person by another child or young person.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Anti-Bullying Guidelines.

Risk of physically or sexually harmful behaviour towards a child or young person by another child or young person.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern regarding child abuse, not being recognised or reported.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern that a child has been, is being, or is at risk of being abused, not being recognised by staff/volunteers.

Policies/procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for recognising, recording and reporting child safeguarding concerns.
– Mandated Persons Policy and Procedures.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern that a child has been, is being, or is at risk of being abused not being reported to the DLP³ or Tusla by Coimisiún na Meán personnel.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern that a child has been, is being, or is at risk of being abused not being reported to Tusla by the DLP.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Procedure for recognising, recording and reporting child safeguarding concerns.
– Mandated Persons Policy and Procedures.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.

Risk of harm to a child with access to Information Communications Technology (ICT)

Risk of inappropriate communication with a child or young person, through ICT, by a member of staff during, or outside of, Coimisiún na Meán activities.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Recruitment and selection procedures for staff.
– Garda Vetting requirements, where appropriate and necessary.
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Personnel.
Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of inappropriate communication with a child or young person, through ICT, by the contractor or an employee of the contractor operating the Contact Centre receiving complaints on behalf of Coimisiún na Meán.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Child Safeguarding Information & Training Strategy.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Staff.

Risk of harm to a child or young person through the taking and/or use of unauthorised or inappropriate photographs or video recordings.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Anti-Bullying Guidelines.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.
– Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in respect of Coimisiún na Meán Staff.
– Disciplinary Policy and Procedure.

Risk of online bullying of a child or young person by another child or young person.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Anti-Bullying Guidelines.

Risk of online sexually harmful behaviour towards a child or young person by another child or young person.

Policies/Procedures in place to manage risk identified:
– Code of Behaviour.
– Anti-Bullying Guidelines.
– Procedure for Recognising, Recording and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns.

Notes:
¹ Harm to a child means: ‘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 sexual abuse of the child’.
² Code of Behaviour means Coimisiún na Meán’s Code of Behaviour: for Commission personnel working with children and young people.
³ DLP means the Designated Liaison Person appointed by Coimisiún na Meán to report to and liaise with Tusla – Child and Family Agency and the Garda Síochána in respect of concerns regarding harm to a child or child abuse. The DLP is a ‘mandated person’ as defined by the Children First Act 2017.

Child Safeguarding Statement

Our service

Our principles to safeguard children from harm¹

Risk assessment

Our Child Safeguarding Policies and Procedures

Implementation and review

Child Safeguarding Statement – Detailed Risk Assessment

Risk of harm to a child from a member of staff.

Risk of harm to a child by a parent, carer or guardian, a third party, or a member of the public.

Risk of harm to a child or young person from another child or young person.

Risk of harm, or reasonable grounds for concern regarding child abuse, not being recognised or reported.

Risk of harm to a child with access to Information Communications Technology (ICT)

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