In accordance with section 11 of the Children First Act 2015 and with the requirement of Chapter 8 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017, the following is the Written Risk Assessment of Mount Carmel Secondary School, King’s Inns Street, Dublin 1.
List of school activities
- Daily arrival and dismissal of pupils
- Recreation breaks for pupils
- Classroom teaching
- One-to-one teaching
- One-to-one counselling
- One-to-one Life Skills
- One-to-one oral preparation
- One-to-one oral mock examinations
- Use of toilet areas in the school
- Rainbows Group
- Going to base classroom/lockers from class, during breaks, before and after school
- PMEs/Student teachers undertaking training placement in school
- DCU Placement Student Teachers
- DCU Student Teacher Placement
- NCAD Student Teacher Placements
- Maynooth Student Teacher Placements
- Home Economics Practical Examiner State Exams Commission.
- Oral Examiner State Exams Commission.
- Music Examiner State Exams Commission.
- Retreat Facilitator
- Careers’ Night volunteers
- External Speakers: Study Skills, Childline, Career Speakers
- School Bank Personnel
- School volunteers: Sr. Liz, Sr. Clare, Anne Marie etc.
- Bi-annual Musical Personnel: Light and sound engineers, costume, back stage helpers, primary school teachers.
- Musical rehearsals and performances
- Members of the SCP Board of Management/ Directors attending meetings
- Parents, grandparents and friends attending HSCL Parent Classes
- Open Night
- Transfer Activities
- Care of children with special educational needs, including intimate care where needed
- Management of challenging behaviour amongst pupils
- Recruitment of School personnel including: Teachers/SNAs
The school has identified the following risk of harm in respect of its activities
- Risk of harm not being recognised by school personnel
- Risk of harm not being reported properly and promptly by school personnel
- Risk of child being harmed in the school by a member of school personnel
- Risk of child being harmed in the school by another child
- Risk of child being harmed in the school by volunteer or visitor to the school
- Risk of child being harmed by a member of school personnel, a member of staff of another organisation or other person while child participating in out of school activities e.g. school trips, sports activities, retreats
- Risk of harm due to bullying of child
- Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children in school
- Risk of harm due to inadequate supervision of children while attending out of school activities
- Risk of harm due to inappropriate relationship/communications between child and another child or adult
- Risk of harm due to children inappropriately accessing/using computers, social media, phones and other devices while at school
- Risk of harm to children with SEN who have particular vulnerabilities
- Risk of harm to child while a child is receiving intimate care
- Risk of harm due to inadequate code of behaviour
- Risk of harm in one-to-one teaching, counselling, coaching situation
- Risk of harm caused by member of school personnel communicating with pupils in an inappropriate manner via social media, texting, digital device or other manner
- Risk of harm caused by member of school personnel accessing/circulating inappropriate material via social media, texting, digital device or other manner
The school has the following procedures in place to address the risks of harm identified in this assessment
- All school personnel are provided with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
- The Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 are made available to all school personnel
- School Personnel are required to adhere to the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 and all registered teaching staff are required to adhere to the Children First Act 2015
- The names of the DLP and DDLP are displayed in the school building.
- The school implements in full the SPHE curriculum
- The school implements in full the Wellbeing Programme at Junior Cycle
- The school has assigned an Assistant Principal to the role of Well-being Coordinator
- The school has an Bí Cineálta Policy which fully adheres to the requirements of the Department’s Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools
- The school has a supervision roster to ensure appropriate supervision of children during, assembly, dismissal and breaks and in respect of specific areas of the school etc.
- The school has in place a policy and clear procedures in respect of Visitors
- The school has a Health and Safety Statement
- The school adheres to the requirements of the Garda vetting legislation and
- relevant DES circulars in relation to recruitment and Garda vetting
- The school has a code of conduct for school personnel (Teaching Council Code of Conduct; Dignity in the Workplace)
- The school complies with the agreed disciplinary procedures for teaching staff
- The school has an Inclusion policy
- The school has in place a Code of Behaviour for pupils
- The school –
- Has provided each member of school staff with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
- Ensures all new staff are provided with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement
- Encourages staff to avail of relevant training – All teaching staff have carried out two online training module on Child Protection
- Encourages board of management members to avail of relevant training
- Maintains records of all staff and board member training
Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of “harm” as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk.
The definition of harm is set out in Chapter 4 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post- Primary Schools 2017
In undertaking this risk assessment, the board of management has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the school has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.
This risk assessment has been completed by the Board of Management 3rd March 2019. It shall be reviewed as part of the school’s annual review of its Child Safeguarding Statement.
Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________
Chairperson, Board of Management
Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________
Principal/Secretary to the Board of Management