Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017) does not include any provision relating to the sex of adults supervising children. As set out in my previous reply, statutory or legal safeguarding obligations apply to all providers of relevant services and their employees and volunteers, irrespective of the gender of those involved. Suitability to work with children is determined through appropriate recruitment, qualification, vetting and safeguarding requirements, rather than any single personal characteristic.
The Children First National Guidance is overarching guidance intended to support implementation of the Children First Act 2015 and non-statutory best practice in safeguarding across a diverse range of organisations and settings. The Children First Act 2015 requires organisations providing relevant services to undertake an assessment of potential risks to children while availing of their service and to set out the procedures in place to manage and mitigate those risks, to be reflected in their Child Safeguarding Statement. These procedures include matters such as the recruitment and selection of staff, provision of child protection training, reporting of child protection concerns, and the management of allegations against staff members. Providers of relevant services must identify the risks and put in place the policies and procedures that are appropriate to their specific services, activities and operating environments, while ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015.
A number of sectors have developed safeguarding guidance relevant to the implementation of these obligations within their sector. For example, the Child Safeguarding Resource Document: Child Safeguarding Statement, Policy and Procedures; Guidance for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Services recognises that activities such as supervising children, supporting children during changing and intimate care routines, and undertaking one-to-one work can present safeguarding risks if not managed appropriately. The Resource Document also indicates the types of procedures that may be appropriate to reduce these risks and support safe practice, including procedures on Staff Supervision, Personal and Intimate Care, Garda Vetting, Staff Recruitment and Selection and Staff Codes of Behaviour.
The Department has begun scoping work on a review of the Children First National Guidance (2017). As this work is at a very early stage, I am not in a position to comment on any potential amendments that may be appropriate.
