Child Protection & Garda Vetting

Child Protection

It is the policy of Donegal Youth Service to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people in our services by protecting them from all forms of abuse. We are committed to providing a safe space for children and young people to grow, develop, learn, and have fun.

Donegal Youth Services Child Protection policy and procedures has been developed for the organisation and affiliated clubs, groups and projects in line with the principles outlined in Children First.

Child Protection is about promoting the welfare of children who avail of our services and creating a safe environment for both staff/volunteers and young people, where trust and willingness to listen to the young person is foremost.

We will endeavour to safeguard children by ensuring the following:

  • Donegal Youth Service will make every attempt to ensure all children and young adults in our care and across our membership will be safe from harm.
  • We will follow the principles of best practice thus ensuring the welfare of the child is paramount in decisions, activities and programmes involving them.
  • We will adhere to the procedures set out for the recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers.
  • We will provide effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, and training.
  • We will share information about child protection and good practice with children, parents/guardians, staff and volunteers.
  • We will ensure Garda Vetting is carried out with all employees and regular volunteers.
  • We will encourage ‘ad hoc’ volunteers to undertake the Garda Vetting procedure.
  • We will provide regular, local Child Protection Awareness training for volunteers in local youth clubs.
  • We will provide Child protection Awareness to our staff cohort.
  • The Board of Directors will undertake ‘Training in Child Protection for Boards of Management’.
  • Local youth clubs who have undertaken Child Protection Awareness will be offered ‘Designated Person Training for Volunteer Club Leaders’.
  • We will ensure the provision & training of at least one Designated Liaison Person within the organisation.
  • Sharing information with relevant agencies on a need to know basis

Garda Vetting

Garda Vetting is a very important part of child protection. Donegal Youth Service offers Garda Vetting to all staff and volunteers as part of Youth Work Ireland’s Garda Vetting system. Youth Work Ireland is a registered organisation with the Garda Central Vetting Unit. We vet approximately 2,000 applications a year on behalf of our Member Youth Services.  Since the summer of 2016 the new e-vetting procedures have been rolled out nationwide.  Please contact us to find out more.

When the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 comes into effect, it will become mandatory for persons working with children or vulnerable adults to be vetted by the Gardaí. The Act also provides for the use of “soft” information in regard to vetting. This is information other than criminal convictions where such information leads to a bona-fide belief that a person poses a threat to children or vulnerable persons. Under the Act the Garda Central Vetting Unit will become the National Vetting Bureau and the vetting procedures will be put on a statutory basis.

Types of employees vetted

The types of work or activities where people working with children and vulnerable adult will require vetting include:

  • Childcare services
  • Schools
  • Hospitals and health services
  • Residential services or accommodation for children or vulnerable persons
  • Treatment, therapy or counselling services for children or vulnerable persons
  • Provision of leisure, sporting or physical activities to children or vulnerable persons
  • Promotion of religious beliefs

For any information or queries on Garda Vetting contact Charlene Logue: charlene.logue@donegalyouthservice.ie or call the DYS head office on 074 91 29630.