Glenstal Abbey School Child Protection Guidelines

Glenstal Abbey School, in adopting the DES Child Protection Guidelines, seeks to create an environment in which children are:

• listened to, given a sense of security and belonging, kept as safe as possible
• parents are supported and encouraged
• staff are supported and protected.

It is the school’s objective to:

• acknowledge the rights of children to be protected, encouraged and have their rights respected.
• recognise that the welfare of children must always come first, regardless of all other considerations
• adopt the safest possible practices to prevent or minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening and protect workers from the necessity of risk taking and leaving themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect.
• develop safe recruitment practices and take all reasonable steps to ensure candidates are suitable for working with children.
• recognise that early intervention with vulnerable or at risk children may prevent serious harm from happening to them at a later stage.
• provide an induction course for new staff and ensure that, house assistants and prefects are clear in their responsibilities and the procedures to be followed.

The Board of Management adopted the guidelines with the following addition:

That in the interests of fairness to all, the Principal be afforded the same opportunity of having an appropriate person accompany him into a meeting with an employee about to be advised to leave the premises. (See appendix 5 in DES policy).

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for the school is the Headmaster, Br Martin Browne OSB.

The Assitant DLP is the Senior Housemaster, Fr William Fennelly OSB.

External Link to: Department of Education & Science Child Protection Guidelines for Post Primary Schools