Child Safeguarding Training and Information in Early Years Services

Providing Child Safeguarding training and information in early years services is an integral part of keeping children safe from harm.

Early years services (ELC, SAC and Childminding services) are providers of relevant services under the Children First Act, 2015 and as such are required to have a procedure in place provide child safeguarding training to their workers.

It is important that the provider of the relevant service understands their role, under the Children First Act, 2015 in the service. A person carrying on an early years service is a mandated person under the Children First Act, 2015 and must understand their role and responsibilities as such.

Early years services must have a Child Safeguarding Training Procedure to ensure that all workers are aware of their role and responsibilities under both the Children First Act, 2015 and the Children First National Guidance.

In Induction Training, all new workers should receive training and information on the service’s Child Safeguarding Policies and Procedures and specifically on the service’s Child Safeguarding Reporting Procedure.

At a minimum, everyone who comes into contact with children in your service should complete Tusla’s ‘An Introduction to Children First eLearning Programme’. This includes management/Board of Management. The programme covers topics including:

• Recognising and reporting child abuse
• The role of mandated persons
• The responsibilities of organisations working with children to safeguard children
• The role of Designated Liaison Persons.

In addition, Tusla’s Children First Mandated Persons eLearning Programme must be completed by mandated persons in early years services. Mandated Persons are those persons who are listed in Schedule 2 of the Children First Act. In early years services, the following people are mandated persons:

• Childcare staff member employed in an early years service
• A person carrying on an early years service

The programme covers topics, including:

• Understanding the legal responsibilities of mandated persons
• Definitions and thresholds for mandated and non-mandated reports
• Mandated Assisting and the process involved
• Mandated persons role in liaising and communicating with Tusla

Each early years service’s Child Safeguarding Training and Information and Training Procedure should follow the National Child Safeguarding Programme’s 5 Year Training Cycle:

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The following is recommended by the NCSP as best practice in Child Safeguarding Training and Information:

• Step 1: Tusla’s An Introduction to Children First eLearning Programme is completed by all workers and volunteers in early years services as part of their Induction and is completed every year
• Step 2: Tusla’s Mandated Person eLearning programme is completed by all mandated persons in early years services as part of their Induction and is completed every year
• Step 3: Tusla’s Always Children First Foundation Training provided by CCCs and CNNG nationally is available to all workers in early years services and is completed every 5 years
• Step 4: Tusla’s DLP Roles and Responsibilities eLearning Programme (Part A) is completed by all DLPs and DDLPs in ELC and SAC services yearly
• Step 5: Always Children First Designated Liaison Person Training (Part B) is completed by all DLPs and DDLPs in ELC and SAC services every 5 years
• Step 6: Child Safeguarding resources and information on the NCSP and Tusla websites and are accessed regularly and used in inhouse training and upskilling

Child Safeguarding Training for Early Learning and Care, School Aged Childcare and Childminding Services is available through City and County Childcare Committees and CNNG nationally.

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