Safeguarding

The Boys’ Brigade is committed to prioritising the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in everything that we do. Leaders and staff are responsible for this and to support them we have a range of procedures, guidance and policies with ongoing training and development.

REPORT A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN
If you want to report a concern about a child or young person please contact us on +353 1 296 4622 or email us at [email protected] with the subject line of Safeguarding.

Always remember – In any situation where you think a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm, then contact the emergency services.

What is Child Safeguarding?

Tusla explains that Child Safeguarding is about ensuring safe practice and appropriate responses by staff and volunteers to concerns about the safety or welfare of children, should these arise. Child safeguarding is about protecting the child from harm, promoting their welfare and in doing so creating an environment which enables children and young people to grow, develop and achieve their full potential.

In The Boys’ Brigade we have Safety and Safeguarding Policies, procedures and guidance developed to guide leaders in what to do and ensure we remain a safe space for children and young people.

What is Child Protection?

Child Protection is the actual action and processes we undertake to protect individual children we suspect have suffered or are suffering harm. We have clear procedures for leaders to follow to ensure any safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately and reported promptly. Anyone can report a Safeguarding Concern or allegation, not just our leaders.

Why should we safeguard Young People?

We want to be a safe space for children & young people. We want young people to trust our leaders so they can report concerns in their lives and seek help.

It may seem obvious, but its important to remind ourselves that…

  • Abuse is wrong and should be reported.
  • Children and young people should feel safe from harm in all areas of their lives.
  • There are adults in our communities that children & young people need to be protected from.
  • Safeguarding children & young people is everyone’s responsibility.

Clear Safeguarding processes within an organisation help to identify unsafe adults and enable us to respond to concerns appropriately. If something does go wrong, by dealing with it properly we protect our children & young people, now and in the future.

We must never ignore a safeguarding concern.

How we are Keeping Everyone Safe…

The Boys’ Brigade has policies and procedures in place for leaders to promote the welfare of children & young people and protect them from harm.

We do this through…

  • Safe Recruitment – There are a number of elements to our Recruitment process to ensure that only suitable leaders are appointed to work in the organisation. This includes recommendations by other leaders, references, and vetting are completed.
  • We train and develop our leaders – Mandatory training is provided, to ensure leaders know how to Recognise, Respond to, Report and Record Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations. Our training is regularly evaluated and reviewed to ensure it is current and relevant.
  • We have a Code of Conduct for Leaders – This outlines the expectations we have of our leaders in relation to their behaviours and actions. By following the Code of Behaviour leaders will ensure they always conduct
  • Challenging Poor Practice – It is also essential that everyone challenges poor practice within The Boys’ Brigade even when there is a belief that the motives of an individual are well meaning. Unchallenged poor practice can lead to an environment where safeguarding concerns remain unnoticed, and when recognised are not acted upon.
  • Our Policies & Procedures – The Boys’ Brigade has a robust Child Safeguarding Policy which contains procedures for good practice. We want our volunteers to be safe, approachable, and caring role models for children & young people. As such we have developed this policy and will continue to review and update it to support leaders in their roles.
  • Getting Advice & Support – Advice and support are always available from our Regional Safeguarding Team at Headquarters.

All of our Policies and Procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain current and in line with changing Legislation.

Take a look at our Child Safeguarding Policy in responding to a Safeguarding concern or allegation.

Safeguarding Resources:

More Information

You can also find more information on safeguarding online at:

Getting in Touch

If you have any questions about content in the Safeguarding area, please do not hesitate to contact the Regional Safeguarding Team on +353 1 296 4622 or email [email protected] with the subject line of Safeguarding.