Additional Information and Advice for Tusla Funded Organisations
A wide range of private and voluntary agencies are commissioned by Tusla, Child and Family agency to provide services on its behalf locally, regionally or nationally.
As one of these funded organisations, when you sign your Service Level Agreement, you are requested to complete the Self-Assessment Tool and to keep this on file. The Self-Assessment Tool helps you to demonstrate that you are putting your child safeguarding procedures into practice.
In completing the Self-Assessment Tool, you may identify areas that need some work or find that you would like to access some support.
SUPPORT AVAILABLE
Information, Advice and Training
Children First Information and Advice Officers are employed in your area who can assist you with any queries you may have in relation to developing or updating your Child Safeguarding Statement, Guiding Principles and Safeguarding Procedures.
In addition to the e-learning programme An Introduction to Children First, additional briefings and training are often scheduled in your area to cover topics such as:
- Developing Child Safeguarding Statement, Policy and Procedure Workshop
- Always Children First Foundation Training
- Always Children First DLP Training
- Briefing for Reporters tailored to include:
- Children First Act and Guidance overview
- Mandated Person Briefing
Guidance
A number of Children First support documents are available to offer guidance on:
- Developing a Child Safeguarding Statement
- Writing Child Safeguarding guiding principles and procedures
- Reporting to Tusla
- Developing a Children First training programme
Verification that Child Safeguarding Statement is compliant with legislation
The Tusla Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU) is a dedicated Tusla department set up solely to manage the requirement for providers to have a Child Safeguarding Statement in place.
Any organization can voluntarily submit their Child Safeguarding Statement to the Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU) by email csscu@tusla.ie to reassure themselves and their service users that their Child Safeguarding Statement is compliant with the requirements of the Children First Act, 2015.