1. Systemic Psychotherapy Ireland (SPI) provides personal therapy to adults and children. 

 

2. Child therapy within the Systemic Psychotherapy Ireland (SPI) is best explained as an agreed professional piece of work between the child and one of our qualified child and family therapists. The purpose of the therapy is to provide the child with a confidential environment in which they can express themselves safely. The role of the therapist is to listen, support and perhaps help them to either change what is possible or live more contentedly with that which is not. 

 

We have carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our service. Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing these risks. 

 

Risks identified. 

Child Abuse Disclosure 

 

Procedure in place to manage identified risk. All therapists at Systemic Psychotherapy Ireland (SPI) are mandated persons in the reporting of child protection concerns. Procedures are in place within the service for individual therapists to refer to the designated liaison person (Patrick Connolly) in line with Children First 2015. 

 

Allegation of Abuse against a Therapist 

 

Therapists are duty bound to act and engage with clients within their professional code of ethics. Children should not be alone with any adults at the service centre apart from their parent/guardian or their therapist with the consent of the parent. While alone with the therapist in the therapy room, the parent/guardian may remain in the waiting area on the other side of the therapy room door. Should a parent wish to absent themselves from the centre while their child attends therapy, they must inform the therapist and thus give consent for the child to be alone with the therapist for that time. Allegations of abuse against a member of the team should be directed to the centre manager who acts as the designated liaison person. Parents/guardians are to be informed of this procedure as part of the initial contracting. 

 

In the event of an allegation, Tusla will be informed, and the parent/guardian informed of the contact person within Tusla. 

 

All therapy is entirely confidential, except in the following circumstances wherein Systemic Psychotherapy Ireland (SPI) is duty bound to share information with the relevant bodies, in line with Children First (2015): 

• In the event that information is shared, which suggests evidence that there may be a clear and present danger to the child or any other child 

• In the event that the child or parent/guardian shares information which leads the therapist to believe they are at serious risk of harming themselves or others 

• In the event that a child or parent/guardian discloses historical abuse 

 

Children are under constant supervision either by their parent or the therapist. A stocked first aid kit is on hand in the service should an injury occur and priority will be given to the parent/ guardian to address the immediate injury on site. Each therapy room is designed to prevent injury in so far as is possible. 

6. Data and recording keeping 

As per General Data Protection Regulations, clients' names, addresses and phone numbers are retained electronically for administrative reasons. They are retained in a secure cloud-based system. 

Should clients request it, the therapist will fully remove any of this information. 

The information retained will also be made available to clients upon request, as per General Data Protection Regulations (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and Freedom of Information Act (2014). 

 

 

Our Child Safeguarding Statement has been developed in line with requirements under the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance. for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017), and Tusla's Child Safeguarding: A Guide for Policy, Procedure and Practice. 

Implementation 

 

We recognise that implementation is an on-going process. Our service is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service. 

 

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed on 1st January 2020. or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.