IPPN

Meet your local Allianz Reps

Published: 25 January 2018

AllianzReps

Review of CAMHS Standard Operating Procedure – Call for Feedback/Submissions

Published: 18 January 2018

A group has been set up by the HSE Mental Health Division to review the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). They want to make sure that the service young people and their families receive is the same quality, regardless of where they live in the country.

They want to hear from everyone who uses, works in, or has an interest in the service to give feedback on their national policy.

You can do this by sending a written submission of up to 1000 words to camhssop@hse.ie no later than 5pm on Monday the 22nd of January 2018.

The submission should include your contact details (name, phone number, postal address and email address).

Click here for more information

Child Protection - Principal’s Oversight Report to the Board

Published: 18 January 2018

Reporting Procedures to the Board of Management for Principals
Purpose of the new Reporting Procedures
Confidentiality in relation to record keeping
Confidentiality in relation to reporting to the Board

IPPN is providing the following supports for members in relation to the new Child Protection Procedures:

Conference Workshop outlining the key legislative changes in relation to Child Protection following the enactment of Children First 2015
IPPN’s Child Protection Resource Bundle pulling together key aspects of Child Protection Procedures, based on recent publications from DES & DCYA
Plans well underway for IPPN Regional Seminars to provide face-to-face support for members around the new Child Protection Procedures.

Priorities for Principal Teachers – External Agencies

Published: 18 January 2018

The IPPN publication Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus aims to empower principals in effectively managing their workload. Last week, in this series, we focused on the Board of Management. This week, we focus on External Agencies and give examples of related tasks that the principal should deal with, tasks that can be delegated or shared, and those that the principal should not personally need to do.

There are many external agencies which interact very positively with schools for the benefit of pupils and whose support is vital to effective teaching and learning. Schools are also very much part of their local community and will often have positive interactions with local organisations to enhance the quality of the pupils’ education. While the interaction with such organisations is usually positive, it is important that principals manage it carefully, so as to ensure it does not impinge unduly on their workload.

Key Priorities for the Principal – Must Do	Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share	Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake
Report to Tusla where child abuse or neglect is suspected (Designated Liaison Person) Cooperate with DES Inspectorate as required Ensure compliance with legislation and with DES, Tusla, National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Teaching Council regulations Maintain effective relationships within the school community Support visits by those promoting the ethos of the school.	Deal with requests for work experience, teaching practice and research Facilitate the distribution of HSE consent forms and appointments for medical and dental screening Provide statistical data as required by DES Facilitate educational visits by fire service, local Gardaí, Juvenile Liaison Officer, community groups and others Organise visits from ‘role models’ from Sports, the Arts Disseminate commercial advertising materials Participate in commercial voucher/coupon collection schemes for school supplies Carry out administrative functions for the HSE, such as sorting out returned dental or medical forms or scheduling medical appointments Accommodate salespeople, other than by appointment Sort mail

Droichead - Interim Position

Published: 11 January 2018

1. One size does not fit all and this should be reflected in a system that is designed to cater for anything from a 1-teacher primary school to a second-level school with up to 1500 pupils. IPPN proposes that schools that wish to participate in Droichead should continue to be supported and that there should be an alternative model available to Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in schools that do not wish to participate, no matter what the size of the school. As an alternative model, IPPN recommends that the Teaching Council recruits a group of 60 Lead Professionals as an induction and probation team by seconding working principals and/or recommended, experienced teachers who have a proven track record as NQT mentors within their own schools. The Teaching Council would have direct, quality control of a team of professionals to manage the recruitment, training and assessment of its induction and probation team. The profession would remain self?regulating but on a more professional and quality-assured basis.

2. Allocate one administration day per week to all Teaching Principals.

The policy will be debated and ratification sought from National Council Members at our March meeting. In the interim, IPPN’s position on Droichead is as follows:

As a professional body advocating for school leaders, IPPN is very concerned that the debate around Droichead has become so divisive. IPPN believes that there is a way to accommodate and to support both the schools that wish to participate in Droichead and those who do not.