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).
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 |
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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.
Child Protection
- Published: 11 January 2018
What are the key changes?
- All registered teachers are now deemed to be ‘Mandated Persons’
- Mandated Persons must assist Tusla (Child and Family Agency) if requested in assessing a concern arising from a mandatory report
- All teachers are obliged to report child protection concerns above a ‘threshold of harm’
- Schools must conduct a risk assessment and produce a Child Safeguarding Statement on or before March 11th 2018
- The Act abolishes the common law defence of reasonable chastisement.
What should schools prioritise immediately in relation to Children First 2015?
- Arrange for the development and production of a Child Safeguarding Statement before March 11th 2018. IPPN will be providing support to school leaders in relation to this essential compliance measure through
- IPPN Conference 2018 Workshop
- Series of face-to-face Briefing Seminars beginning immediately after Conference. Schedule to follow.
- Arrange for ALL staff to view the Tusla (universal) Child Protection e-learning module accessible on . Refer to circular 0081/2017 in relation to half-day school closures permitted for the purpose of this training. Record attendance at this training by retaining copies of assessments completed on completion of the e-learning module.
