Supporting the youth work sector with child protection
considerations during Covid-19 and its related control measures.
WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE DURING COVID-19
Youth work can be the source of safety and security for so many young people in Ireland. Covid-19 and its necessary control measures compound the challenges for vulnerable and at-risk young people.
The current situation:
- Signifies the disruption of a support network for many young people in Ireland
- Puts young people and families who are already vulnerable under stress
- Heightens the risk of abuse and neglect.
This can create confusion for the
organisations that support these young people too.
We are all working together to navigate these unprecedented circumstances, so the NYCI Child Protection Programme has put together some information to
support the youth work sector to
continue their commitment to child protection in their
practice.
MANAGING THE SITUATION
ALL PROJECTS SHOULD:
- Coordinate with local services and combine efforts
- Keep up to date with local project closures so that you can signpost young people to available services
- Familiarise yourself with the relevant phone-based and online support services for young people. Make these details available to them, where appropriate
- Check national youth and community work platforms for guidance, support and information-sharing
- Share information from official sources only and be consistent. Nominate 1 or 2 persons to coordinate any communications to staff and young people about Covid-19.
IF YOUR PROJECT IS STILL PHYSICALLY OPEN:
- DCYA have guidance for acute services that need to remain physically open. This can be accessed here:
- Conduct a risk assessment for staff, volunteers and young people whilst your project is open during this period
- Make sure you have updated contact details for the young people in your service, stored appropriately
- Ensure you have the HSE Covid-19 information freely available and displayed clearly in the physical spaces you use
IF YOUR PROJECT IS PHYSICALLY CLOSED:
- Ensure that there are risk assessments in place for staff and young people and highlight relevant services, where appropriate
- Identify high risk young people to ensure there is a support plan in place for them during this period
- Establish plans for contact for young people
- Use your organisation and technology appropriately to connect young people into wider community needs and programmes during this difficult time
- Ensure you have the HSE Covid-19 information freely available and displayed clearly in the digital spaces you use
- Make sure you have updated contact details for the young people in your service, stored appropriately
Tusla are available for informal consultation and
advice over the phone, not just reporting
TRANSLATING YOUR CHILD PROTECTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
It is likely that your existing child protection policies and
procedures do not encompass these unprecedented working
conditions. Firstly, this is OK! Policies are ‘living documents’ and
can be continuously updated as your circumstances and
employee/volunteer requirements change.
Consider the following:
- The National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017) highlights the steps involved in carrying out a risk assessment. Using this, as well as the original risk assessment from your organisation's current Child Safeguarding Statement as a guide, conduct a straightforward risk assessment of the new working situation; the digital youth work you are providing
- Review your child protection policies and procedures. Do they translate? If not, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Develop a simple and concise child protection procedure for the new Covid-19 situation that complements your policy. It should address the following:
- How to report child protection concerns when working from home?
- What are the new risks for young people with your organisation moving certain youth work practices online?
- What are the new risks for staff/volunteers with your organisation moving certain youth work practices online?
- What do you need to put in place to make it safe for the young people and your staff/volunteers?
- What will the new contact arrangements be for the Designated Liaison Person?
WITHIN YOUR OWN SERVICE
- Stay connected within your own organisation and professional network
- Use digital technology to facilitate connectivity amongst teams and colleagues
- Make sure you have contact details for everyone you need to, stored appropriately
- Establish home working support, protocols and guidance for this period
- Establish processes for resource and information management /sharing (including data)
- Ensure staff are well supported during this challenging time and have appropriate supports and guidance.
REMEMBER THE BASICS
Covid-19 has presented a whole new way of living and working for the youth work sector. This might
feel overwhelming, particularly when considering safeguarding and child protection, but remember: your child
safeguarding responsibilities as an organisation have not changed, it’s just that the circumstances are different.
What requirements (both legally and within your own organisation) do you have for employees/volunteers working
with young people? Moving this work online should not change this.
Online or offline, safeguarding requires a whole organisation approach, and an online space still needs to be a safe
space. Consider the following (this is not an exhaustive list):
Garda Vetting
If the role constituted relevant work before Covid-19, this still should
still apply if you are engaging in the same work online with young
people.
Training
A worker should not engage in any youth work practice online if they are not appropriately trained in line with your organisational requirements.
Ratios and Oversight
Communicating one-on-one online is the equivalent of meeting a
young person in a room one-on-one. If the work required supervision
or multiple staff/volunteers before, then this should apply online too.
Staff Support
Try to sustain your support structures for your staff and volunteers wherever possible. Meetings, supervision and informal check-ins- can these be moved online?
Permission and Consent
Review the parent/guardian consent and permissions your
organisation has in place. If they do not specifically address online interactions, then this will need to be put into place. Ascertain the best way to achieve this (e.g. online consent form, email communication with parents etc.) that can complement your existing permission arrangements. It should clarify exactly what your online interactions will be.
Record Keeping
Translate the key principles of your existing record keeping
requirements to these new working arrangements, wherever possible. Particularly with child rotection concerns, these will need to be recorded accurately and securely.
Code of Conduct
Where you have a Code of Conduct for young people, translate those
into what they would look like when participating in online groups and all online interactions.
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAN MAKE YOUNG PEOPLE MORE VULNERABLE
There are young people and families whose
circumstances can make them more vulnerable
during periods of stress and disruption, for
example:
- Unemployment and housing issues
- Poverty
- Social exclusion and discrimination
- Mental health issues
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Parental intellectual disability
- Children with disabilities
- Drug and alcohol misuse
- Family conflict
Stigma and discrimination related to COVID-19
may make children more vulnerable to violence
and psychosocial distress. Control measures
that do not consider the gender-specific needs
and vulnerabilities of women and girls may
also increase their protection risks.
When you are completing your risk
assessment, consider all of these factors.
Children and families who are already
vulnerable due to socioeconomic exclusion or
those who live in overcrowded settings are
particularly at risk.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ guidance for this situation. Just as you made decisions as an organisation
against the backdrop of Children First to inform your existing policies and procedures, similarly, you will
have to tailor this as an organisation to working remotely and engaging with young people online.