Child Safeguarding

DCCS is committed to promoting the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people.

DCCS may provide online psychological counselling to young people aged 16 and 17 where this is clinically appropriate and suitable safeguarding arrangements can be established before counselling begins.

Ian O’Maonaigh is a mandated person under the Children First Act 2015 by virtue of being a psychotherapist and counsellor registered with a voluntary professional body.

This means that DCCS has legal responsibilities to report certain child protection concerns to Tusla where the statutory reporting threshold is met and to assist Tusla where formally requested.

Counselling with a young person aged 16 or 17 will only begin after an initial assessment of suitability and safeguarding needs.

Before counselling begins, DCCS will discuss:

• The young person’s informed consent and capacity to participate
• Confidentiality and its limits
• Parental or guardian involvement
• Emergency contact arrangements
• The young person’s current location during online sessions
• What will happen if concerns arise about the young person’s safety or welfare
• How relevant personal and safeguarding information will be recorded and protected

Confidentiality cannot be absolute where there is a serious concern about the safety or welfare of a child or young person.

Where required by law or necessary to protect a child from harm, relevant information may be shared with Tusla, An Garda Síochána, emergency services or another appropriate professional or statutory service.

DCCS will seek to discuss any proposed safeguarding disclosure with the young person and, where appropriate, their parent or guardian unless doing so could increase risk, interfere with a statutory process or place any person in danger.

DCCS may decide that online counselling is not clinically appropriate or sufficiently safe in a particular case. Where possible, alternative or specialist services will be recommended.