Safeguarding - Church of Ireland
  • Training & Events
  • Compliance
    • Safeguarding Standards
    • Annual Online Safeguarding Returns
    • Safeguarding Policy Updates
  • Safeguarding ROI
    • Adult Safeguarding
    • Child Safeguarding
    • Garda Vetting
    • Child Safeguarding Statements
    • Risk Assessment ROI
    • Diocesan Support
  • Safeguarding NI
    • Adult Safeguarding
    • Child Safeguarding
    • AccessNI
    • Risk Assessment
    • Diocesan Support
  • News
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Minister O’Gorman and Minister Rabbitte announce 26 April as date for the abolition of wardship and full operationalisation of the Decision Support Service

28th February 2023/in News - General /by Christine Cody

From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Published on 24 February 2023

Last updated on 27 February 2023

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, and Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, have today announced that 26 April will be set as the day for the abolition of wardship, the operationalisation of the Decision Support Service, and the introduction of a new system of tiered decision-making supports.

The announcement follows the enactment of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, which was signed into law by the President on 17 December last.

The 2022 Act amends the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, which provides the legal basis for the abolition of wardship. The Act replaces the wards of court system with a new, progressive, rights based system of assisted decision-making.

A number of Statutory Instruments will be prepared over the weeks leading up to the 26th of April in order to finalise preparations for the full operationalisation of the Decision Support Service.

From Commencement:

  • the Decision Support Service will be able to process applications for new decision support arrangements
  • the Circuit Court will be able to process applications for Decision Making Representative Orders
  • there will be statutory provision for the making and recognition of Advance Healthcare Directives
  • wardship will be abolished and the over 2000 wards of court which currently exist in the State will have a review of their circumstances undertaken by the wardship court and will exit wardship on a phased basis over the next three years

The 2022 Amendment Act also provides for key measures related to further compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In a headline measure, the Act will raise the minimum target percentage of people with disabilities to be employed in the public sector from 3% to 6%, on a phased basis, by 2025.

Commenting on today’s announcement Minister O’Gorman stated:

“I am extremely pleased to be able to make today’s announcement setting a date for the abolition of wardship and for replacing it with a modern, fit for purpose, rights based system.

“Wardship is an archaic legal system that has been on the statute book for far too long. It has denied people basic control over the decisions which affect their lives. The new assisted decision-making system will move away from an outdated and paternalistic “best interests” model and allow people far greater control over basic decisions in their own lives.

“Every person in Ireland has, or will have, some experience of diminished capacity, whether that is personal experience or the experience of a loved one, and whether it is simply age related or whether it arises from a particular impairment. This Act ensures that when capacity issues arise, we address those issues with a fundamental respect for will and preference, for dignity, and for the rights of each of us to control our own affairs.

“The scale of the reform involved cannot be overstated. Wardship as a legal system is older than the Irish State. Its abolition is a landmark step forward in modernising our laws and better supporting our citizens.

“I am equally pleased that the legislation brings forward a suite of measures to advance disability rights, and in particular that the public sector will show leadership on the critical issue of employment.

“I look forward to the launch of the new system, and the abolition of wardship, at the end of April.”

Minister of State for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, has also welcomed the announcement, and stated:

“I am delighted to see a date set for the abolition of wardship and look forward to seeing the first applications made for supports under the new system in April.

“This is a significant advancement for the rights of everyone in Ireland.

“Periods of diminished capacity can happen to anyone, but the new legislation is particularly welcome for people whose capacity difficulties arise from a disability or a specific impairment, and for whom wardship has been the only recourse for far too long.

“I am delighted to see the legislation used to advance a range of measures for further compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Employment, in particular, is such a crucial issue for addressing the cost of disability and facilitating independent living and social inclusion. The new targets place a shared obligation on our entire public sector to play our part and show leadership on this issue.”

Notes

Commencement refers to a system where legislation which has been passed by the Oireachtas comes into actual legal force. This occurs upon the making of a Commencement Order. The majority of the 2015 Act and the 2022 Amendment Act is currently uncommenced.

The 2022 Amendment Act makes changes to the 2015 Act, allowing for that Act to come into full force.

Instead of being made wards of court, people will be able to avail of a tiered range of decision support options:

  • decision making assistants
  • co-decision makers
  • decision making representatives

The Act will also provide for advance planning in the form of:

  • enduring power of attorney (EPA)
  • advance healthcare directives

The Decision Support Service (DSS) will operate the progressive provisions of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act. The DSS was established under the 2015 Act on a limited basis the purposes of preparing for the operation of the new system. It will become fully operational and open to the public from 27 April once remaining sections of the 2015 and 2022 Acts are commenced.

Applications for decision support arrangements will be made by engagement with the Decision Support Service, with the exception of applications for Decision-Making Representatives which must be made through the Circuit Court.

Once a decision supporter is appointed, the DSS will have oversight responsibility for decision support arrangements.

Changes are being introduced to the process for making an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPAs). EPAs created under the 1996 Act will remain in force but it will only be possible to create new EPAs under the process set out in the Assisted Decision-Making Acts. This is a new two-stage process which avoids costly referrals to the High Court. An EPA, once created, will be registered with the Decision Support Service when the donor still has capacity. If and when the donor then loses capacity, notice is given to the Director of the Decision Support Service and if, following the procedure set out in the legislation, that notice is accepted, the EPA comes into effect.

Over 2,000 wards of court currently exist in the State, and each will have a review of their circumstances undertaken by the wardship court. Under the legislation wards of court will exit wardship over the next three years.

Further information on the operation of the new system can be obtained from the Decision Support Service at the DSS website here.

Measures included in the 2022 Amendment Act to further compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities include:

  • an increase in the minimum target for public sector employment, rising on a phased basis from the current 3% to 6% by 2025
  • removal of the archaic ban on “persons of unsound mind” standing for election in Dáil Éireann
  • changes in eligibility for service on a jury
  • legislating for the role of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to act national monitoring body for rights under the Convention

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2f383-minister-ogorman-and-minister-rabbitte-announce-26th-of-april-as-date-for-the-abolition-of-wardship-and-full-operationalisation-of-the-decision-support-service/

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png 0 0 Christine Cody https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Christine Cody2023-02-28 09:26:362023-02-28 09:26:36Minister O’Gorman and Minister Rabbitte announce 26 April as date for the abolition of wardship and full operationalisation of the Decision Support Service

Garda Inspectorate launches its Domestic Abuse Victim Survey

10th January 2023/in News - General /by Christine Cody

Please see press release below from the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in relation to a survey on domestic abuse. There is a link in the email below for more information and to complete the survey.

Garda Inspectorate launches its Domestic Abuse Victim Survey

The Garda Inspectorate has today launched an on-line survey to gauge how victims of domestic abuse are dealt with by the Garda Síochána. This survey is part of an on-going inspection into the effectiveness and efficiency of the Garda Síochána’s response to domestic abuse.

Deputy Chief Inspector Pauline Shields, who is leading this inspection said, “Hearing from victims and survivors of domestic abuse is an important part of our inspection. I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of domestic abuse to take this opportunity to tell us about their experience with the Garda Síochána. She continued, “I want to assure people that the survey is completely anonymous and any information supplied to the Garda Inspectorate will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

The Inspectorate will refer to the results of the survey in a published report relating to this inspection.

For further information on the survey please go to the Garda Inspectorate website here or visit the gov.ie/justice website where the survey can be accessed.

 Ends

 

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png 0 0 Christine Cody https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Christine Cody2023-01-10 13:51:222023-01-10 13:51:22Garda Inspectorate launches its Domestic Abuse Victim Survey

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

21st December 2022/in News - General /by Christine Cody

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year

 

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/240_F_299223573_aWWVSBFEKOEEbKYF9b8PGbxWjBL8Gkzg.jpg 240 759 Christine Cody https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Christine Cody2022-12-21 12:02:382022-12-21 12:02:38Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year

Adult Safeguarding Day

26th October 2022/in News - General /by Christine Cody

 

Adult Safeguarding Day takes place on Friday November 11, 2022.

The event is an initiative of Safeguarding Ireland in the Republic of Ireland and is supported by the HSE – in partnership with organisations across the health, social, financial and justice sectors including the Church of Ireland.

The aim of the day is to raise a greater awareness and understanding of safeguarding in order to

1) prevent adult abuse

2) respond to adult abuse.

 

What is Safeguarding?

  • Safeguarding means putting measures in place to uphold our rights, to support our health and wellbeing, to reduce our risk of harm – and to empower us to protect ourselves.
  • Safeguarding involves ourselves, our families, services and professionals all working together to prevent and respond to adult abuse, neglect or coercive control.
  • Safeguarding means empowerment – that if we face challenges with our capacity, ability or independence our decisions are supported and respected.

The Church of Ireland has an Adult Safeguarding Policy in place since 2018 and has a zero-tolerance policy to all forms of abuse and harm.

As part of your commitment to respecting and promoting the human rights of all people, why don’t you sign up to the Safeguarding Ireland Adult Safeguarding Charter that outlines your commitment to adult safeguarding?

This voluntary Charter sets out how organisations, across a wide range of sectors, promote a culture that seeks to uphold the rights and freedoms of all people who engage with their organisations, regardless of age, race and ethnicity, religion or none, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic group, disability, or status of residency.   This Charter aims to promote a raised awareness of Adult Safeguarding and progressive realisation of the human rights of all people by all of its signatories.

The Charter will act as a visible manifestation of each organisation’s statement of intent to adult safeguarding and can be displayed by the organisation in its premises and on its website.

The Charter is available in an accessible format and organisations can download the standard version or accessible version, or both.

For more information, please contact Robert.dunne@rcbdub.org or you can find the Safeguarding Ireland website and register directly at www.safeguardingireland.org.

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ASD.jpg 399 898 Christine Cody https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Christine Cody2022-10-26 09:21:592022-10-26 09:23:33Adult Safeguarding Day

Anti-Slavery Week

21st October 2022/in News - General /by Christine Cody

It’s Anti-Slavery Week

– Modern Slavery is an umbrella term that includes offences relating to human trafficking; slavery; servitude and forced labour

– Human Trafficking involves the movement of a person for the purpose of exploiting them, this could be for labour; sexual or criminal exploitation or organ harvesting.

It is an uncomfortable truth that Modern Slavery is a happening in Northern Ireland. Raising awareness of this crime and learning to spot the signs could make a big difference! For more info on spotting the signs see:

https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/news/be-vigilant-modern-day-slavery-happening-here-and-now-northern-ireland

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Anti-slavery-scaled.jpg 2560 1920 Christine Cody https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Christine Cody2022-10-21 11:32:492022-10-21 11:53:04Anti-Slavery Week

Adult Safeguarding

28th March 2022/in News - General /by Andrea Bridge

A National Safeguarding Office was established by the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland in December 2015. This was in accordance with the HSE’s Social Care Division Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse – National Policy and Procedures. More information about this office is available at Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults – HSE.ie.

For parishes in the Republic of Ireland – the HSE’s National Safeguarding Office produces a newsletter that gives a good sense of what is going on nationally in relation to Adult Safeguarding. Please click here to read the latest edition:  https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/NSO-Newsletter.pdf

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/HSE-logo.jpg 502 644 Andrea Bridge https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Andrea Bridge2022-03-28 16:01:282022-04-04 16:32:52Adult Safeguarding

Sometimes safeguarding means standing up to power

7th December 2021/in News - General /by Andrea Bridge

By Robert Dunne.

Safeguarding is core business for any charity, particularly those such as the Church of Ireland, which provide a wide range of events and activities for children and young people including residential holidays and camps.

Good safeguarding practice has developed over decades because of the bravery of victims/survivors to speak out about the abuse they experienced, often in the face of fierce and powerful opposition.  Victims/survivors have to navigate their own self-doubts and inner critic and can then be faced by organisational or cultural resistance that seeks to deny, minimise or hide their experiences.

This courage to speak out is evident also in the victims/survivors of abuse perpetrated by John Smyth, a volunteer and leader with Iwerne camps that engaged pupils from private schools which were identified as being the most ‘elite’ schools.  These Varsity and Public Schools Camps (VPSC) and the abuse that occurred within them highlight that child sexual abuse occurs across society regardless of privilege.

In March 2021, the Executive Summary Report of an Independent Case Review into the abuse of John Smyth was published and is available to read at www.scriptureunion.org.uk in the Safeguarding section. This report was commissioned by Scripture Union in England and Wales which had a relationship with the Iwerne camps but in practice operated separately despite being the legal employer of some Iwerne staff.

John Smyth was a trustee of Scripture Union in England and Wales and Iwerne Trust; he was a lay reader, a legal practitioner, and a student of theology and is understood to have been an Iwerne Trust camp leader from 1964 – 1984.  Evidence available to the review suggests at least 26 victims of John Smyth have been identified in the UK and as many as 96 victims in Southern Africa.  There have been two confirmed deaths of boys at camps in Zimbabwe led by John Smyth and a number of attempted suicides among his UK victims.  John Smyth died in Cape Town in August 2018.

A recurring theme in this review is the way in which one person’s judgement (or that of a group of powerful individuals) was considered of more value simply by virtue of their background, status and affiliations.  The views of others deemed to be from a lesser status or background were dismissed and discredited in a way which alienated victims, other professionals, and parents.  Deference to power and status contributed to the abuse of children and made it even more difficult for their story to be told.

Culture evolves constantly and it is argued that you can’t judge behaviour in the past by how we understand things today.  That is not a reasonable argument in relation to abuse.  What is considered abuse now, was abusive in the past and should not have happened.

Victims of John Smyth stated that they felt there was a level of ‘wilful ignorance’ demonstrated by the wider evangelical community and that seemingly comprehensive accounts were actually studies in obfuscation.  Ultimately, there was a failure to safeguard and protect young people and the interests of powerful individuals and organisational considerations were prioritised.

This review highlights how these residential camps offered the ideal environment for someone with intention to harm children.  Aspects of this environment included:

  • an over-developed sense of group allegiance and belonging;
  • a strongly cultivated suspicion of and disregard for ‘outsiders’;
  • the moral authority of clergy being perceived as beyond challenge or reproach;
  • the misuse and misrepresentation of Biblical Scripture to justify and celebrate the infliction of suffering and pain;
  • the abuse of trust, power, confidences and information – largely focusing upon issues of sexuality and relationships – which was used to shame and humiliate those who were harmed;
  • persuading vulnerable young people that the disclosure of even ‘minor impure thoughts’ was necessary or noble and that suffering to atone for these failings provided a more direct route to a closer relationship with God reserved for an elite few.

Sometimes good safeguarding practice means standing up to power, speaking out or asking questions when our natural inclination may be to defer or trust those in authority.  This might feel rude, or scary, but the Church of Ireland has committed to a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and any aspects of the culture which ‘defer’ blindly need to be challenged.

If you have been affected by any aspect of this article or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Safeguarding Officers, whose details are available at https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/contact  

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Man_photo-credit_Unsplash_AH-NP-scaled.jpg 1438 2560 Andrea Bridge https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Andrea Bridge2021-12-07 13:01:432021-12-07 13:20:35Sometimes safeguarding means standing up to power

Coercive control and vulnerable adults

27th April 2021/in News - General /by Andrea Bridge

In a recently published survey commissioned by Safeguarding Ireland in the Republic of Ireland, the following information on vulnerable adults/adults at risk was highlighted:

  • 30% have witnessed coercive control and 13% have a personal experience
  • Expanded laws on coercive control are needed to protect more people, particularly the vulnerable.

Greater public awareness is needed of coercive control after new research commissioned by Safeguarding Ireland found that 40% of people don’t understand this type of abuse.

In research carried by RED C on a representative sample of 1,000 adults, 25% said they were not familiar with coercive control at all, while 15% said they had heard the term but did not understand it. Just over a quarter (28%) said that they understood it.

When then provided with an explanation of coercive control – 30% said they had witnessed this happening to someone they knew and 13% said they had experienced it themselves.

However, Safeguarding Ireland Chairperson Patricia Rickard-Clarke said she believes coercive control to be even more prevalent because of the low level of understanding, particularly in relation to it occurring to vulnerable adults. “Domestic abuse within an intimate couple is widely reported to have increased significantly during COVID-19 and this is generally what is understood to be coercive control. However, coercive control is much broader than physical assault, can be subtle and can occur in any close adult relationship, with vulnerable adults particularly at risk.”

“Coercive control could be detaining a vulnerable person at home, keeping their phone from them, controlling their money or medical care, preventing contact with family and friends, or constant undermining of a person’s independence and making decisions on their behalf.”

“It is the use of threats, humiliation, intimidation, or assault to make a person dependent, to isolate them in order to exploit and deprive people of their rightful independence.”

The RED C research found that almost a quarter of cases witnessed occurred outside of intimate relationships including between frail older people and family members, or in the care of people with intellectual or physical disabilities either at home or in an institution.

Ms Rickard-Clarke continued to say that the law also needs to change to recognise that coercive control occurs outside of intimate relationships. “Our current laws only recognise coercive control as an identifiable crime in the setting of an intimate relationship between a couple. However, this research shows that despite a low level of understanding of coercive control, people can still readily recognise significant levels of this abuse in settings outside of intimate relationships. I suspect that, if understanding of coercive control was higher, people would identify an even higher incidence of it occurring, particularly involving psychological abuse of vulnerable adults.”

“Safeguarding Ireland is calling for our laws on coercive control to be expanded to include the coercive control of another person as a crime in any close adult relationship. This is particularly important for vulnerable adults.”

More information on coercive control is available on the Safeguarding Ireland website.

Safeguarding means living safely, free from abuse or neglect. It means our choices, particularly if we are vulnerable, are clearly heard and respected.

 

Further Information –
Safeguarding Ireland promotes safeguarding of vulnerable adults to protect them from was all forms of abuse by persons, organisations and institutions and to develop a national plan for promoting their welfare.

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Woman-Photo-Credit_Unsplash_Milada_Vigerova-scaled.jpg 2560 2431 Andrea Bridge https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Andrea Bridge2021-04-27 10:49:192021-04-27 12:49:29Coercive control and vulnerable adults

Understanding the nature of sexual offending

30th March 2021/in News - General /by Andrea Bridge

“He ruined my life when he was supposed to be protecting me.”

These are the words of a survivor of the paedophile John McClean, a former teacher and rugby coach in Terenure College in Dublin, who was sentenced last month to eleven years’ imprisonment, along with a three-year suspended sentence, for his crimes.

The trauma and suffering that McClean caused so many young men over decades was heard in court forty-seven years after he abused the first child.

This subject, one victim said, is one that “no one wants to talk about and no one wants to hear.”  It is a difficult and painful thing to look at but we have to understand the nature of sexual offending better and we have to understand the impact of abuse better.  If we don’t, that lack of knowledge can be exploited by people who have the intention to harm children.

In a powerful article, RTÉ’s Crime Correspondent, Paul Reynolds, recalled the experiences of the twenty-three men whose cases were part of this prosecution and described some of the lifelong impacts they have suffered: “Psychological and psychiatric damage, anxiety and depression, a lack of self-confidence, failed relationships, post-traumatic stress, broken families and addictions to drugs and alcohol … suicide attempts, homelessness and criminality.”

This paedophile was aware of his own power and used it to abuse children and manipulate and control other adults.  He identified and targeted children who were particularly vulnerable, and used a combination of physical strength, pretended friendship, and fear, to abuse them.  He created situations to be alone with children; he was cruel, operating in plain sight, hiding “behind a mask of authority and a cloak of respectability,” and making connections with parents so he could work his way into families’ homes.

The immense courage of these twenty-three men led to this conviction but as far back as 1979 an allegation was brought forward but was dismissed by a member of the clergy as untrue.  What amount of harm and suffering could have been prevented if this allegation were handled differently?

The nature of paedophilia and the types of impacts described above are the reasons why, in both jurisdictions, the Church of Ireland has in place its safeguarding policies and procedures.  This is not an issue for one religion or organisation; this is a risk for every faith and every organisation and no-one must fall into the trap of imagining that ‘this could never happen in the Church of Ireland.’

Safeguarding is at the core of the Church.  As the former Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, wrote in the introduction to Safeguarding Trust: “Our work and ministry with children, and with adults who may (for whatever reason) be ‘at risk’, is a privilege but also a trust. We cannot betray that trust in any way if we are to fulfil our responsibilities as followers of a Saviour who came into the world that all may know safety and find salvation.”

If this article has affected you in any way, or if you require any more information about any of the topics covered, please feel free to contact the Church of Ireland’s Safeguarding Officers:

Robert Dunne, Safeguarding Officer (Republic of Ireland):
cpori@ireland.anglican.org
01 412 5661

Margaret Yarr, Safeguarding Officer (Northern Ireland):
cponi@ireland.anglican.org
028 9082 8860

 

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Sadness-Photo-Credit-Unsplash-Francisco-Gonzalez.jpg 427 640 Andrea Bridge https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Andrea Bridge2021-03-30 08:05:542023-02-28 09:28:09Understanding the nature of sexual offending

Children and domestic abuse

4th February 2021/in News - General /by Andrea Bridge

By Robert Dunne.

On Thursday, 21st January 2021, a 53-year old man from Dublin became the first person in the Republic of Ireland to be convicted of the crime of ‘coercive control’.  He was sentenced to over ten years in prison after two years of vicious and cruel attacks on his former partner who was commended for her resolve throughout the legal process, and her actions and courage in the face of ‘unimaginable intimidation and terror’.[1]

This crime was introduced into legislation by the Domestic Violence Act 2018 in the Republic, which makes a number of significant, positive and long lobbied for changes to this crucial area of law.

In the past, a culture of ‘turning a blind eye’ to what went on between couples meant that often the victims of crimes and abuse were left alone and unsupported in their suffering.  It is better understood now that this culture of collusion has to change – a shift that is also assisted by the introduction of mandatory reporting of abuse against children under the national Children First guidance.

Coercive control is a persistent pattern of controlling, coercive and threatening behaviour which includes all or some forms of domestic abuse (which may be emotional, physical, financial, and/or sexual, including threats) by a partner, spouse or ex.  Coercive control can very seriously damage someone’s physical and emotional well-being and have lifelong impacts on the well-being of children exposed to it.

National data suggest around one in seven women and one in sixteen men in the State have experienced severe domestic abuse.  The same study found just 29% of women and 5% of men had reported abusive behaviour to the police.   In Northern Ireland, police deal with around 2,500 reports of domestic abuse each month.

Children can be both direct and indirect victims of abuse and there is a strong correlation between domestic abuse and child abuse.  Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, recognises domestic violence as emotional abuse of the child and recommends that child protection referrals are made where a child is present in a home where domestic violence is a concern. This includes a child under a year old.

At a time when families are restricted to home, where stress is so high and where normal routines and social connections are not possible, domestic abuse is a huge concern across our island.  Anecdotal evidence suggests that domestic abuse has increased since the beginning of the pandemic.  Women’s Aid, for example, reported a 41% increase in the calls they received from the start of the Republic’s restrictions to the end of November 2020. The Police Service of Northern Ireland responded to 549 more domestic abuse incidents in April and May last year than in the same months in 2019.[2]

If you are experiencing abuse or have concerns about a child in this situation, help and support is available by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency or through the following helplines:

Republic of Ireland

  • The 24-hour confidential Women’s Aid helpline on 1800 341 900.
  • Men’s Aid offers support between 9am and 5pm, from Monday to Friday, on 01 554 3811 and a listing of other sources of help which may be able to help outside those hours is available at mensaid.ie/useful-services
  • The Crime Victims Helpline can be reached on Freephone 116 006, from Monday to Saturday.

Northern Ireland

  • The 24-hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline on 0808 802 1414
  • Victim Support Northern Ireland provides a helpline on 028 9024 3133, during office hours, and the UK-wide National Supportline can be called at any time on 0845 30 30 900

[1] Sarah Benson, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid.  Latest news & releases | Women’s Aid – Domestic violence service in Ireland

[2] Women’s Aid (Northern Ireland). Unlock The Lockdown Press Release – Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland

https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Child_credit_Annie-Spratt_Unsplash-scaled.jpg 2408 2560 Andrea Bridge https://safeguarding.ireland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Safeguarding-web-logo-170px-min.png Andrea Bridge2021-02-04 13:42:232021-02-04 13:51:18Children and domestic abuse
Page 1 of 212

Latest News

  • Minister O’Gorman and Minister Rabbitte announce 26 April as date for the abolition of wardship and full operationalisation of the Decision Support Service28th February 2023 - 9:26 am
  • Garda Inspectorate launches its Domestic Abuse Victim Survey10th January 2023 - 1:51 pm
  • Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year21st December 2022 - 12:02 pm
  • Adult Safeguarding Day26th October 2022 - 9:21 am
  • Church of Ireland Website
  • Children’s Ministry
  • CIYD
  • Tusla
  • NI Gateway Services
  • Privacy Policy
© Copyright - Safeguarding Trust | Website by Sam Bourke
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • Youtube
  • Tumblr
Scroll to top