Child Safeguarding
CHILD SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
MAY 2025
GREENAN MAZE – An open farm, mazes, nature walks and museums aimed at primary school children, secondary school children and language school students and open to the public for families and groups. Greenan Maze are dedicated to creating out door fun and adventure in a natural farm setting, passing on knowledge and education, conserving nature and serving our community.
1. Greenan Maze provides a range of educational and recreational activities to children and their families from across Ireland and abroad. Greenan Maze staff members have a variety of levels of contact with children from brief encounters to four hour tours (maximum) in a school tour, language school tour, group tours.
Activities include:
School Tours featuring access to activities on our farm and guided tour of the farm for both primary and secondary school children
Access and entry to farm for children always with the accompaniment of an adult.
The management structure is:–
Will Wheeler – General Manager and proprietor
Anita Wheeler – Manager and Administrator
Carol O Sullivan – Supervisor
Abhainn Wheeler – Supervisor
Designated Liaison Person for Child Protection
DLP:
Will wheeler
Deputy:
Anita Wheeler
COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN FROM HARM
- Our Service is committed to safeguarding the children in our care and to providing a safe environment in which they can enjoy family fun, play, learn and develop.
- Our service believes that the welfare of the children attending our service is paramount.
- We are committed to child-centred practice in all our work with children.
- We are committed to upholding the rights of every child and young person who attends our service, including the rights to be kept safe and protected from harm.
- Our policy and procedures to safeguard children and young people reflect national policy and legislation and are underpinned by Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Tusla Children First – Child Safeguarding Guide 2017, and the Children First Act 2015.
- Our policy declaration applies to all paid staff, volunteers, and students on work placement within our organisation. All staff, volunteers and students must sign up to and abide by the policies, procedures and guidance encompassed by this policy declaration and our child safeguarding policy and accompanying procedures.
- We will review our child safeguarding statement and accompanying child safeguarding policies and procedures every 2 years or sooner if necessary, due to service issues or changes in legislation or national policy.
Risk Assessment
In accordance with the Children First Act 2015, we have carried out a risk assessment of any potential for harm to a child while availing of our services. Taking the definition of Harm in relation to a child as: “assault, ill treatment, or neglect of the child in a manner that seriously affects or is likely to seriously affect the child’s health, development or welfare, or sexual abuse of the child”
Below is a list of the areas of risk identified and the list of procedures for managing risks.
Risk Identified
1. Staff working with children
Policies and/or Procedures in place to manage Risk
Staff Policy: No staff member to be left alone with any child.
Parents/guardians and Supervisors of tours must stay with the children during their visit. Children must be accompanied by an adult supervisor at all times.
Recruitment Policy: Garda Vetting of staff as applicable. Phone references sought and verified. Induction training provided. Policies and procedures must be reviewed by all staff.
Risk Identified
2. The child may be subject to harm from staff (or work experience students)
Policies and/or Procedures in place to manage Risk
1 to 1 interaction with children is not available at Greenan Maze.
Comprehensive recruitment and vetting are in place. Anyone working on a 1 to 1 basis with a child which is unsupervised by parent/guardian or qualified teacher must be Garda Vetted. However this does not occur at Greenan Maze.
All formal education programmes must include supervision by one of the visiting school’s teachers at all times. The ratio is 1 teacher per 10 students. Lost Child policy requires staff members to double up when a lost child is encountered ensuring the child is with 2 members of staff at all times.
Risk Identified
3. The child may be subject to harm from other children in playground climbing and slide structures, and Maze where parents may not have a child in view at all times.
Policies and/or Procedures in place to manage Risk
Children must be supervised at all times in the playground by their parents. Children must be supervised at all times in the maze by their parents.
Children must be supervised at all times in the museums by their parents. Children must be supervised at all times on the nature walk by their parents. Children must be supervised at all times on the farm by their parents.
Staff are present throughout the farm at all times during operational hours thus limiting the risk of unsupervised play. Staff and farm attendants do not replace parental supervision but offer additional safety and support.
Teachers must supervise children at all times during tours.
Risk Identified
4. Lost Child Procedure
Policies and/or Procedures in place to manage Risk
There are 2 central location points for a lost child:
1) Gate Office
2) Craft Shop
If a staff member is informed of a lost child please follow this procedure: –
Inform Management immediately.
Alert all Staff via mobile phone (numbers are in Gate Office and Craft Shop and on staff whats app group) informing them of:
a) Location of where child went missing.
b) Description of child.
Please behave professionally and in a discreet manner when informing staff of lost child so as not to incite panic amongst other visitors.
If after 25 minutes, the child has not been found, close Gates at main entrance
a) A member of Staff must remain on gates to vet all visitors leaving park.
b) One member of Staff must remain in Gate Office to deal with the daily business.
If a Child has not been found within 30 minutes Management MUST call the Guards.
If a child has been found please ensure that there are two members of Staff with child in area Child is found for 10 minutes to allow for reunification with parents/guardian (one member of Staff must be supervisor/management).
The Staff must try to ascertain a description of the Childs Parents/Guardian, their name, mobile number if known and a description.
If after 10 minutes there has been no reunification with parents or guardian the child must be taken to the designated lost child location at Gate Office by two staff members.
If asked by Public you must give a brief description ONLY. Do NOT give a detailed description.
If a Parent/Guardian comes to the lost children’s location claiming they have lost a child they MUST provide identification, and a description of child.
This includes age, clothing, and height.
If there is any reluctance from child to go with Adult, the Guards must be informed by Management.
The Parent/Guardian must fill in a form with all relevant details and sign when taking the child. This form MUST be left in Gate Office.
Once a lost child incident has been resolved, Management must inform all the Staff.
Policy on Use of Recording Equipment and Mobile Phone Camera Use
It is not our intention to prevent parents/guardians from taking pictures but to ensure that photographic practices are monitored and to reduce the risk of inappropriate photography/filming.
No one is permitted to photograph or record images in bathroom areas.
Visitors must be informed when a photographer will be photographing onsite.
Permissions must be sought in writing.
Children’s images will not be used for promotional releases unless parents/guardians have consented and signed appropriate documentation.
Unsupervised access to children or one to one photoshoots are prohibited.
Any concerns regarding inappropriate or intrusive photography/filming reported to or observed by staff must be brought to the attention of management and followed up with the person in question.
Social Media Management Policy
All social media accounts will be password protected and 2 members of management will only have access.
Identifying details such as a child’s name, address or telephone number should not be posted on social media.
No images or personal information of under 18’s should be posted online without prior written consent from each parent / guardian.
If at any time, the child or parent / guardian wishes images or their details to be removed from Greenan Maze social media page(s), the administrators should be contacted. This information should be removed within seven days.
Staff members are not permitted to take photos of customers and post on personal pages.
Child Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
As required by the Children First Act, 2015, Children First National Guidance for Protection and Welfare of Children 2017 and the Guidance for Developing for a Child Safeguarding statement for Early Years Services 2018 the following safeguarding policies/procedures/measures are in place.
- Procedures to maintain a list of mandated persons under the Children First Act, 2015
- A Relevant Person has been appointed: Anita Wheeler & Will Wheeler
- A Designated Liaison Person and Deputy have been appointed: Anita Wheeler and Will Wheeler
- Child Protection and Welfare Reporting Procedures – report to manager on duty then to Anita Wheeler, then to Will Wheeler
- Confidentiality Policy – all incidents are strictly confidential
- Policy for Dealing with Allegations of Abuse or Neglect Against
- Employees – any incidents must be reported to Anita Wheeler, Will Wheeler and dealt with forthwith
- Procedure for Managing Child Protection Records – all records are kept safe and secure by management.
- Recruitment Policy – recruitment is through interview, then checking references, interview, trial periods, garda vetting if necessary.
- Garda Vetting Policy – as applicable – staff to be garda vetted as applicable….we are registered with garda vetting unit.
- Code of Behaviour for Working with Children – all staff must follow child safeguarding statement….
- Induction Policy (which includes procedures to inform new staff the Child Safeguarding Statement and accompanying safeguarding policies and procedures)
- The management team have completed the Tusla eLearning module – Introduction to Children First and the Designated Liaison Officer has signed up to receive additional training from Tusla pending availability – to be finalised…
- Staff have access to regular Supervision and Support in line with the service policy.
- Complaints Policy – complaints must be reported to Manager on duty and written in visitors book, details and info taken of complainant.
- Policy for Managing Accidents and Incidents – accidents and incidents must be reported to manager on duty and written in accidents book
- A Lost Child Procedure is in place: see above
- Social Media Management Policy: see above
Implementation & Review – Ongoing
We recognise that implementation is an ongoing process. Our service is committed to the implementation of this Child Safeguarding Statement and the accompanying child safeguarding policies and procedures that support our intention to keep children safe from harm while availing of our service.
This Statement will be reviewed every 1-2 years or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the statement refers.
This statement will be published on the service website and is displayed in the service.
It has been provided to all staff, volunteers and any other persons involved with the service. It is readily accessible to parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made available to Tusla if requested.
Signed: Anita Wheeler & Will Wheeler
Date: 8th July 2025 reviewed
Service Provider’s name and contact details: For further information on this Statement, contact Relevant Person:
Anita Wheeler 086-8845624
RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE
Person(s) carrying out Risk Assessment: Anita Wheeler, Will Wheeler
Date: 8 July 2025