Safeguarding & Governance Policy

We work in parish halls and school gyms with children, older people and people who have just survived the worst day of their lives. Safeguarding is not a document for us; it is the condition of being allowed in the door.

1. Our commitment

Munster Heart Foundation Charity is committed to safeguarding the welfare of every child and every adult at risk who takes part in our activities. We accept that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, that concerns must be acted on rather than weighed, and that no charitable purpose ever justifies exposing a person to harm.

2. Legal framework

• Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017)
• National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012–2016
• Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012
• HSE Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons at Risk of Abuse national policy
• Charities Act 2009 and the Charities Governance Code

3. Designated Liaison Person

We have a Designated Liaison Person (DLP) and a Deputy DLP, both trained to Children First standard. The DLP is the single point of contact for all safeguarding concerns and is responsible for reporting to Tusla and, where a criminal offence may have occurred, to An Garda Síochána. A named member of the board holds the safeguarding brief and reports to every board meeting. Contact the DLP through +353 65 682 2871 or aundrea-randallb7zt@gmx.com, marked "Safeguarding — confidential".

4. Recruitment and vetting of volunteers

• Every volunteer or staff member with access to children or adults at risk is Garda vetted before starting.
• Two written references are taken up and verified for every trainer and facilitator.
• All volunteers complete safeguarding induction within four weeks and refresher training every two years.
• Vetting is renewed every three years, and roles are suspended immediately where renewal lapses.

5. Safe practice in our activities

• No one-to-one unsupervised contact. Two adults are present at every session involving under-18s.
• School sessions are delivered with a member of school staff in the room at all times; the school retains duty of care.
• Physical contact during CPR instruction is explained in advance, kept to hand position correction only, and never proceeds if the participant is uncomfortable.
• Photography and media require written consent, obtained through the school for minors. Consent may be withdrawn at any time and we will remove the image.
• Support groups operate a confidentiality agreement with a clearly stated limit: we will break confidence where there is a risk of harm to a person, and we say so at the start of every meeting.
• Communication with minors is only ever through the school or a parent, never through personal phones or private social media accounts.

6. Reporting a concern

Anyone — volunteer, participant, parent or member of the public — can raise a safeguarding concern. Report it to the DLP immediately and in any event within 24 hours. Do not investigate it yourself. The DLP records the concern, makes a mandated report to Tusla where the Children First threshold is met, and informs the board's safeguarding lead. Where there is an immediate risk to a person, contact An Garda Síochána or emergency services first on 112 or 999. Retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith is treated as gross misconduct.

7. Governance structure

• The board — six voluntary directors, unpaid, meeting at least six times a year, collectively responsible for strategy, finances, risk and compliance.
• Finance & audit subcommittee — oversees controls, budgets, the reserves policy and the external auditor.
• Clinical standards subcommittee — chaired by a cardiologist; approves all training content against current ERC guidelines.
• Safeguarding subcommittee — reviews concerns, vetting compliance and this policy annually.
• Patient advisory panel — people with lived experience of cardiac events who review programme design and language.

8. Conflicts of interest and risk

Every director completes an annual declaration of interests. Conflicts are declared at the start of each meeting, recorded in the minutes, and the conflicted director withdraws from the relevant decision. The board maintains a risk register reviewed at every meeting, covering safeguarding, financial, clinical, reputational and data protection risk, with a named owner and mitigation for each entry.

9. Whistleblowing

Concerns about wrongdoing — financial irregularity, safeguarding failure or misuse of charitable funds — may be raised confidentially with the board Chairperson, bypassing management entirely, and are protected under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014.

10. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the board and immediately after any safeguarding incident or change in national guidance. Registered Charity Number 20081706.