Working with Children

watermark

Are there any legal requirements or qualifications needed before you work with children?

My place of work regularly runs summer camps and I have no relevant qualifications. Am I within my rights to refuse to work with children??

Also if anybody could post a link to any relevant legislation it would be appreciated. Thanks

crotalus667

you must have garda clearence, other than that then not really unless the insurence company requires it

watermark

thanks but is having garda clearance/vetting a LEGAL requirement or are you just advised to have it?

Postgrad10

Vetting is 100percent legally required . No one should gain access to children without it.

Postgrad10

Your employer/ organises the vetting through Barnardos and gives you the form the complete . This currently takes six weeks to process.

Postgrad10

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Your employer/ organises the vetting through Barnardos and gives you the form the complete . This currently takes six weeks to process.

Where'd you get Barnado's from? I'm vetted through NAYD and they have nothing to do with Barnardo's.

The Princess Bride

AFAIK everybody aged 16 or over requires Garda Clearance before they can work with /around children.

It doesn't have to be through Barnardos- contact your local Gardaí for advice-as they'll be contacted before you get your final clearance anyways.

watermark

thanks for all the replies guys and gals. can anyone post a link to where this is written? would like to print it to show the boss.

if I am not garda vetted by the time the camps come around am i within my rights to refuse to work with the children because of this?

donkey balls

It is not up to a person to obtain Gardai clearance/vetting to work with children etc but the organization they are going to work for.
Normal turn around is four weeks by the time they get the application in Thurless here is a link.
http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=1535

Mrs OBumble

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Vetting is 100percent legally required . No one should gain access to children without it.

Please link to some reference that explains what law requires it.

I agree that almost every organisation requires it, and that every organisation which has employers liability insurance will have to have policies requiring it and should be following those policies. But I'm not certain that it's a law.



OP to get back to your question: no I do not believe that you need to have any particular qualifications to work with children, particularly not in a recreational area.

If your job description says "other duties as required", then I believe you could be asked to run summer camp sessions. However if you don't do a very good job of it, then I believe that your employer would find it difficult to fire you for it without being able to show that you were either assessed for appropriate knowledge/skills when you were hired, or provided with suitable training since.

That said, you do need to think about your future prospects with the company. If you really cannot face working in a germy brat factory, then can you find some other solution that would free up a colleague for this exciting stimulating assignment, while you covered their boring, routine job? Or some other option that might give a win for both you and the company.