Children First National Guidance and legislation is applicable to all organisations working with
children and those who have significant contact with children even if the service is working with
adults. It seeks to promote children’s welfare and protect them from harm or abuse. It outlines
what organisations need to do to keep children safe, and what different bodies, and the general
public should do if they are concerned about a child’s safety or welfare. It emphasises the
importance of multi-disciplinary, inter-agency working in the management of concerns. A key
message is that child protection is everyone’s responsibility.
Statutory responsibility for the protection and welfare of children moved from the HSE to
the Child and Family Agency on 1st January 2014 following the commencement of the
Child and Family Agency Act 2013. The HSE continues to hold significant responsibilities
for children due to the nature, range and number of services it delivers, both directly and
through funded and contracted services. As such, Children First continues to be prioritised
and integrated throughout all aspects of HSE service development, such that our policies,
procedures and guidance support the achievement of best practice in our work with
children and young people.
The implementation of Children First is an organisational priority in the HSE Service Plan
2016.
HSE Children First National Office | May 2017
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Children First Governance Structure
Minister for Children and Youth
Affairs
Other Government Departments
Children First Interdepartmental
Overarching Group
Health Sector Oversight Group
Minister for Health
Department of Health
DOH MAC/HSE Leadership Team
Meeting (Standing Item)
HSE Children First Oversight
Committee
CF National
Ambulance
Service
HSE Performance Assurance Process
CF Social
Care
Divisional
CF Mental
Health
Divisional
CF Primary
Care
Divisional
Committee
Committee
Committee
CHO CF Implementation Committee
CF Health &
Wellbeing
Divisional
Committee
CF Acute
Services
Divisional
Committee
Hospital Groups CF
Implementation
Committies
HSE Funded Agencies & Contracted Providers
HSE Children First National Office | May 2017
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Children First Governance Structure
The governance structure for Children First shows a clear Government commitment for
consistent and widespread implementation of Children First across all state services.
The HSE Oversight Committee was established under the aegis of the HSE leadership
team. There are representatives at senior levels from Acute Services, Primary Care,
Social Care, Mental Health, Health and Well Being, Quality and Patient Safety, Office of
Nursing and Midwifery Services, Human Resources, Shared Services and the National
Ambulance Service. The nominations from the service Divisions chair the Divisional
Children First Committees.
The following Divisions of the HSE have established a Division-specific Children First
Committee with participation by funded organisations where appropriate; Primary Care,
Health and Well Being, Acute Services, Mental Health, Social Care. The role of the
National Divisional Children First Committees is to ensure that national HSE Children
First policy and the national Implementation Plan reflects Division-specific issues in
relation to services or aspects of services that are provided by that Division.
Children First Implementation Committees, representative of relevant stakeholders, have
been established at Community Healthcare Organisation, Hospital Group and national
service level, at the discretion of the Chief Officers, Hospital Chief Executive Officers and
service managers. Local implementation plans at CHO, Hospital/Hospital Group and
other service levels are being developed, implemented and monitored by the
implementation committees who also ensure implementation and compliance with the
National Guidance, relevant legislation and HSE policy. They are guided and supported
in this by the National Divisional and CHO/Hospital Group/other services Committees and
the HSE Children First National Office.
Implementation of and compliance with Children First forms part of the Performance
Arrangements while the compliance requirements and obligations on funded
organisations and contractors form part of the amended Service Level Agreements, Grant
Aid Agreements and contracts.
National services such as the National Ambulance Service are represented in the HSE
National Oversight Committee to ensure a Children First Implementation Plan is
developed for the service and to set up a Children First Implementation Committee.
HSE Children First National Office | May 2017
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