Children First Training (Ireland)
Children First written for Ireland. Recognise when a child may be at risk, know your duties under the 2015 Act and report to Tusla with confidence.
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Children First Training (Ireland)
You can do children first training online in Ireland with Lift College's Children First Training (Ireland) course, written for workplaces in the Republic of Ireland. It is 3 hours of learning in 6 short modules, covering the Children First Act 2015 and the 2017 National Guidance, the four types of harm and how to recognise them, mandated persons and mandated reporting, how to respond when a child tells you something, how to report a concern to Tusla, and what a Child Safeguarding Statement is. It costs €22.99, pay once, and your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass. Lift College recommends a refresh every 3 years, and the refresher is free. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides a free Children First e-learning programme, Introduction to Children First, and many Irish organisations use it to meet their basic requirement; this course is a fuller, certificated 3-hour course with an employer record, written to sit alongside or in addition to it.
In Ireland, protecting children is everyone's responsibility, and for many people it is a legal duty. The Children First Act 2015 names mandated persons, including teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers, guards, childcare workers and youth workers, who must report concerns at or above a defined threshold of harm to Tusla. The Act also requires providers of relevant services to children to carry out a risk assessment and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement that names the person who will deal with concerns. Children First: National Guidance 2017 sets out the reasonable grounds for concern, what to do when a child discloses, and how to report, and it applies to every organisation that works with children, whether or not its staff are mandated persons.
This course explains all of that in plain words with Irish examples, from a creche in Cork to a GAA club in Mayo. It covers physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect, the signs that should make you stop and think, how to listen to a child without leading them, when the mandated reporting threshold is met, how to complete a report to Tusla and what happens next, and how a Child Safeguarding Statement, a designated liaison person and safe recruitment protect children day to day. It is for staff and volunteers in schools, creches, afterschool services, sports clubs, youth groups, churches, healthcare and anywhere else in the Republic of Ireland that children spend time. It does not claim to meet any specific statutory requirement; your organisation decides what training its staff need.
- Explain what the Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance 2017 require of organisations and individuals in Ireland
- Recognise the signs of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect, and the circumstances that put children at greater risk
- Describe who is a mandated person and when the threshold for a mandated report to Tusla is met
- Respond to a child who tells you about harm in a way that listens, reassures and does not lead
- Report a concern to Tusla, record what you saw and heard, and know what happens after a report
- Describe what a Child Safeguarding Statement must contain and the role of the designated liaison person
- Apply safe practice in your own setting, including boundaries, supervision, online contact and allegations against staff
6 short modules, 3 hours in total.
Children First in Ireland
The Children First Act 2015, the 2017 National Guidance, the Child Care Act 1991 and the role of Tusla and An Garda Síochána. What a relevant service is, who a mandated person is, and how Tusla's free Introduction to Children First e-learning fits with this course.
Knowledge checkRecognising abuse and neglect
The four types of harm named in the National Guidance: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. Signs in a child's body, behaviour, attendance and words, and the difference between a sign and proof.
Knowledge checkChildren at greater risk
Children with disabilities, children in care, children in homeless accommodation or direct provision, young carers, children affected by domestic violence, addiction or parental mental illness, and online harm, grooming and exploitation.
Knowledge checkResponding to a disclosure
How to listen when a child tells you something, what to say and what not to say, why you must not promise secrecy or investigate yourself, and how to write down what the child said in their own words straight away.
Knowledge checkReporting to Tusla
Reasonable grounds for concern, the mandated reporting threshold under the 2015 Act, the Tusla web portal and the Child Protection and Welfare Report Form, reporting jointly with your designated liaison person, emergencies and An Garda Síochána, and what Tusla does with a report.
Knowledge checkChild Safeguarding Statements and safe practice
The risk assessment and Child Safeguarding Statement required under the 2015 Act, the designated liaison person, Garda vetting under the National Vetting Bureau Acts, codes of behaviour, supervision, online contact with children, and how concerns or allegations about staff and volunteers are handled.
Knowledge checkFinal test and your certificate
Multiple choice, 80% to pass, unlimited attempts. Your CPD certificate is issued by Lift College the day you pass.
This course is for you if
- You work in a creche, preschool, afterschool service, school or sports club in Ireland
- You are a mandated person under the Children First Act 2015 and want to understand your reporting duty properly
- You volunteer with a youth group, GAA, soccer or swimming club, scouts or a parish in the Republic of Ireland
- You are the designated liaison person or manager responsible for your organisation's Child Safeguarding Statement
- You have done Tusla's free Introduction to Children First e-learning and want a fuller course with a certificate your employer can keep on file
Your CPD certificate, issued the day you pass.
Your certificate records that you completed Children First Training (Ireland) with Lift College. It shows 3 hours of learning, your completion date and a recommended refresh date 3 years on.
- One price, €22.99. One payment, one learner, no subscription.
- Short modules with a knowledge check after each one and a final test. Instant results.
- 80% to pass, with unlimited free retakes.
- A CPD certificate issued by Lift College as a PDF the same day you pass, with a unique number and a verification link.
- Access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years from the day you buy.
- A free refresher when your recommended refresh date arrives. Changed your mind? Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.
CPD certificate
liftcollege.co.uk/verify/LC-CPD-000000The law this course supports
Children First Act 2015
The Act places a legal duty on mandated persons, such as teachers, doctors, nurses, childcare workers and youth workers, to report concerns of harm at or above a defined threshold to Tusla, and to help Tusla assess a mandated report when asked. It also requires providers of relevant services to children to carry out a risk assessment and publish a Child Safeguarding Statement.
Read the legislation →Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017)
The National Guidance applies to everyone in Ireland who works or volunteers with children, whether or not they are a mandated person. It defines the four types of abuse, explains reasonable grounds for concern, and sets out how to respond to a disclosure, how to report to Tusla and what organisations should put in place to keep children safe.
Read the legislation →Tusla, Child and Family Agency: Children First
Tusla is the statutory agency that receives and assesses child protection and welfare reports in Ireland. Its Children First pages hold the reporting portal, the report forms, guidance on Child Safeguarding Statements and the free Introduction to Children First e-learning programme.
Read the legislation →€22.99. Pay once, nothing added.
One payment for one learner. You keep access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years. Changed your mind? Ask within 14 days and we refund you in full.
- PaySecure card payment, one time only.
- Sign inYour learner account is ready straight away.
- StartBegin module 1 the same minute.
Free refresher when it is due
We recommend a refresh every 3 years. We email you 30 days before, and from the refresh date you can retake the latest version free and download a new certificate.
Buying Children First Training (Ireland) for a team?
Organisation accounts pay €19.54 a place, 15% off the single price, billed in euros. Each person gets their own login, the certificates sit in one record, and we send one invoice. Tell us how many places you need and we will come back within one working day.
What our learners say
Stories from Lift College learners on our qualifications, in their own words.
“I had been a care assistant for four years without a formal qualification. Lift College made the whole process straightforward, my assessor visited regularly and I completed my Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care in just over a year. I was promoted to senior care worker the month after I qualified.”
“My employer was clear, I needed GCSE English to move into a supervisory role. Lift College helped me find the right exam board and an exam centre five minutes from home. Passed grade 4. Got the promotion.”
“My employer needed me to have Level 2 maths before they could register me on the Level 3 apprenticeship programme. Lift College was fast, the tutor was brilliant, and I resit my maths once after a near-miss and passed the second time. The whole thing took twelve weeks.”
Questions about Children First Training (Ireland)
Is online Children First training valid in Ireland?
Children First: National Guidance 2017 expects organisations that work with children to make sure their staff and volunteers are trained, but it does not name a particular course, and Lift College does not claim this course meets any specific statutory requirement. Your organisation decides what training it needs under its Child Safeguarding Statement. This course gives you 3 hours of structured learning on Irish law and practice and a certificate your employer can keep on file as a record of training.
Tusla's Children First e-learning is free. Why would I pay for this course?
Tusla's Introduction to Children First e-learning is free, and many Irish organisations use it to meet their basic requirement; we encourage you to do it. This course is a fuller 3-hour programme with a knowledge check after every module, a final test and a dated CPD certificate issued by Lift College that gives your employer a verifiable record with a refresh date. It works alongside or in addition to the Tusla programme, not instead of it, and it suits organisations that want evidence of training and a reminder when a refresh is due.
How often should Children First training be refreshed?
The National Guidance does not fix an interval, but organisations are expected to review their Child Safeguarding Statement at least every 24 months and to keep staff training up to date. Many Irish employers and sporting bodies refresh safeguarding training every 3 years. Lift College recommends a refresh every 3 years, and the refresher is free.
Is this course different from the UK safeguarding children course?
Yes. This edition is written for the Republic of Ireland, with the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance 2017, Tusla and An Garda Síochána. People who work with children in the UK should take [Safeguarding Children Level 2](/cpd/safeguarding-children-level-2), which covers UK law.
How do I report a child protection concern to Tusla?
If a child is in immediate danger, call An Garda Síochána on 112 or 999. Otherwise, talk to your designated liaison person and complete a Child Protection and Welfare Report Form through the Tusla web portal; if you are a mandated person and the threshold is met, you must make a mandated report yourself and can do so jointly with your liaison person. Write down what you saw or heard in the child's own words, with dates and times, and keep a copy securely. The course walks you through the form and what Tusla does next.
How long do I keep access?
You keep your access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years from the day you buy. Your certificate PDF is yours to keep.
What is the free refresher?
Lift College recommends refreshing this course every 3 years. When your date comes round, you can retake the latest version free and get a new certificate. We email you 30 days before.
Does it count towards my CPD?
Yes. The course is 3 hours of learning, shown on your CPD certificate issued by Lift College, so you can log the hours in your CPD record.
Can I get my money back?
Yes. Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Your receipt shows the course, the date and the amount paid, and you can pass it to your employer. Buying for a team? Open a free organisation account: every course is €19.54, and you can pay by card or invoice with your PO.
Where can I do children first training online in Ireland?
Lift College offers Children First Training (Ireland) online for €22.99, pay once. It is 3 hours of learning in 6 short modules, written for organisations in the Republic of Ireland, where the Children First Act 2015 and Children First: National Guidance 2017 apply. Your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass.
How long does online children first training take?
Children First Training (Ireland) is 3 hours of learning in 6 short modules, each with a knowledge check. You can finish it in one sitting or across several and pick up where you left off on any device. The final test needs 80% to pass, with unlimited free retakes.
How much does Children First Training (Ireland) cost online?
Lift College's Children First Training (Ireland) is €22.99, pay once, with no subscription. Training a team? It is €19.54 a course on a free organisation account.
How is Children First Training (Ireland) assessed?
By a short knowledge check after each of the 6 modules and a final test. You need 80% to pass, with unlimited free retakes, and your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass.
Can I start Children First Training (Ireland) today?
Yes. You start the moment you pay, on any device, and you can finish the 3 hours of learning in one sitting or across several. Your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass. Buying for a team? Open a free organisation account.
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