Violence
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Statement of Aims We have a duty to take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of
all who work at Rathmichael National School, pupils and staff. Employees and
pupils at our school are not expected to accept violence as part of their
normal activities. This policy applies to the school and to all places where the
school’s pupils and/or staff may be involved in school activities. The Safety, Health
and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 1993, provides that the
Health and Safety Authority must be notified when an accident/incident occurs
in the workplace which requires treatment from a registered medical
practitioner or treatment in hospital. An accident or incident which results in
an employee being absent from work for 3 days or more must also be reported to
the Authority. Rathmichael National School therefore: • Makes it explicitly known that it will not accept or tolerate
violent, aggressive, intimidating, shouting or other threatening behaviour
towards its pupils, staff or anyone else acting on its behalf; • Will take appropriate preventive action to minimize potential
risks, through environmental design, work procedures, risk assessments,
instructions, information and training; • Will take appropriate preventive action to minimize potential
risks. The staff will be allowed to restrain a child as considered necessary in
order to prevent him/her from harming others in the school; • Will take effective and appropriate steps to deal with violent
incidents by investigating all reported incidents, reviewing the service
provided to the assailant, and taking all further appropriate legal action that
is possible; • Will use appropriate disciplinary procedure where violence occurs
between employees; • Will use appropriate disciplinary procedure where violence occurs
between pupils and/or pupils and staff; • Will be fully supportive of staff and others who experience
violence, including the offer and/or provision of Counselling and/or other
support services where appropriate; • Will work in partnership with the Gardaí and
other Agencies to identify assailants and take steps to distribute information relating to those persons, in
order to prevent or discourage repeat violent offences; In all cases the Principal will: • make appropriate records of the incident; • notify authorities where appropriate (see above); • consider issuing a warning letter to the
assailant about the inappropriateness of their behaviour; • take further legal advice and/or action as is
felt appropriate; •notify
the Board of Management of the incident and where necessary an emergency
meeting of the board may take place. The board may notify its legal advisors of
the assault. The board’s insurance company may also be notified. Remedies: Pupils repeatedly
displaying violent, aggressive, intimidating, shouting or
other threatening behaviour or assault will be referred, with the consent of parents/guardians,
for psychological assessment in order to establish the pupil's social and
emotional needs and to determine how these can be best met. Where
parents/guardians are reluctant to engage in this process the school will
consider what other options might be open to it to protect the interest of the
pupil and others. Where
the assault is committed by a parent/guardian, the parent/ guardian may be
instructed in writing not to make direct contact with the teacher/school
pending further consideration of the matter by the board. Subsequently the
board should correspond with the parent/guardian stating:
Sanctions in cases of assault to pupils, staff
or others by another pupil Assault, violent, aggressive, intimidating, shouting or other
threatening behaviour towards others is a serious breach of school rules and
will be treated as such in accordance with the Discipline Policy/Code of
Behaviour, under which the possible sanctions include Suspension and/or
Expulsion from the school. |