Online child protection service lauded

A GROUNDBREAKING new online protection service, aimed at better informing child care professionals working on the island of Ireland, has been hailed as the first of its kind in the world.

The North South Child Protection Hub is believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world and is available for use by policy makers, child care practitioners, researchers and educators in the North and the Republic.

Updated on a daily basis, the joint initiative will bring together research, reports, case reviews, court judgements and news articles in the North and the Republic as well as other relevant material concerning child protection in Britain and other countries.

As of yesterday, the new service is available to more than 100,000 people here, including child care workers, educators and even students.

At the launch of the initiative in Newry, Minister for Children Barry Andrews said the North South Child Protection Hub was a resource which would “support evidence informed child protection policy and practice in both jurisdictions”.

Mr Andrews also said he hopes further developments will be made in the near future, particularly on the issue of vetting those who work with children.

West Belfast firm Childlink Ltd who helped establish the initiative say it will be an important resource for all organisations concerned with child protection as well as for health professionals working in the area.

Northern Ireland social services minister Michael McGimpsey described the website as an exciting new service which would ensure that child-protection staff working in the North and Ireland have immediate access to the most up-to-date information and research about child protection.

“We all have a responsibility to make sure our children are protected. I believe that better informed practitioners lead to better protection of children and the Hub will certainly help towards achieving this,” he said.