Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland

In response to the need for a coordinated and consistent approach to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, an independent Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland is currently being established. The Board will be a multidisciplinary interagency body and its purpose will be to coordinate and ensure the effectiveness of what is done by each person or body represented on the Board to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. Mr Hugh Connor has been appointed as the first Chair of the Board and work is currently ongoing to recruit staff with a view to the Board going ‘live’ in the summer of 2012. The functions and membership of the Board are set out in the attached leaflet.

There will be five places on the Board for community and voluntary organisations who work directly with children and families. Given the very strong representation of statutory agencies and professionals it is important that there is an equally strong voluntary and community sector representation. The attached letter sets out the criterion being used to select organisations and gives information in terms of expressing an interest if organisations wish to be considered for a position on the Board. The closing date for expressions of interest is Friday 23rd March.