Terms of Reference (ToR)
St John Ambulance Ireland (SJAI) is aware of a number of complaints of sexual abuse of members under the age of 18 years relating to one former volunteer member who ceased volunteering with SJAI circa 2000/1. The Board of St John Ambulance Ireland has commissioned an independent review to undertake a review of the adequacy and effectiveness of:
PART
1
- the manner in which the aforesaid complaints in relation to sexual abuse
made to the SJAI were dealt with when first madetaking into account government guidance and SJAI policies on child
protection available at that time (see Appendix I); the manner in which such
complaints were dealt with when re-reported in 2013 taking into account
government guidance on child protection and SJAI policies available at that
time (see Appendix I);
- whether there were any other complaints (whether in writing or verbal to
any person in a position of authority) regarding
grooming or abuse in relation to the volunteer concerned over his period
of involvement with SJAI, and
- any
other complaints (whether in writing or verbal to any person in a position of
authority) relating to any other individual based on reports made to and/or records
held by SJAI: and
PART 2
- the adequacy of arrangements now in place for the protection of children
and vulnerable adults who may come into membership of SJAI having regard to
TUSLA’s assessment in July 2019;
all with a view to identifying learning and making recommendations for
the organisation.
The
Report will be to the Board of SJAI.
Members
of SJAI will offer full co-operation with the reviewer as she/he determines.
Process as
to how the Review will be conducted
The Review will consist of:
- A review of files held by SJAI on past
Safeguarding complaints;
- An opportunity for complainants to meet
confidentially with the Reviewer and to outline their experiences of making Safeguarding
complaints to SJAI;
- An opportunity for the Reviewer to meet with
any Member of SJAI with a view to understanding that person’s roles and
responsibilities in relation to any complaints he/she may have had reported to him/her in his/her time in
SJAI;
- An opportunity for any Member of SJAI
identified by a complainant as a recipient of a complaint to inform the
Reviewer in relation to his/her actions on foot of his/her receipt of any such
complaint;
- Former Members of SJAI are encouraged to
assist the Reviewer by meeting him/her at his/her request to share any information or insights
he/she may have on how past complaints were managed;
- The SJAI “point-of-contact” for the Review is the Commissioner supported by A/Commissioner P Corcoran.
Details of the arrangements on how to contact Dr Shannon with any relevant information will be posted when the Review commences in the coming weeks.
David J Strahan,
Chairman of the Board of SJAI
John Hughes,
Commissioner, SJAI
7th March 2021