AQW 45392/22-27
Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim
Tabled Date: 01/05/2026
Answered On Date: 14/05/2026
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail any statutory safeguarding framework that applies to community, voluntary and sporting organisations working with children and young people.
Answer:
Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland" is the overarching policy framework to support all sectors—statutory, voluntary, community, faith-based, and private—in their efforts to safeguard children and young people. Associated key legislation would also include The Children (NI) Order 1995 and The Safeguarding Board (NI) Act 2011. The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 is the principal statute governing the care, upbringing and protection of children in Northern Ireland. It applies to all those who work with and care for children, whether parents, paid carers or volunteers. The Safeguarding Board (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 provides the statutory framework for the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI). The SBNI is a partnership made up of key organisations from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. The voluntary sector is represented on the SBNI by Action for Children, Barnardo’s NI, Children in Northern Ireland, the Children’s Law Centre, Include Youth and the NSPCC. The statutory objective of the SBNI is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in Northern Ireland by coordinating the work and ensuring the effectiveness of each person or body represented on the SBNI Board.
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