In Ireland, students who are under the age of 18 at enrolment are classified as ‘minors’ and as children by law under Irish child protection and child welfare legislation. This places specific duties on UniHaven College and its partners, including accommodation partners, to make special arrangements to ensure their safety and their ease of transition into life in Ireland to study here. The fact that minors are likely living away from home for the first time only adds to UniHaven College’s duty of care towards such younger students. If you are a minor, you will be dealt with differently to other students until you reach the age of 18 in some circumstances. This will include the need for someone to accompany you to
- Medical Care including Appointments.
- Emergency Care.
- Garda (Policy) Stations/Offices for Visa Purposes.
UniHaven has taken the following steps to ensure younger students are looked after as appropriate to their age as follows:
- Staff are Garda vetted to ensure that none of our staff have any criminal or other convictions that would get in the way of the College providing a safe environment in which you will study.
- Staff have been trained in the need to and how to ensure that all minors are treated fairly and age-appropriately while studying at our College.
- UniHaven has appointed a Child Welfare Officer/Designated Liaison Person who will be your point of contact if you are a minor and if you have any serious welfare concerns. This person will be made known to you at induction.
- UniHaven has appointed an external body, Godsil Education, to act as guardian nominee to minors unless you have someone who can play this role for you and for whom your parents will confirm in writing to us, e.g., a relative living in Ireland. Godsil will provide out-of-hour emergency care and point of contact services as well as in-hours medical appointment and Garda appointment accompanying services. They can arrange home stay accommodation for minors or minors can stay at UniHaven's Dublin accommodation provider that is a short train journey (approx. 45 minutes in total) from the College. You will pay Godsil directly for the use of their services.
Students have the right to communicate any issues they may experience whilst a studying at UniHaven College. Further information as to how to do this is available here.