Child & Adult Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

This document sets out Compassiviste Foundation’s Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy. The policy and procedures are intended for all personnel working with Compassiviste Foundation and their partner projects.

While local laws may vary with regards to child and adult protection, Compassiviste Foundation expects this document to form a basic guide for good practice for all its work with children and vulnerable adults. This document will integrate local and legal obligations. If changes to this document are required by local laws, those changes must be submitted to Compassiviste Foundation for verification and approval and will be maintained in that country’s file.

Abuse happens in all races, ages, communities, and social groups. It is naïve to think that it won’t happen in Compassiviste Foundation or within the communities in which we work. The most vulnerable people in our society are children. Their vulnerability often makes them easy targets for abuse and exploitation. Some adults are also vulnerable.

1.Statement of Purpose and Commitment

1.1 Compassiviste Foundation is committed to the protection and welfare and rights of all children and adults, especially those in vulnerable and difficult circumstances. Compassiviste Foundation recognises and upholds the special responsibility and duty of care required in creating a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults in its organisation and partner projects.

1.2 For the purpose of this policy, Compassiviste Foundation regards children as those who are under the age of 18 years. This policy applies to all children in contact with Compassiviste Foundation regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, or religion. This policy also applies to vulnerable adults who may be disabled, ill, or aged.

1.3 Compassiviste Foundation upholds the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). Under the CRC, every child has a right to protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation, and is ensured appropriate treatment for their recovery and social reintegration.

1.4 Compassiviste Foundation will aim to ensure that its internal operations and procedures provide sufficient protection to reduce any form of abuse, neglect or exploitation to children, especially those who are Compassiviste Foundation beneficiaries or children of staff.

1.5 Child abuse is defined as any act by a parent, guardian, caregiver or any other person that endangers or impairs a child’s physical and/or emotional well-being. Child abuse includes the following:

• Physical Abuse
  Physical abuse is generally defined as, “any non-accidental physical injury to the child” and can include striking, kicking, burning, or biting the child, or any action that results or potentially results in a physical impairment of the child. (Child welfare Information Gateway, 2007)
• Sexual Abuse
  Sexual abuse means sexual assault or sexual exploitation as defined below:
  Sexual assault includes rape, incest, sodomy, lewd or lascivious acts upon a child, oral copulation, sexual penetration, or child molestation. Sexual exploitation refers to any of the following:
  – Depicting a minor or adult engaged in obscene acts; preparing, selling, or distributing obscene matter that depicts minors; employing a minor to perform obscene acts.
  – Knowingly permitting or encouraging a child or adult to engage in, or assisting others to engage in, prostitution or a live performance involving obscene sexual conduct, or to either pose or model alone or with others for the purposes of preparing a film, photograph, slide, drawing, painting, or other pictorial depiction, involving sexual conduct.
• Neglect
  Neglect is the deliberate intention of caregivers to deprive adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision. (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2007)
• Emotional/Psychological Abuse
  Emotional/psychological abuse is when a caregiver causes emotional or psychological harm to a child. This is usually the result of harmful behaviours by a caregiver, such as persistent hostility, ignoring, blaming, discriminating or blatant rejection of the child.

1.6 Compassiviste Foundation adopts the following guiding principles regarding the welfare and safety rights of children and adults:

• Child abuse and exploitation is wrong and inexcusable. Keeping silent about knowledge of abuse is also wrong. All those working with Compassiviste Foundation must share in the responsibility of safeguarding the children under our care.
• All children deserve a childhood free from all kinds of abuse. The rights and welfare of a child must be respected, including the right to speak and to be heard.
• Children are best cared for by their parents and caregivers. Where parents are still alive and able, they should be considered as the first source of protection for their children and the resource for meeting their basic needs.
• When Compassiviste Foundation is partnering with an organisation to decide the welfare and protection plan for children, the interest of our organisation and/or partner organisations are secondary to the primary welfare of the child.

2. Staff Recruitment and Screening

2.1 Recruitment of Expatriate and Local Personnel, and Short-Term Volunteers

As a condition of working with Compassiviste Foundation, all officers, staff, interns, volunteers, researchers, consultants and advisers of Compassiviste Foundation are required to:

1. Sign acceptance of Compassiviste Foundation Child & Adult Safeguarding policy.
2. Satisfactorily clear a police check conducted by the home country’s Criminal Record Bureau or equivalent where such a facility exists in the sending country, or where it does not exist, a selfdeclaration of no criminal charges in relation to children or adult abuse.
3. Those working with children must also provide the name and contact information of two character references they have known for no less than two years, excluding family members. These references will be asked questions about any record of inappropriate behaviour in relation to children.

2.2 Monitoring and Action in Case of Concern

Project Managers and Team Leaders will be responsible for monitoring activities relating to children and reporting and assessing reported concerns or allegations to the relevant manager or to the Child Protection Officer, if one exists

3. Staff Training and Development

3.1 All personnel will be required to serve a three-month probationary period during which performance will be closely monitored.

3.2 All personnel will receive regular supervision through observation and discussion of their work.

3.3 Safeguarding training will be provided to all personnel to ensure they have the skills to recognise, report, and respond to abuse.

4. Child and Adult Safeguarding Code of Conduct

4.1 Compassiviste Foundation expects all personnel, visitors, partner organisations and all other affiliates to treat all children associated with Compassiviste Foundation with respect and dignity.

4.2 General Conduct

4.2.1 The ‘two-adult’ rule (i.e. no adult should be alone with one or more children at any time) should always be followed whether in the child’s home, on office premises, project premises or elsewhere. If there is an adult family member present in the same room during the service being provided, the twoadult rule will be determined to have been met.

4.2.2 Sexual exploitation and abuse by project workers constitute acts of gross misconduct and are therefore grounds for immediate termination of employment or volunteer service. Compassiviste Foundation staff and all associates must not fondle, hold, kiss, hug or touch a child in an inappropriate and culturally insensitive way. A child should not be ridiculed, belittled, prejudiced nor rejected.

4.2.3 Sexual activity with children is prohibited regardless of the age of the child and age of consent locally. A mistaken belief about a child’s age is not a defence. Adults are solely responsible for their behaviour and cannot blame a child who may be acting in provocative or seductive ways. Adults should avoid vulnerable or compromising situations.

4.2.4 Exchange of money, employment, goods, or services for sex, including sexual favours or other forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behaviour are prohibited.

4.2.5 Sexual and romantic relationships between personnel and beneficiaries are prohibited. They are prohibited because these relationships are based on inherently unequal power dynamics. Such relationships would undermine the integrity of our work.

4.3 Personnel Guidelines on Touch

• Do not touch a child on areas that would normally be covered by clothing.
• If touching a child, do so in the presence of others. A hug in front of a group is very different to one behind closed doors.
• Touch is in response to the child’s needs, not the needs of personnel. It is advised to ask permission before touching.

4.4 Home Visits

4.4.1 Two-person rule. When visiting children at home, it is strongly encouraged to do so in pairs. When home visits are conducted, there should be a parent, grandparent or other family guardian present. If an adult family member is present, the two-person rule can be considered to have been met.

4.4.2 The project office should be kept informed of the visit. A report mechanism must be created and employed by the Country Office for recording such visits. These records must be maintained and available for inspection.

4.5 Counselling
Compassiviste Foundation does not provide formal counselling. However, there are times in which informal mentoring takes place. Children in their teens, as an example, may have questions regarding dating and male/female relationships. The leader should always be of the same gender as the group being addressed.

4.6 Discipline

4.6.1 Compassiviste Foundation staff are not permitted to physically discipline children or adults who participate in our programs. Doing so is grounds for termination. Staff will not engage in any of the following actions:

1. Deprivation of basic needs (e.g. food, water, clothing, medical treatment). There may be times when withholding food is a response to their refusing to eat, but this must not extend beyond one meal.
2. Restraining methods (e.g. tying a child, taping a child’s mouth, long periods of solitary confinement).
3. Rejecting or blatantly ignoring a child (this is different from using ignoring as an appropriate method of discipline).
4. Threats, put-downs and other verbal or non-verbal gestures that damage the esteem of a child.
5. Punishment that is not proportionate to the child’s physical or mental capacity (e.g. requiring a small child to lift a heavy weight).

4.6.2 The preferred methods of discipline are instructions, encouragement and administering natural or logical consequences, which will more effectively promote self-discipline and independence:

1. Instructions focus on providing children with clear rules, explanations and appropriate behavioural
   alternatives to undesirable ones.
2. Encouragement focuses on the child’s effort and attempt at desirable behaviour and is not just limited to the successful attainment of the behaviour (e.g. encouraging a child who is trying hard and not just praising a child when s/he gets good academic results).
3. Natural consequences are natural outcomes that a child experiences after s/he misbehaves (e.g. if a child wilfully refuses to eat, the consequence is that s/he will go hungry).
4. Logical consequences are outcomes that an adult administers that are logically related to the misbehaviour (e.g. if a child messes up a table, s/he is required to clean up the mess). This is opposed to illogical consequences, which are unreasonable (e.g. depriving a child of food when s/he messes up a table).

4.6.3 If discipline measures are failing to correct repeated misbehaviour in a child, that child should be evaluated for referral to professional counselling, if available.

4.6.4 Staff and volunteers should avoid demonstrating favouritism toward any child. This can inadvertently set up dynamics of rivalry, competitiveness, jealousy and conflict.

4.7 Day Trips and Outings

1. On outings, there must be sufficient supervision for the number and age of the children. As a rule of thumb, the ratio of 1 adult to 8 children should apply.
2. When Compassiviste Foundation is coordinating transportation either by own vehicle or rented arrangement, Compassiviste Foundation will make all efforts to ensure safety measures (i.e. not overloading, using seatbelts when available, consider weather and road conditions).
3. At least two adults (preferably a man and a woman) must be in the transport vehicle. One of the adults must be a staff member.
4. A list of children going on an outing must be properly recorded and the same children must return from that outing, unless there are valid reasons otherwise.
5. For all outings organised by Compassiviste Foundation, a parent or guardian’s consent must be obtained.

4.8 Privacy

Compassiviste Foundation respects children’s personal data and all staff and volunteers must safeguard any personal data collected with regards to children with due skill and care, and in any case, comply with our Privacy Policy.

4.9 Consistency

Compassiviste Foundation has a Constitution and Code of Conduct in place. Staff and volunteers must observe, understand and comply with expectations laid down by both the Constitution and Code of Conduct and the Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy Code of Conduct.

5. Responding to Allegations & Incident Management

5.1.1 Compassiviste Foundation recognises that abuse can take place within the organisation or outside its premises. All staff members, volunteers and other associates are encouraged to discuss issues of abuse openly.

5.1.2 A child protection issue may come to the attention of personnel in several ways:

1. A child may make a direct allegation.
2. A child may make a comment, which seems to suggest abuse. A child may display physical, emotional, or behavioural signs of abuse.
3. A personnel member may display suspicious behaviour that warrants an investigation for abuse.

5.1.3 Team Leaders are responsible for all child protection issues. All allegations of abuse or other complaints brought to the attention of Compassiviste Foundation must be reported to Team Leaders. Any allegation that surfaces at the Country Office level must include the International Director of Compassiviste Foundation at the outset.

5.1.4 Team Leaders must be kept informed of the allegations. Any personnel member who keeps silent of knowledge of alleged abuse may also be subjected to disciplinary action. The reporting person will not be penalised even if the allegation is finally proven untrue, except if there is clear evidence of premeditated defamation of character or malicious intent.

5.1.5 Information related to the allegation and investigations will be kept confidential, and only restricted to those who need to know.

5.1.6 Throughout this process of allegation and investigation, the victim and the accused will be treated with respect, fairness and without prejudice.

5.1.7 During the course of investigation, where necessary, Compassiviste Foundation will provide counselling for the victim. Consistent with the code of confidentiality, the appointed counsellor will not be obliged to provide information for the purpose of investigation unless the withholding of information has a high chance of endangering life.

5.1.8 Relevant local authorities, organisations and child rights agencies will be alerted. Where appropriate and safe, parents or guardians of the victim will also be notified.

5.1.9 When a child discloses abuse, it will not be dismissed under any circumstance. Compassiviste Foundation will appoint a staff member who has been appropriately trained or supervised to talk to the victim.

5.2 Responding to Disclosure

5.2.1 Some children may tell a worker what has been happening to them. In such situations, it is important that the worker listens carefully to what the child is saying. The worker should never promise to keep the information confidential. It is also important that the worker does not start interrogating the child. If a child wishes to speak freely, allow him/her to continue. Ask questions for clarification only. Do not ask leading questions. It is important to remember that it is not the worker’s job to investigate. Their responsibility is only to establish whether or not there is a child protection concern.

5.2.2 Staff should prevent repeated interviewing of children who make disclosure. Such practices in themselves can be abusive and will often leave the child feeling unheard and not believed.

5.2.3 If a child makes an allegation about a specific adult, be they care-giver, worker, or volunteer, the receiving staff member must not under any circumstance question the alleged perpetrator in question.

5.3 When an allegation of abuse is made against Compassiviste Foundation personnel, the following guidelines are essential:

5.3.1 The accused person will be temporarily suspended from all duties until the investigation is concluded. The person will be reinstated only if they are cleared of the allegations and there is no doubt that the person is able to adhere to Compassiviste Foundation’s Child Protection Policy. Investigation will proceed in close consultation with Compassiviste Foundation’s International Directors, the management and any other appropriate external counsel.

5.3.2 If the accused person is a Team Leader, any personnel may inform Compassiviste Foundation’s Directors directly. In this case, Compassiviste Foundation Directors will appoint an appropriate person to handle the investigation.

5.4 When an incident of suspected abuse is identified in the community or through Compassiviste Foundation programs, the personnel needs to report it to their Team Leaders or supervisors to discuss actions to be taken for follow up.

5.5 When abuse happens between children:

5.5.1 All staff and volunteers should take responsibility for preventing the abuse of younger or weaker children by older/stronger ones. Abuse can take place through bullying, humiliation, cruelty, initiation rituals, and others. Staff must never encourage these kinds of behaviours and must at all times model appropriate behaviours and interactions with each other and with the children in their care.

5.5.2 There may be occasions when a child discloses abuse by another child, or a staff member/volunteer suspects it might be happening. All concerns should be reported to Team Leaders/supervisors.

6. Record Keeping and Documentation

6.1 Clear accurate recording is crucial; recording should be done within 24 hours of disclosure. The staff member should write down what the child said, or what they observed as accurately as possible. The record must include the context of the disclosure or the circumstances of the observation. The record should include names, dates, times, and physical and behavioural observations. The record should also reflect if there were any witnesses, or if anyone else heard what the child said.

6.2 In principle, all records are confidential. However, where there are child protection concerns, relevant counselling records will be released to facilitate any investigation, but only with informed consent from the counsellee(s) and their parents/guardians. In instances where the withholding of certain information could result in a high chance of endangerment to life, informed consent will then be unnecessary.

7. Hosting Visitors

7.1 All visitors will be supervised by a Compassiviste Foundation staff member.

7.2 All expatriates and short-term visits will receive a cultural orientation briefing, which explains cultural and behavioural norms.

7.3 If alleged abuse or misconduct by a visitor is reported, the incidence management plan in section 5 above will apply.

8. Advocacy

8.1 Compassiviste Foundation is committed to promoting children’s rights to safety and will work with various individuals, groups and organisations who are concerned about child protection.

8.2 Compassiviste Foundation is also committed to providing child abuse prevention awarenessbuilding activities in different sectors of the local and international community.

8.3 Compassiviste Foundation will aim to remain current on child protection issues and practices in order to maintain best practices in child protection policy. Where possible, Compassiviste Foundation will support or organise training in this area to raise standards of child protection practices.

9. Communications

9.1 In all of Compassiviste Foundation’s communication material, visual aids will only use pictures of children in decent and respectful ways. Photographs or languages that are sexually suggestive are prohibited.

9.2 Special care will be taken to protect the identities of children pictured in communication material, in order to prevent possible harm, abuse or other endangerments.

9.3 The Country Director (or their designate) is the official spokesperson when communicating with the media and/or the local authority. The Country Director must officially appoint any other spokesperson. In relating to the media, the message that child abuse is wrong under all circumstances, and that keeping silent is wrong must be clearly communicated.

9.4 It may sometimes be necessary to communicate information about a child to assist the process of police investigation and prosecution. Information will be disclosed on a need-to-know basis and only after thorough consultation with the Team Leaders.

9.5 Children’s personal and private information that could be used to identify the location of a child should not be used on Compassiviste Foundation’s website or in any other form of communication.

10. Fraternisation between Compassiviste Foundation staff

1. Fraternisation is when positions of power are abused to engage in flirting, dating, romantic involvement, and sexual relations. Any relationship between Compassiviste Foundation staff that interferes with the harmonious work environment or the productivity of employees will be addressed by applying the progressive discipline policy up to and including employment termination.
2. Behaviours that negatively affect the workplace that arise because of romantic relationships will not be tolerated. Those in managerial or supervisory positions should understand that romantic relationships with staff who report to them may be perceived as favouritism, misuse of authority, or potentially, sexual harassment and therefore are prohibited.
3. Any fraternisation with staff whose terms or conditions of employment such as pay raises, promotions, and advancement are potentially affected by the manager, is prohibited. This includes dating, romantic involvement, and sexual relations.
4. A manager or supervisor who dates or becomes romantically involved with an employee creates a serious problem for Compassiviste Foundation. Dating an employee, and extramarital affairs, even when the employee is not in a reporting relationship, may have serious consequences for the organisation. If a manager decides to pursue a close relationship with an employee, he or she needs to inform their manager and Human Resources immediately. The company will then decide what, if any, actions are necessary in regard to assignments and jobs. Employees who disregard this policy will receive disciplinary actions up to and including employment termination.
5. Employees may have different definitions and understandings of what constitutes fraternisation. Consequently, if you have questions or need further clarification, talk with the Country Director or Human Resources. Their goal of implementing policies consistently and fairly will help inform your choices.

11. Implementation and Maintenance of the Policy

1. Country Directors or their designate carry the primary responsibility for implementation.
2. Country Directors (or their designate) are the primary persons to whom staff should report possible or known child or adult endangerment. The Country Director must assign a secondary person to whom people can report if the primary person is the object of concern.
3.  Country Directors (or their designate) must maintain active files for the following:
   a. Copies of staff and volunteer Signed Acknowledgement pages of the Policy
   b. A list of all participants in safeguarding training
4. The International Office will be responsible for:
   a. Setting up a records system to monitor the various Country Offices for compliance, monitoring and timely reporting of any incidents.
   b. Continuing to review the Policy to assure that the safeguarding of children and adults is part of our organisational culture.
   c. The Human Resources Officer will be the primary recipient of child and adult safeguarding issues that surface in the Compassiviste Foundation structure, and as long as it does not involve the International Director, that person will also be involved with the Human Resources Officer to review and investigate the complaint or concern.

12. Other

1. This policy is endorsed by Compassiviste Foundation management and Board of Directors.
2. Compassiviste Foundation is committed to ensuring its Child and Adult Safeguarding policies are relevant and reviewed regularly, and that its policies reflect current best practices.
3. Feedback and consultations will be regularly solicited from children, parents, child rights organisations and other relevant bodies to ensure the relevance of this policy.
4. This policy will be formally reviewed every 3 years or after every critical incident.