Keeping children safe

Standards for child protection

Keeping children safe

Standards for child protection

The wider picture

“Child abuse is a global problem that is deeply rooted in cultural, economic and social practices.”

(WHO 2002)

• 13 million children are orphaned as a result of AIDS• 1 million children worldwide live in detention• 180 million children are engaged in the worst form of child

labour• 1.2 million children are trafficked every year• 2 million children are exploited via prostitution and

pornography• 2 million children are estimated to have died as a direct result

of armed conflict since 1990• 300’000 child soldiers at any one time

(UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2004)

Keeping children safe

Standards for child protection

Definitions

Definition of Child abuseChild abuse is a general term used to describe where the child may experience harm, usually as a result of failure on the part of a parent/carer or organisation/ community to ensure a reasonable standard of care and protection or by the deliberate harmful acts. Research studies and inquiry reports have widened our awareness to the abuse of children by peers, siblings and those employed or entrusted with their care in both community and residential settings. The report into allegations that aid workers were sexually exploiting women and children has highlighted concern about child protection issues in developing countries and placed a duty of care to beneficiaries on humanitarian and other non-government organisations.

Categories of child maltreatment or child abuse

• Physical abuse or physical injury

• Sexual abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Neglect and negligent treatment

• Sexual and commercial exploitation

Definition of Child protection

Child protection in its widest sense is a term used to describe the actions that individuals, organisations, countries and communities take to protect children from acts of maltreatment (abuse) and exploitation, e.g., domestic violence, child labour, commercial and sexual exploitation and abuse, HIV, physical violence…

It can also be used as a broad term to describe the work that organisations undertake in particular communities, environments or programmes that protect children from the risk of harm due to the situation in which they are living.

Keeping children safe

Standards for child protection

Within our own organisations

Standard 1 A written policy on keeping children safe

Standard 2 Putting the policy into practice

Standard 3 Preventing harm to children

Standard 4 Written guidelines on behaviour towards children

Standard 5 Meeting the standards in different locations

Standard 6 Equal rights of all children to protection

Standard 7 Communicating the ‘keep children safe’ message

Standard 8 Education and training for keeping children safe

Standard 9 Access to advice and support

Standard 10 Implementation and monitoring of the standards

Standard 11 Working with partners to meet the standards

Overview of standards

• To promote good practice, challenge practice that is abusive to children and ensure everyone works together to create a safe environment for children.

• To protect children from abuse and exploitation including abuse by staff or other representatives.

• To provide targets for agencies to aim at when assessing and developing their organisations internal child protection measures.

Purpose of standards

• All children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation.

• All children should be encouraged to fulfil their potential and inequalities should be challenged.

• Everybody has a responsibility to support the care and protection of children.

• Agencies/NGOs have a duty of care to children with whom they and their representatives work.

• If agencies work through partners they have a responsibility to meet minimum standards of protection for the children in their partners programmes.

General principles

Children are protectedNo standards can offer complete protection for children, but following these standards minimises the risk to children from abuse and exploitation.

Agency representatives/employees are protectedBy implementing these standards, all representatives will be clear about how they are expected to behave with children and what to do if there are concerns about the safety a child.

The organisation is protectedBy implementing these standards, organisations make clear their commitment to keeping children safe. The standards will help them to move towards best practice in this area and deter potential abusers from joining the organisation.

Advantages of implementing child protection standards

The keeping children safe standards for child protection

Putting the policy into practice

Preventing harm to children

Written guidelines on behaviour towards children

Meeting the standards in different locations

Equal rights of all children to protection

Communicating the ‘keep children safe’ message

Education and training for keeping children safe

Access to advice and support

Implementation and monitoring of the standards

Working with partners to meet the standards

A written policy on keeping children safe

What

All agencies that work with directly or indirectly with people under the age of 18 should have a written policy on keeping children safe.

Why

The policy communicates that the agency is committed to keeping children safe. It makes clear to everyone that children must be protected, helps create a safe and positive environment for children, and shows that the organisation is taking its duty of care seriously.

Examples: Plan International; Tdh Foundation

Standard 1 – a written policy on keeping children safe

Plan International: • A written Child Protection Policy• A written Code of Conduct• A written Child Protection Policy for visitors to Plan in Vietnam• Let’s learn about the Child Protection Policy of Plan (a booklet for children)• …

Tdh Foundation - Lausanne:• Written Child Protection Procedures & Support Materials• A written Code of Conduct• Declaration by persons under (voluntary or remunerated) contract or mandate (employees, volunteers, consultants, journalists, visitors, etc.)• Reporting concerns framework • A visitor guide (in preparation)

Standard 1 – a written policy on keeping children safe

What

Processes exist to help minimise the possibility of children being abused by those in positions of trust.

Why

Some people who work in, or who seek to work in agencies (whether it is paid or voluntary work) pose a risk to children. It is possible to minimise the dangers and to prevent abuse by putting certain measures in place.

How

e.g. Recruitment and selection of staff

Standard 3 – Preventing harm to children

Staff recruitment tableAnswer yes, no or sometimes to the questions below, for each type of employee.

National staff

International staff

Freelance consultants

Volunteers Intern Refugees Others (please name)

Do you employ these staff?

Are these staff on short-term contracts?

Do you give interviews in person, or over the phone?

Do you only accept written applications?

Do you take up references? If so, how many?Are these verbal references? Over telephone, or informally? Word of mouth?Or do you take up written references?

Do you check qualifications?

Do you check criminal records/ do police background checks?

Do you ask candidates to sign self-declaration form about any previous convictions?

Do you check their identity?

The self - audit tool is an ideal way to measure how far

(or near!) your organisation is from meeting the

standards on making children safe, and where you need

to improve.

Keeping children safe self - audit tool

Keeping children safe

Standards for child protection

More on:

www.keepingchildrensafe.org.uk