Our responsibilities

Child Protection Policy

Purpose

At Shelter Them we believe that all children have a right to protection from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect. This means that anyone working for Shelter Them must always respect children, listen to them and protect them from harm. This includes staff, volunteers, Board members, and any others who work with children on Shelter Them’s behalf.

Everyone working in our name must read and sign a commitment to uphold this policy, including the parents of the children we support. We include a review of this policy in the orientation of new staff and employees in the first week of working with us and also provide a child protection training within the first month of employment. All partners who we work with Shelter Them must also read and sign our Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.

We also make sure that the children, families and communities that we work with will learn about our commitment to child protection. This includes our policy, the behaviour they can expect from our staff and representatives, and how to contact us if they have any concerns.

Policy Statement

We have zero-tolerance of any form of harm to children. Child abuse is when anyone under 18 years of age is being harmed. The abuse can be physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect. The abuse and exploitation of children happens in all countries and societies around the world. Shelter Them believes that child abuse is never acceptable.

Shelter Them is committed to safeguard children through the following means:

• Awareness: Ensuring that all staff, parents and children and those who work with Shelter Them are aware of what abuse is and the risks to children.
• Prevention: Ensuring, through awareness and good practice, that staff and those who work with Shelter Them will minimize all risks to children.
• Reporting: Ensuring that all staff members, volunteers, board members, parents and children are clear on what steps to take where concerns arise regarding the safety of children.
• Responding: Ensuring that action is taken to support and protect children where concerns arise regarding possible abuse.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that all children have the right to be protected. We require our staff to uphold the highest standards, and always act in the best interest of children. If they don’t, they cannot work for Shelter Them.

Awareness – What Is Abuse?

Child abuse includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse and/or neglect. It also refers to a pattern of abuse and risks of harm.

• Physical abuse: Any deliberate physical force or action which results, or could result, in injury to a child. This can include bruising, cuts, punching, slapping, beating, shaking, burning, biting or throwing a child.
• Emotional abuse: A pattern of behaviour that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth, including excessive demands, criticism, teasing, belittling, rejection, or isolation.
• Sexual abuse: Occurs when a child is used for sexual gratification of an adult or older child.
• Neglect: When a parent or caregiver fails to provide basic needs such as adequate food, safety, education, clothing or medical treatment.

Prevention

Education is the surest way to avoid instances of abuse. All new employees of Shelter Them must read and sign that they understand and will abide by our Child Protection Policy...

Parents and children must also be made aware of this policy. Shelter Them staff will inform them of the policy and parents will be given awareness training in abuse and its prevention.

Reporting – “Reasonable Grounds”

Keeping the most vulnerable members of our Shelter Them community safe is the responsibility of everyone. If anyone working on behalf of Shelter Them has any reason to believe that a child is in need of protection or is at risk of harm, that person has a duty to report the situation as soon as possible, and at least within 24 hours.

Shelter Them Code of Conduct

Purpose

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to assure the children and families we serve, the sponsors and supporters of Shelter Them...

Scope

This policy applies to all staff members, volunteers, parents or caregivers, and any group or individual who is conducting work on behalf of Shelter Them...

Roles and Responsibilities

In order to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the children in our care, everyone associated with Shelter Them has a role to play. Below is a list of responsibilities that all employees, managers, board members, volunteers and contractors must read and understand.

• Put the welfare of our children uppermost in any actions or decisions taken on behalf of Shelter Them;
• Not perform or allow to be performed any action that is illegal, unethical or liable to cause harm to any of our children;
• Treat each other and the children and families we serve with professionalism and respect;