Introduction
1. HERA-XXI’s commitment to ensuring sexual rights for all includes a commitment to
freedom and protection from harm. The focus on youth lies at the core of HERA-XXI’s
work.
2. HERA-XXI believes that creating a safe environment for all children, young people and vulnerable adults requires the cooperation of all volunteers, members, trustees, and
staff. It is the responsibility of all to raise any safeguarding concerns they have or that
are reported to them.
3. HERA-XXI commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through
prevention, reporting and response.
4. This Safeguarding policy is intended to set out the guiding principles and values
applicable to all elements of HERA-XXI. These guiding principles and values need to be
implemented through the national policies and procedures.
Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this policy is to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse and
exploitation that may be caused due to their coming into contact with HERA-XXI
through:
i. the conduct of volunteers, members, trustees, staff or collaborative partners
and anyone associated with the organization
ii. The design and implementation of HERA-XXI’s programmes and activities
5. The policy lays out the commitments made by HERA-XXI, and applies to all volunteers,
members, trustees and staff and collaborative partners.
6. This policy does not cover:
i. Bullying or harassment, including sexual harassment, in the workplace which
is addressed through HERA-XXI’s Respect at Work Policy and associated
procedures;
ii. Safeguarding concerns in the wider community not caused by HERA-XXI or
anyone associated with the organization.
7. HERA-XXI will only engage with other organizations that come in contact with children
and vulnerable adults if they agree with the standards and principles of HERA-XXI’s
Safeguarding Policy and procedures.
Definition
8. In this policy, safeguarding refers to HERA-XXI’s commitments to protect children and
vulnerable adults from harm arising from coming into contact with the organization.
9. This policy also applies to HERA-XXI’s beneficiaries.3 The organization recognizes that
beneficiaries can be exposed to abuse of authority and, as such, can be considered
vulnerable in relation to their dealings with HERA-XXI. This recognition does not imply
that beneficiaries are generally to be regarded as vulnerable and is intended solely to
ensure thatHERA-XXI is comprehensive in itssafeguarding duties.
10. The terms “victim” and “survivor” as used in this policy refer to individuals who may
have been subject to abuse or exploitation. The use of these terms does not indicate
that anyone suspected of having been involved in that abuse or exploitation is to be
regarded as guilty.
Guiding Principles
11. Decisions will be survivor (victim) led in that they will, wherever possible, be based on
the informed consent of adult survivors (victims), and will respect the views of
survivors (victims) who are children or adults who are unable to give informed consent.
HERA-XXI will endeavor to ensure that all its communications with survivors (victims)
are in an appropriate language and format.
12. Prevention – It is better to take action before harm occurs. HERA-XXI recognises the
key role that prevention has in safeguarding and will ensure it develops and provides
safe services which keep people safe from abuse and exploitation. This includes
applying a safeguarding lens to promotional communications and support in
recognising abuse.
13. Protection – Abusive behaviour in any environment is never accepted. HERA-XXI will
provide services in a manner that does not diminish their safeguarding responsibilities.
HERA-XXI will respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns and provide support
and representation to survivors (victims).
14. Partnership – HERA-XXI delivers its services through collaborative partners and
recognises that they have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect
and abuse. In the spirit of ensuring safeguarding competency throughout all of HERAXXI, the organization will monitor collaborative partners and other partners to
safeguarding standards and may need to intervene if these fall below an acceptable
standard.
15. Proportionality – HERA-XXI recognises that life is not risk free. The organization will
support activities that identify risks, and mitigate against them, but are not unduly risk
averse.
Implementation
16. It shall be the responsibility of the Associations’ governing bodies and Executive
Director to ensure that policies that meet the above-mentioned minimum standards
are in place, and are implemented, monitored and reviewed accordingly.
17. HERA-XXI governing bodies, executive director and project teams shall be available to
advise and support thiswork.
18. HERA-XXI governing bodies, members, staff and collaborative partners will:
i. Be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding children, vulnerable adults
and beneficiaries;
ii. Be up to date on national legislation on child protection and safeguarding
vulnerable adults;
iii. Adopt and implement safeguarding policies and procedures based on the
above principles and the implementation points below, whilst reflecting
national legislation and requirements;
Prevention
19. HERA-XXI and collaborative partners will:
i. Ensure all staff, members, volunteers and collaborative partners have access
to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this Policy;
ii. Design and undertake all its programs and activities in a way that protects
children, vulnerable adults and beneficiaries from any risk of harm that may
arise from their coming into contact with HERA-XXI.
iii. Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and
deploying staff and associated personnel;
iv. Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of this Policy;
Reporting
20. HERA-XXI and collaborative partners will:
i. Ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding
concerns in the form of HERA-XXI Safe Report are made available and
promoted to all we work with;
Response
21. HERA-XXI and collaborative partners will:
i. Follow up on safeguarding reports and concerns promptly and according to
HERA-XXI’s Safeguarding (Children & Vulnerable Adults) Policy and procedures,
and national legal obligations;
ii. Apply appropriate disciplinarymeasuresto person found in breach of either the
Safeguarding (Children & Vulnerable Adults) Policy or the Code ofConduct;
iii. Ensure that responses are survivor (victim) focused, keeping the needs of the
survivor (victim) at the forefront of any investigation process;
iv. Offer support to survivors (victims) of harm caused by anyone associated with
HERA-XXI, regardless of whether a formal investigation is carried out. An up to
date list of local organizations and contacts offering support must be made
available to survivors (victims) (or, in the case of children, totheir parent or
guardian) which should include, but not be limited to,information about legal,
counselling, medical and psychosocialsupport.Decisionsregarding supportwill
be led by the survivor (victim);
v. Ensure that appropriate confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the
process when dealing with safeguarding concerns. Information relating to the
incident and subsequent case management should be shared on a need to
know basis only, and should be kept secure at all times, in line with HERA-XXI’s
Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy. Confidentiality should prioritize
the survivor rather than the alleged perpetrator and must never abeused as an
excuse for not responding to a concern;
vi. Ensure annual safeguarding updates are given to the governing bodies;
vii. Ensure regular review and learning from safeguarding incidents.
22. Additionally, HERA-XXI and collaborative partners that provide sexual andreproductive health services to children, young people and vulnerable adults must
have a guiding principles in place to ensure that service delivery points are safe
environments that, at a minimum, have guidance for health professionals on their
legal, professional and ethical obligations to report suspected abuse or exploitation of
a vulnerable client, to respect their right to privacy and to obtain their informed
consent where appropriate.
Reviewed& Approved Date: 2021/2022