Community SAFEGUARDING

Introduction

Communities are at the centre of everything we do and the very reason that we exist.

We must ensure that our operations are respectful and ethical, and we do our best to DO NO HARM. 

Standards Applicable to ALL Interactions:

Scope-Specific Standards and Guidelines:

KEY ORGANISATIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOAL: To reduce direct and indirect risks to community members we work with and alongside by: expanding organisational knowledge, updating policy, and developing practicable community safeguarding tools and guidance, so that we can engage safely with community members across all programmes, and safely increase our offering of community facing initiatives.

OBJECTIVE 1: MINIMUM STANDARDS Define organisational commitments to community safeguarding, and the minimum, recommended and target standards of personnel behaviour and engagement initiative criteria, in order to be able to safely engage with the communities we serve 

OBJECTIVE 2: PROCESSES AND RESOURCES Develop Standard Operating Procedures, guidelines and resources for all teams to engage with communities and safely conduct community engagement initiatives

OBJECTIVE 3: KNOWLEDGE All staff and volunteers to have had community safeguarding training as part of their onboarding, and consistent, accessible information which includes expected behaviours and criteria, and the context to its importance. There should be a level of understanding across all departments. 

OBJECTIVE 4: APPROVAL AND TRACKING PROCESS Create an approval and review process for programme specific community engagement standards to ensure engagement opportunities are appropriate, and engagement initiatives are approved and are being run with the correct level of training and supervision

OBJECTIVE 5: COMMUNITIES, PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNICATION Improve communications with communities to ensure accountability, transparency and amplify community voices

OBJECTIVE 6: INCIDENT RESPONSE Implement a clear pathway and processes to effectively respond to realised or suspected community safeguarding concerns within a timely and efficient manner