This mandatory policy makes clear PET-Uganda's position on child protection. It applies to all staff, trustees, volunteers, interns, consultants, advisors, outreach staff at local schools, representatives, partners, beneficiaries and staff at beneficiary organisations of PET projects.
It is essential that all the above, as well as the general public are aware of its central messages and any duties/responsibilities it places on them.
It will be publicized and promoted in PET material to relevant audiences.
This policy should be translated in Urufumbira and other local languages. Partners will be encouraged to develop a child protection policy and procedures. Future partnership agreements will include such a policy as part of the agreement.
Children and young people need protection and safeguarding for many reasons. They may need protection from the effects of poverty, disadvantage, exclusion and violence. But in addition to these economic, social, and political problems affecting large numbers of children, individual children may also be at risk from specific forms of abuse by adults or other children. In this policy PET is concerned with specific incidents of maltreatment against a child who is in contact with a PET employee or representative.
The Peace Education Trust- Uganda’s mission is to secure peace, health and education for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children of Kisoro district. We believe in children’s active participation in society and in respecting their right to express their views. We believe that given confidence and a safe environment children can become empowered agents to improve their lives, those of their families and communities. In order to develop to their full potential children must be safeguarded from abuse, discrimination and harm of any kind, be it physical, sexual, emotional or neglect
In line with Article 19 of the UNCRC, PET-Uganda’s policy states that all children have a right to protection:
“…from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s), or any other person who has the care of the child.”
PET has a duty to protect all children under it’s care, and in particular those who are especially vulnerable to abuse such as disabled children, and those who live with families where there are alcohol or drug problems, mental health problems or domestic violence.
PET’s actions must represent the best interests of the child, as defined by the UNCRC. They cannot be merely a reflection of local behaviour, if that behaviour permits abuse.
For the purposes of this policy, a “child” is defined as anyone under the age of 18, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Defining child abuse is a difficult and complex issue. A person may abuse a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to prevent harm. Children may be abused in a family, institution or community setting, by those known and trusted to them or, more rarely, by a stranger.
For the purposes of this policy we have identified four types of Child Abuse:
- Physical abuse: including hurting or injuring a child, inflicting pain, hitting, shaking, throwing, kicking, beating or striking a child with your hand or any object, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, smothering, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child including fabricating the symptoms of, or deliberately causing, ill health to a child.
- Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. This may also include involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
- Emotional abuse: repeatedly rejecting children, humiliating them or denying their worth and rights as human beings.
- Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development, such as failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, or neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Management
Dr. Reverend Mbabazi, Exexcutive Director of PET, is our designated Child Protection Officer (CPO) and is responsible for the day-to-day implementation, supervision and monitoring of the Child Protection Policy.
All reported incidents and allegations must be reported directly to the CPO, where they will be immediately and confidentially documented.
The disclosure of personal information about children, including legal cases, will be limited to those employees, trustees, interns and volunteers who need to know. The Board of Trustees will have the overall responsibility to oversee and ensure the policy’s implementation.
Recruitment and selection procedures
All employees of PET, including paid staff, interns and volunteers, will be checked for their suitability for working with children and their understanding of child protection
As a condition of working with PET, all trustees, employees, officers, staff, interns, volunteers, consultants, and advisers to PET-Uganda are required to undergo the following:
- Both acceptance of and commitment to our Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct for working with children.
- Providing evidence of identity and authenticity of qualifications
- Signing a personal declaration stating any criminal convictions, including spent convictions.
- Providing the name and contact information of two character references they have known for no less than two years, excluding family members.
Disclosure or police checks will also be completed, where possible, when visitors (not previously checked) want to see children’s projects in the field.
Requirements for staff: induction/training/monitoring/supervision
Explaining Child protection policy and procedures will form part of the induction process for new staff, trustees or volunteers with PET.
A basic level of child protection training should take place throughout the organization, and budgets need to be planned to include the cost. Social work technical advisers, local NGOs or local trainers could be training resources.
Training will include behaviour guidelines for those in direct contact with children, and guidance on the acceptable and unacceptable sharing or information concerning children
Futher training should be requested by staff and board in particular areas that present difficulties.
Guidelines on how to respond to abuse or suspicions of abuse
PET employees or representatives may come across families where children are being maltreated. All incidents should be reported to the police and the social services.
All witnessed, suspected or alleged violations of the Child Protection Policy by all trustees, employees, interns, volunteers, consultants, representatives, staff at participating schools, and advisers will be immediately reported to the Child Protection Officer/Director of PET.
This will apply to anyone who is suspected to have:
- behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child.
- Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child.
- Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children.
- Behaved in a way that violates PET-Uganda’s code of conduct.
Confidential records of concern
All information relating to any concerns about abuse by PET employees or representatives, minor or major are recorded. This information will be kept securely and confidentiality will be respected. Confidentiality will only be breached if and when it is in the best interests of a child. Procedure for dealing with allegations against staff or volunteers:
PET will take appropriate action to protect the child/children in question, and all other children under PET care, from further harm during and following an incident or allegation. The relevant contact details for child protection services, local social services department, police, emergency medical help and help lines (e.g. UCRNN) will also be readily available and easily accessible.
The following responses will be considered by the CPO/Director of PET-Uganda following an incident or allegation:
- Reporting the alleged offender to the police so they may carry out investigation of a criminal offence.
- Reporting a particular child to children’s services for enquiries and assessment about whether a child or young person is in need of protection or is in need of services.
- Where the initial evaluation decides that the allegation dies not involve a possible criminal offence it will be dealt with by the CPO/Executive Director, who should institute appropriate disciplinary action within 10 working days. Action may include: no further action, a verbal warning, a written warning, suspension, dismissal. In some circumstances it may be appropriate for the disciplinary investigation to be conducted by a person (perhaps a member of the board) independent of the Director to ensure objectivity.
The CPO/Director should keep a clear and comprehensive summary of the case record on a person’s confidential personnel file and give a copy to the individual. The record should include details of the allegation, signed and dated by the person receiving the complaint, or allegation, not the child/person making the allegation. The Director should countersign and date the written details. Where the person making the allegation reports directly to the CPO/Director the allegation should be signed by a third party, such as a member of the Board. The record should include: any other information about times dates and location of incident(s) and names of any potential witnesses; the record should include details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved. The record will provide accurate information for reference and provide clarification in the future. It will prevent unnecessary re-investigation if the allegation should resurface.
Where there is insufficient evidence to substantiate an allegation the Director should consider what further action, if any, should be taken.
False allegations are rare and may be a strong indicator of abuse elsewhere requiring further exploration.
Ramifications of Misconduct
We will immediately suspend any employee, adviser, consultant, trustee, intern, volunteer or representative, who is alleged to have violated the Child Protection Policy, pending the outcome of an investigation. PET reserves the right to take any disciplinary action against any of the above, which may include reporting the incident to the police.
PET will disqualify beneficiary institutions (eg local schools) from PET support, if a participating member of their staff has violated the Child Protection Policy and appropriate action has not been taken by that institution.
Communications about Children
Written material and visual images used by PET or sponsors need to be checked as being appropriate and not denigrating for any child. Photographs, films of children and websites, must show respect for children and be in their best interest.
All publications, including the website, produced by PET, or partners to PET, that have images and
- Manipulated or sensationalised text and/or images
- Discriminatory and degrading language
- Images in which children are inappropriately clothed
- Information that could be used to identify the location of the child and cause them to be put at risk
Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN)
Plot 18, tagore crescent, Kamwokya, PO box 10293, Kampala
tel: (256) (0) 414 543548
email: info@ucrnn.net
UCRNN child help line: 0800 111 222/111 333
Save the Children, Uganda
Juliet Nabwire: Information Desk
Kiira Road, Kamwokya, Kampala
tel: (256) (0) 414 341714
District Welfare and Probations Office
Kisoro Town Council
Kabale Road
Kisoro Hospital
Dr Sam Musominali
Bunagana Road
tel: (256) (0) 772 490733
Kisoro Police Department
Mr Sebahire Frugence
Bunagana Road
Any trustee, employee, staff member, intern, volunteer, researcher, consultant, adviser, beneficiary or staff member at a beneficiary instituion who has direct contact with children will be fully informed of PET’s Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct includes guidance on appropriate behaviour of adults towards children and of children towards children. The code of conduct has been developed with the best interests of the child as the primary consideration and should be interpreted in a spirit of transparency and common sense.
Appropriate Standards of Behaviour
Adults should not:
- Hit or otherwise physically assault a child.
- Use language that will mentally or emotionally abuse any child.
- Act in any way that intends to embarrass, shame, humiliate, or degrade a child.
- Show discrimination of race, culture, age, gender, disability, religion, sexuality, political persuasion or any other status.
- Develop a sexual relationship with a child.
- Kiss, hug, fondle, rub, or touch a child in an inappropriate or culturally insensitive way.
- Do things of a personal nature that a child could do for him/herself, including dressing, bathing, and grooming.
- Suggest inappropriate behaviour or relations of any kind.
- Stand aside when they see inappropriate actions inflicted by children on other children because it is frequent and commonplace.
Sexual activity with children is prohibited. Sexual abuse and exploitation constitute acts of gross misconduct and are grounds for immediate termination of employment. A mistaken belief about a child’s age is not a defense. Where an employee develops concerns or suspicions regarding sexual abuse or exploitation by a colleague, s/he must report such concerns in accordance with the above procedures.
PET beneficiaries need to be aware of this policy and of their right to be protected from abuse. Information will be displayed at PET office presented in an appropriate format and in local languages so that children will understand.
The policy will be monitored and evaluated to check that all safeguards are in place and that the policy is being properly implemented. The policy is to be evaluated after three years implementation, or whenever appropriate. Processes are to be put in place so that all major stakeholders, including children, families and communities will be consulted as part of an evaluation.
All complaints received are be recorded and kept safely.
Confidentiality will be respected in all circumstances except where necessary to protect the best interests of a child.
Child abuse is a difficult and emotional subject for the child victim and for the staff dealing with the issue. PET will support staff who disclose abuse, refer concerns or are involved when an incident has happened. PET will refer people on to other organisations for counselling or treatment.