Purpose

Safeguarding Policy

The purpose of this policy is to first of all prevent harm and secondly to protect people, particularly children, at risk adults and beneficiaries, from any harm that may be caused by staff/personnel, beneficiaries and volunteers of our NGO Arise From Ashes, hereinafter referred to as AFA or by any third party.

Harm may include abuse, maltreatment, neglect, exploitation and harassment. The purpose of this policy is to enable AFA to respond appropriately when harm occurs.

Such harm may arise from the conduct of staff affiliated with AFA or the design and implementation of AFA’s programs, projects and activities.

The policy set for the commitments made by AFA on one hand, and informs staff/personnel and volunteers of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding, on the other hand.

This policy does not cover safeguarding concerns in the community at large not perpetrated by AFA or AFA’s associated staff/personnel or volunteers.

This policy has been drawn up within the framework of the Liberian Labor Practices and Act of 1956, the Decent Work Act of 2015 and the civil service standing orders of 2012.

Scope of Application

This policy applies equally to

  • the Board of Directors;
  • the Advisory Board;
  • all staff/personnel contracted by AFA;
  • volunteers, consultants, contractors, beneficiaries, program/project visitors (donors, staff’s friends and relatives), auditors, journalists, politicians.

Policy Statement

AFA believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation, has the right to be protected from all forms of harm as described under “Purpose” above.

This policy will address all areas of safeguarding stated under “Purpose” above.

AFA commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, by means of the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.

Prevention

AFA will

  • ensure all staff/personnel have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy;
  • ensure staff receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organization;
  • design and undertake all its programs/projects and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with AFA – this includes the manner in which information about individuals in our programs/projects is gathered and communicated;
  • implement binding safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying staff/personnel and volunteers;
  • monitor on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process. Staff Responsibilities

Child safeguarding

AFA’s staff/personnel, volunteers and all categories of members indicated under the section “Scope of Application” above must not:

  • engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18;
  • sexually abuse or exploit children;
  • subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect;
  • engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labor or trafficking.

 

Adult safeguarding

AFA’s staff/personnel, volunteers and all categories of members indicated under the section “Scope of Application” must not:

  • sexually abuse or exploit at risk adults;
  • subject an at risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

AFA’s staff/personnel, volunteers and all categories of members indicated under the section “Scope of Application” above, must not:

  • exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance;
  • engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance.

AFA’s staff/personnel, volunteers and all categories of members indicated under the section

“Scope of Application” above, are obliged to:

  • contribute to creating and maintaining a safe environment void of violations which promotes the implementation of this Safeguarding Policy;
  • report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by an AFA staff/personnel to the appropriate staff member.

Enabling Reports

AFA will monitor on safeguarding procedures and ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to staff and the communities we work with.

Any staff reporting concerns or complaints through formal whistle-blowing channels will be protected by AFA’s whistle-blowing Policy.

AFA will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official entities.

Review & Approval

This policy will be reviewed, approved and endorsed by the AFA Board of Directors annually, or when there are changes in the articles of incorporation and bylaws or after any safeguarding incident is reported and/or investigated.