Child safeguarding is the responsibility of organisations to ensure they do no harm to children. This means doing all they can to prevent exploitation and abuse, and if abuse occurs, to respond appropriately.
Recognise the risks
The first step is to understand where your organisation comes into contact with children through its staff, programmes, operations or partners and what risks this may pose. This could be via face-to-face or online contact with a child, or as a result of poorly designed programmes or operations. Listening to children and caregivers about safeguarding risks is an essential part of the process.
Close the gaps
Child abuse in organisations can be prevented, but abusers can and will exploit any gaps in an organisation’s child safeguarding framework. All gaps need to be closed with robust safeguarding measures that create safer organisations. This means: developing a child safeguarding policy and a code of conduct that sets out acceptable and unacceptable conduct around children.
It means implementing safer recruitment processes to keep out abusers, training staff on how to prevent abuse and their obligation to report concerns. As well as developing a network of Focal Points to champion child safeguarding and establishing rigorous monitoring and accountability systems.
However, even with the most robust child safeguarding measures, abuse may still take place from within your organisation. At that point, it is how your organisation responds that is crucial for the child and for the organisation. Every organisation needs to have safe systems for reporting and responding to abuse and protecting the rights and dignity of victims and survivors.
Put children first
However, even with the most robust child safeguarding measures, abuse may still take place from within your organisation. At that point, it is how your organisation responds that is crucial for the child and for the organisation. Every organisation needs to have safe systems for reporting and responding to abuse and protecting the rights and dignity of victims and survivors.
All actions on child safeguarding should be taken in the best interests of the child or children, which are paramount. This means ensuring you communicate with children about your safeguarding policy, so they understand what they should expect from staff. It also means consulting with children and families about child safeguarding measures, so they are accessible and appropriate. And it means establishing child-friendly reporting and response systems to protect abused children from the risk of further harm such as re-traumatisation, stigma or re-victimisation.
Leaders should develop a culture of safeguarding and put the rights and safety of children at the heart of the organisation’s mission. Staff should be appointed and evaluated based on their values and commitment to safeguarding children, and bullying and discrimination should be robustly addressed, so everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
| We are here to accompany your organisation as it puts child safeguarding at the heart of everything it does. | ||
| Get started Try our free, confidential online child safeguarding self-assessment tool, designed to help you identify child safeguarding gaps in your organisation.* | Get support Join our global members’ network for support and guidance on implementing the ICS Standards. | Get recognised Quality-assure child safeguarding in your organisation with KCS Certification and kite-marking. |
Make a difference!
Join us and help end child abuse in organisations! You can help close child safeguarding gaps by joining our global members’ network and helping make your organisation safer for children, or by donating today to help us end the exploitation and abuse of children in all organisations.
