CRP

CRP’s Child Protection Policy

Introduction:

States parties shall protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse (UN Convention on the right of the Child-1989, Article 19). This policy sets out the common values, principles and beliefs; and describes the steps to be taken in meeting our commitment to protect children with disability and normal children.

Our commitment to protect Children with disability and normal children

Our values, principles and beliefs:

• All child abuse involves the violation of rights of children with disability and normal children.

• All children with disability and normal children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation.

• The situation of all children with disability and normal children must be improved through promotion of their rights as set out in the UN Convention on the right of the child. This includes the right to freedom from abuse and exploitation.

• Child abuse is never acceptable.

• We have a commitment to protect children with disability and normal children with / for whom we work.

• When we work directly or through partners, they have a responsibility to meet minimum standard of protection for children with disability and normal children in their programs.

What we will do

We will meet commitment to protect children with disability and normal children from abuse through the following means:

1. Awareness: We will ensure that all staffs and others are aware of the problem of child abuse and risks to children with disability and normal children.

1. Prevention: We will ensure, through awareness and good practice, that staff and others minimize the risk of children with disability and normal children.

1. Reporting: We will ensure that staff and others are clear about what step to take where concerns arise regarding the safety of children with disability and normal children.

1. Responding: We will ensure that action is taken to support and protect children with disability and normal children where concerns arise regarding possible abuse.

In order to meet the above standard of reporting and responding, CRP will:

• Take any raised concern seriously.

• Take positive steps to ensure the protection of children with disability and normal children who are subjects to any concern.

• Support children with disability and normal children, staff or other adults who raise concerns or who are the subjects to any concern(s).

• Act appropriately and effectively in instigating or cooperating with any subsequent process of investigation.

• Be guided by the child protection policy to ensure the best interest of the child.

• Seriously listen to the views and wishes of children with disability and normal children.

• Work directly or in partnership with parents or professionals to ensure the protection of children with disability and normal children.

How we will ensure our commitments above are met

1. I.            All staffs of CRP will sign and abide by the attached code of contact.

1. II.            All partners and stakeholders will sign and abide by the code of contact.

1. III.            All staffs and volunteers will have access to a copy of the child protection policy.

1. IV.            Induction will include briefing on child protection issues.

1. V.            Every workplace will display contact detail for reporting possible child abuse and every staff will have contact detail for reporting.

1. VI.            Systems will be established by every member to investigate possible abuse once reported and to deal with it.

Code of conduct

Staff and others MUST NEVER:

v  Hit, assault physically, or abuse children with disability and normal children either physically or psychologically.

v  Develop physical relationship with children with disability and normal children.

v  Develop any kind of relationship with children with disability and normal children  which could in any way be deemed exploitative or abuse.

v  Act in ways that may abuse or may place a child at risk of abuse.

v  Use language, make suggestion or advice which is inappropriate, offensive or abusive.

v  Behave physically in manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative.

v  Have children with disability and normal children with whom they are working to stay overnight at their home unsupervised.

v  Sleep in the same room or same bed with the children they are working.

v  Do things for children with disability and normal children of personal nature that they can do themselves.

v  Condon or participate in any behavior of children with disability and normal children which is illegal, unsafe or abusive.

v  Act in ways intended to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade children with disability and normal children or otherwise perpetrate any form of emotional abuse.

v  Discriminate against, show different treatment, or favor particular children with disability and normal children to the exclusion of others.

This is not an exhaustive or exclusive list. The principle is that staffs should avoid actions or behavior which may constitute poor practice or potentially abusive behavior.

It is important for all staff and others in contact with children with disability and normal children to:

a)      Be aware of situation which may present risks and manage these.

b)      Plan and organize the work and the workplace to minimize risks

c)      As far as possible, be visible in working with children with disability and normal children.

d)     Ensure that a culture of openness exists to enable any issues or concerns to be raised and discussed.

e)      Ensure that a sense of accountability exists among staffs so that poor practice or potentially abusive behavior does not go unchallenged.

f)       Talk to children with disability and normal children about their contact with staffs or others and encourage them to raise any concern.

g)      Empower children with disability and normal children, discuses with them their rights, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and what they can do if there is a problem.

In general, it is inappropriate to:

• Spend excessive time alone with children with disability and normal children away from others.

• Take children with disability and normal children to own home, especially where they will be alone.