Child Protection Policy
The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Office (SVV) Child Protection Policy Introduction The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner is an independent and impartial public […]
The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner Office (SVV) Child Protection Policy
Introduction
The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner is an independent and impartial public official. The Commissioner provides advice and assistance for people who feel they have been discriminated against including children. SVV’s work is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1). Child protection is crucial to ensuring that children and young people have the rights, information and space in which they can express their views and communicate effectively with other children and adults. According Estonian Child Protection Act (2) every child has:
- the right to equal treatment without any discrimination;
- conviction, that the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration in all action concerning children;
- the right to independent opinion in all matters affecting the child and the right to express his or her views.
Child discrimination can occur in all countries and in all societies. It may involve the discrimination on grounds of gender, nationality (ethnic origin), race, colour, religion or other beliefs, age, disability or sexual orientation etc. of children and young people. It can take many forms and across any situation that a child may be in. In order to prevent, report and support children and young people, SVV has developed this Child Protection Policy. A child safeguarding policy is developed through consultation with staff and associates and children right protection stakeholders.
Policy statement
SVV working for children’s rights have an absolute duty to protect children from discrimination and therefore is required to have adequate standards, policies and mechanisms for protection in place. SVV therefore believes that in order to prevent discrimination or address discrimination of a child or young person it is important to create an environment where:
- issues of child protection are discussed openly and are understood by children and adults;
- there are open lines of communications to improve awareness and implementation of child protection policies and practices;
- there is a framework to deal openly, consistently and fairly with allegations concerning both direct and indirect discrimination.
SVV works with and for children throughout Estonia, striving for a society that respects the rights of children. SVV believes that children’s participation promotes the protection of children. SVV aims to create spaces where children feel able and willing to speak about discrimination, free from discriminators and which empowers them to become actors in their own protection without further discrimination or shame. SVV work to empower children by making them aware about their rights and creating a safe environment in which they can exercise their rights.
Risk assessment
SVV Risk assessment aims to determine whether a child report of discrimination concern needs further investigation and which service, response or level of intervention, is required to respond, taking into account organisational factors. SVV determs risks as follows:
- children are not aware of their rights and child protection stakeholders responsibilities and possible protection measures;
- SVV as organisation is not conscious of delicacy and needs of protection discriminated children.
Organisational measures, safe recruitment
As a condition for working with SVV, all staff and all those acting on behalf of SVV, such as consultants or interns are required to:
- Accept and commit to the Child Protection Policy:
- Staff, interns and consultants are recruited with clear job or role descriptions that include a statement on the position or role’s responsibilities to meet the requirements of SVV’s Child Protection Policy.
- All recruitment interviews should include a discussion on child safeguarding and protection, the candidate’s understanding of this and SVV’s commitment.
- Adherence to SVV’s Child Protection Policy is part of SVV employment contracts and service agreements.
- Sign a personal declaration stating any criminal convictions, including spent convictions. SVV job application forms include a question asking for consent to gain information on a person’s past convictions/pending disciplinary proceedings. For those working directly with children, are added where such systems exist, that satisfactory clearance through a police check conducted by the responsible authorities of the country of origin/birth.
- Provide the name and contact information of two character references they have known for no less than two years, excluding family members, who have knowledge of the candidate’s experience and suitability to work with children. The identity of the referees will be verified.
Education and Training
Education and training are very powerful ways to improve practice. All those employed or engaged by the SVV have access to regular training on child safeguarding that is appropriate for their role and responsibilities, beginning at the induction/orientation stage. Training on child safeguarding is essential to ensure that all workers and volunteers are clear on their responsibilities and understand the different forms of abuse and risks that children/young people they are working with may be exposed to.
The SVV has a training strategy for child safeguarding training based on a training needs analysis. Safeguarding training is consistent with Convention on the Rights of the Child and Child Protection Act.
All those employed or engaged by the SVV are required to do the following:
- Discuss with children what makes them feel safe and unsafe and agree on ways for children to complain if they have a concern about themselves or their friends.
- Devise a process for ensuring children are consulted and listened to, to ensure their voices are heard and that their views inform and influence the development of safeguarding measures in the organisation.
- Obtain parental or primary caregiver consent for children’s participation in activities whenever possible.
Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct includes guidance on ethical and proper standards of behaviour of adults towards children, and also of children towards other children. It 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. SVV aims for everyone, children and adults, to participate in a safe and protected way in SVV’s work and activities.
DO:
- Be aware what constitutes child discrimination and understand its provisions.
- Know signs of abuse and report any suspicious observations immediately to the local authority Child Protection officer.
- Respect lines of authority and reporting procedures.
- Treat all children equally: be inclusive and involve all children without discrimination.
- Maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct both personally and in others.
- Protect the health, safety and well-being of yourself and others.
- Be aware of high-risk peer situations (e.g. unsupervised mixing of older and younger children and possibilities of discrimination against minors) and the potential for peer abuse.
- Be concerned about the way in which your language, actions, and
relationships with children could be perceived.
- Provide an enabling environment for children’s personal, physical, social, emotional, moral and intellectual development.
- Encourage and respect children’s voices and views.
DON’T:
- At all times respect the confidentiality of children’s personal information.
- Obtain written consent from the child and parent/carer when
photographing, filming or requesting personal information for activities.
- Ensure that there is a minimum of two staff members present in
meetings with children (to allow one to go out to deal with any
immediate needs of children).
- Engage in any form of activity outside of SVV procedures with children.
- Do not discriminate, shame, humiliate, belittle, or degrade children. This includes anything that may be considered emotional abuse (e.g. use language that will mentally or emotionally abuse a child or tell a story/show pictures that will mentally or emotionally abuse a child).
- Do not assault physically anyone.
- Do not act in any way that may be abusive or place others at risk of abuse.
- Do not condone violations of this code by others – staff, interns, consultants, etc.
- Do not be alone with a child in any circumstances that might be questioned by others.
- Do not take photos, film or request personal information if not required for SVV’s activities.
- Do not use inappropriately contact details (including social media accounts) from children out of SVV’s programs.
- Never guarantee confidentiality to a child.
- Do not investigate any disclosures from a child.
SVV data protection and communication
Children need particular protection when you are collecting and processing their personal data because they may be less aware of the risks involved. Children’s personal data should be processed in SVV systems and processed by SVV data protection regulations. Children have the same rights as adults over their personal data. These include the rights to access their personal data; request rectification; object to processing and have their personal data erased.
Children merit specific protection when you use their personal data for communication purposes (f.e. pictures for SVV official purposes). Personal data use for public communication purposes should be consentaneous with child and parents or carers. Decision of data publication should be taken into account influence for children life in cumulative perspective.
Children report management
If a child or young person discloses abuse or there is reason to believe that the child or young person has been or is at risk of discrimination the following steps must be taken:
- Details of the statement or suspicion must be recorded as soon as possible after the conversation or conversion via other means takes place.
- Children conversion should be processed same way as adults conversions with extra delicacy.
- Should the information be interpreted as a harm for children rights, SVV has a duty to report it to the local authority Child Protection officer or Youth Police depending on the case. Child opinion should be considered.
If allegations or suspicion of abuse of a child or young person is made against a
staff member the following procedure must be followed:
- All allegations or suspicion by member of SVV staff must be reported to the
Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner.
- The protection of the child is the priority and the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner in consultation with the all participants will decide if a referral to the relevant authority is appropriate.
- The Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner will proceed in accordance with SVV’s Disciplinary Policy.
Review
The aim of monitoring and evaluating the Child Protection Policy is to learn from practical case experiences, which will contribute to inform policy reviews and changes to the Child Protection Policy.
SVV will regularly monitor the implementation of its Child Protection Policy and procedures. Progress, performance and lessons learned are reported by advisors to the Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner annually. Monitoring and evaluation will be done by checking whether the standards from the Child Protection Policy are implemented and whether safeguards are working. This will be done by carrying out a survey among SVV staff, interns and consultants on how the standards from the Child Protection Policy are being met, how effective they are and what needs improving.
Next to the overall monitoring and evaluation of the Child Protection Policy, reactive monitoring will take place, after incidences have occurred, which will contribute to a learning process for SVV and if necessary changes to the Child Protection Policy or other procedures and policies.
(1) Convention on the Rights of the Child https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx
(2) Child Protection Act https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/506052015001/consolide/current
