ASDACJI – Music for Hope Safeguarding Policy
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to protect people, especially children, adults direct and indirect participants beneficiaries of the project who are at risk, from any damage that may be caused due to their coming into contact with ASDACJI. This includes harm arising from:
• The conduct of staff or personnel associated with ASDACJI;
• The conduct of children, adolescents, youth and adults who participate in our programmes.
• The design and implementation of ASDACJI programmes and activities.
This policy lays out the commitments made by ASDACJI and informs the staff and associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
What is safeguarding?
Our general principles encompass protecting people’s health, well-being and human rights, and allowing them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
In specific terms, we have a commitment to protect people, including children, adolescents and adults at risk, from damages that arise when they come into contact with our staff or programmes.
Policy objectives
• Prevent cases of child abuse and reduce the number of incidents (between peers, and between adults and children, adolescents) in the organization’s facilities and in the execution of the program
• Promote that children and adolescents take an active role in the promotion and defence of their rights.
• Establish procedures for reporting complaints
• Ensure that all the people associated with the program (employees or volunteers) understand the working conditions necessary to contribute to the development and protection of each child and adolescent.
Scope
• All personnel hired by ASDACJI.
• Associated personnel while working with activities or visits related to ASDACJI, including, among others, the following: consultants; volunteer contractors for the visitor’s programme including journalists, celebrities and politicians.
Policy statement
ASDACJI believes that all persons with whom we have contact, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnicity, have the right to be protected against all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. ASDACJI will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by personnel or associated personnel.
This policy will address the following areas of protection [as appropriate]: child protection, adult protection and protection against sexual exploitation, abuse, psychological and verbal exploitation.
ASDACJI is committed to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response based on the Convention on the Rights of the Children, LEPINA and the Law for a Life Free of Violence.
Prevention
ASDACJI Responsibilities:
• To ensure that all personnel have access to, are familiar with and know their responsibilities within this policy;
• To design and carry out all programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise when contacting ASDACJI. This includes the way in which information about people involved in our programmes is collected and communicated;
• To implement strict protection procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying personnel and associated personnel;
• To ensure that staff receive protection training at a level consistent with their role in the organization;
• To follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and in accordance with due process.
Staff Responsibilities
Safeguarding of Children
ASDACJI staff and associated personnel must not:
• Participate in sexual activities with anyone under 18;
• Sexually abuse or exploit children;
• Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect;
• Participate in any commercial exploitation activity with children, including child labour or human trafficking.
Safeguarding of Adults
ASDACJI staff and associated personnel must not:
• Sexually abuse or exploit at-risk adults;
• Subject an at-risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect.
Protection against exploitation and sexual abuse (in general)
ASDACJI staff and associated personnel must not:
• Exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity.
• Engage in sexual relations with personnel and students within the project, even if they are adults and have given their consent, to avoid any possible abuse of authority.
• Touch students, other staff, or personnel in an inappropriate, sexual or intimidating manner.
In addition, ASDACJI staff and associated personnel are required to:
• Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that avoids safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy.
• Report any concerns or suspicions about safeguarding violations by an ASDACJI staff member or associated staff to the appropriate staff member.
Online safeguarding
When representing Music for Hope online [including Music for Hope’s social media channels – Facebook and Twitter – the website and any other virtual events], ASDACJI staff and associated personnel are required to:
• Ensure that no photos or videos are posted online without the consent of those featured. Where this involves children, parental consent must be given.
• Ensure that no individual’s personal information is easily identifiable from information included online
• Ensure that no derogatory, offensive or inappropriate comments are published on Music for Hope channels by members of the project, teaching team, supporters or members of the public.
• Ensure that all online communications are in line with ASDACJI standards and safeguarding practices.
Reporting of safeguarding concerns
ASDACJI will ensure that the methods are clear and the materials and/or instruments we work with are readily available so that the staff and communities we work with can access them in a safe, appropriate and accessible way.
Any staff member who reports on concerns or who makes a formal complaint for reporting irregularities (or if they request it) will be protected by ASDACJI to the extent that reporting concerns will never be to the detriment of the person who reports them.
ASDACJI will also accept complaints and investigate concerns from external sources, such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.
How to report a safeguarding concern
We are a horizontal rather than hierarchical organization, in which staff are considered equal stakeholders without seniority over one another and we have designated four safeguarding officers. Any safeguarding concerns should be reported to a member of our safeguarding officer team. In the event of the safeguarding officers being involved in the incident, the person reporting must inform Tony Luna [tonylunabenitez@gmail.com], the Music for Hope Project Coordinator in the UK and Board of director of ASDACJI
Safeguarding Officers Team:
Lucie Philips (safeguarding@musicforhope.org.uk)
Andrew Redden (safeguarding@musicforhope.org.uk)
Joséfina Argueta Martínez (sefina82martinez@gmail.com)
Ingrid Vanessa Guevara: (ingridguevara86@gmail.com)
Follow up action
ASDACJI will investigate all allegations into violations of this safeguarding policy by staff and personnel. ASDACJI will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to personnel who are found to have violated the safeguarding policy, after investigation.
ASDACJI will offer survivors support for damage caused by staff or associated personnel. Support decisions will be made in close consultation and agreement with the survivor.
Confidentiality
It is essential that confidentiality be maintained at all stages of the process when it comes to protecting concerns. Information related to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need-to-know basis only, and should be kept secure at all times.
Glossary of terms
ASDACJI
Association for the Development of the Arts and Culture in Jiquilisco.
Beneficiary of Assistance
Someone who directly receives goods or services from ASDACJI’s projects.
Children
Persons under 18 years of age.
Hurt
Psychological or physical harm or any other violation of the rights of an individual.
Psychological damage
Emotional or psychological abuse, which includes (but is not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatments, such as insults, constant criticism, contempt, persistent shame, isolation.
Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)
The prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of affected populations by associated personnel. The term derives from the Bulletin of the Secretary General of the United Nations on special measures for the protection against sexual exploitation and abuse (ST / SGB / 2003/13) and is widely used by the humanitarian and development community.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding means protecting people’s health, welfare and human rights, and allowing them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. In other words, ‘safeguarding’ means taking all reasonable measures to avoid harm, especially sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment; protecting people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that harm; and responding appropriately when damage occurs.
This definition is based on our values and principles and shapes our culture. We undertake to pay special attention to the prevention and response to damage caused by any potential, real or attempted abuse of power, trust or vulnerability, especially for sexual purposes.
The protection is applied consistently and without exception in our programmes, by our partners and staff. It requires proactive identification, prevention and protection against all risks of damage, exploitation and abuse, and must have mature, responsible and transparent systems to respond, inform and learn when the risks materialise. Those systems should focus on survivors and also protect defendants until proven guilty.
Protection puts beneficiaries and affected people at the centre of everything we do.
Sexual abuse
The term “sexual abuse” means actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature (including inappropriate touching), either by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
Sexual exploitation
The term “sexual exploitation” means any real attempt or attempt to abuse a position of vulnerability, differential power or trust for sexual purposes, including, among others, the monetary, social or political benefits of the sexual exploitation of another. This definition includes human trafficking and modern slavery.
Survivor
The person who has been mistreated or exploited. The term “survivor” is often used instead of “victim”, since it implies strength, resilience and ability to survive, however, individuals may choose the way they wish to self-identify.
Adult at risk
Sometimes also known as a vulnerable adult. A person who needs or may need care for reasons of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of themselves, or unable to protect against damage or significant exploitation.