Aid 2 Africa's logo showing Africa  where our help is needed

  

Building on success - Making a difference

info@aid2africa.co.uk

HomeInformationOur ProjectsVolunteer ProgrammeContact us

you are here: home>> projects>> volunteering>>child protection

Child Protection                          voulunteer home page

Aid2Africa.co.uk is committed to ensuring that all children involved in our projects are kept safe from all forms of harm and ill-treatment.
Principlesdownload a copy
Everyone involved in the work of Aid2Africa projects has a part to play in keeping children safe.

Aid2Africa will follow procedures to ensure that:
1. Volunteers are suitable to work with children by ensuring that effective recruitment procedures are followed (interview, vetting & references)
2. Volunteers are briefed about the way they should behave towards children and that they are provided with a Code of Conduct
3. Any complaints, allegations or concerns receive appropriate attention and steps are taken to ensure the safety of all concerned

Volunteers are encouraged to:
1. Co-operate with Aid2Africa 's vetting arrangements and provide the necessary documents and/or consent to ensure that criminal records checks can be completed where appropriate.
2. Follow Aid2Africa 's Code of Conduct at all times and take action if they witness or suspect someone else is behaving inappropriately
3. Bring any complaints, allegations or concerns to the attention of Aid2Africa without delay -- regardless of the circumstances
 

 
Volunteers are suitable to work with children by ensuring that effective recruitment procedures are followed (interview, vetting & references)
All volunteers applying to participate in a Aid2Africa project involving children should be interviewed by an approved interviewer. This may be a face to face interview or may be conducted by telephone. This interview will include questions about the applicant's motivation and previous work experience with children and young people. Following interview, successful applicants will be offered a place on the Volunteer Programme, pending satisfactory references and vetting.

Aid2Africa requires appropriate official vetting enquiries to be carried out prior to volunteer participation. The acceptable forms of vetting vary from country to country. Any costs associated with vetting must be met by the applicant. Aid2Africa may take steps to ensure the authenticity of any official documents received.

Aid2Africa will not permit the involvement of anyone who has been convicted of a sexual offence. In all other cases, any criminal convictions revealed will be reviewed by Aid2Africa 's Co-ordinators, before confirming acceptance on the programme.

Volunteers should also provide a reference from a reputable source. A reference form will be provided to all successful applicants. Referees will be specifically asked whether they know of any reason why the applicant should not work with children.
 

 
Volunteers are briefed about the way they should behave towards children and provided with a Code of Conduct
Volunteer Africa will require volunteers to commit to our Child Protection Policy. The declaration form signed by volunteers will include a statement to the effect that;
"I have read, understood and agree to comply with Aid2Africa's Child Protection Policy. While on the project I will follow the Code of Conduct provided. I have never been convicted of a criminal offence against a child and there are no reasons why I should not have substantial, unsupervised, contact with children."
 
Code of Conduct
Aid2Africa's Code of Conduct seeks to ensure that children are kept safe from harm and that volunteers are not placed in a compromising position. This is as much about protecting the volunteer as the child. If you have any doubts about cultural issues talk to Maurice or Evelyn Chesoli about it. They will be able to give you the Kenyan perspective.

Do put the Code of Conduct into practice
Do remember that Kenyan culture will be different to your own
Do plan activities, which involve more than one person being present, or at least are within sight/hearing of other volunteers
Do work with other volunteers as a team
Do respect a child's right to personal privacy
Do listen to children's views and concerns
Do encourage others to discuss attitudes/behaviour they do not like
Do remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions
Do recognise that caution is required even in sensitive moments, such as when dealing with bullying or bereavement

Do NOT permit abusive peer activities (e.g. bullying)
Do NOT allow children to stay in volunteer accommodation
Do NOT play rough physical contact games with children
Do NOT have any inappropriate physical or verbal contact with others
Do NOT jump to conclusions about others without checking facts
Do NOT show favouritism to any individual (e.g. money, gifts etc)
Do NOT give excessive gifts to children or their families (donations can be made through Aid2Africa)
Do NOT make suggestive remarks or gestures to children, even in fun
Do NOT ignore others who do not put the Code of Conduct into practice
 

 
Bring any complaints, allegations or concerns to the attention of Aid2Africa without delay - regardless of the circumstances
Volunteers should report any complaints, allegations or concerns to Aid2Africa without delay - by either contacting Trustee or the mangers of volunteer project. (Peter Wrigley at Aid2Africa.co.uk by text or phone on +447933768161. Maurice or Evelyn Chesoli in Moi’s Bridge)

Any complaints, allegations or concerns receive appropriate attention and that steps are taken to ensure the safety of others.

Aid2Africa a will take seriously any complaints, allegations or concerns made against volunteers or those connected with our projects. The response to complaints, allegations or concerns against volunteers will be managed by one of Aid2Africa's Co-ordinators. The staff of host agencies may be asked to support any information gathering or deal with communication difficulties; however Aid2Africa will remain responsible for all decisions regarding a volunteer's continued participation in the programme.

Aid2Africa reserves the right to suspend any volunteer's involvement with its projects and may do so pending investigation of any complaints, allegations or concerns. Volunteers will be informed of any such action by Aid2Africa staff or their representatives. Volunteers will only be permitted to resume their participation where this is approved by one of Aid2Africa’s Co-ordinators.

Allegations of a criminal nature will be brought to the attention of the local Kenyan Police. Volunteers are subject to Kenyan law while in the country. A number of countries have laws enabling the prosecution of their citizens for offences committed overseas. Aid2Africa may pass details of any complaints, allegations or concerns received to appropriate law enforcement agencies in a volunteer's home country.

The response to complaints, allegations or concerns against the staff or others connected with host agencies will be managed by one of Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators. Aid2Africa is not responsible for the management of other organisations. Any complaints, allegations or concerns received will be passed to the responsible officers of the appropriate organisations. In the event that the responsible officers of the organisation are the subject of the allegations, Aid2Africa may pass relevant information to the Kenyan Police.

Aid2Africa may suspend its involvement with other organisations that do not take appropriate action to protect children. The decision to suspend involvement with other organisations will rest with one of Aid2Africa's Co-ordinators.

Aid2Africa will co-operate with any bone-fide investigation resulting from one of its projects. Legal constraints regarding the release of information of third parties (such as the UK's Data Protection Act and other nation's equivalents) will be observed; in these circumstances advice may be sought from appropriate sources.