REMIT

Safeguarding Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 Rotarians Eliminating Malaria in Tanzania is a charity with aims of supporting programmes, projects and activities that are aimed at the elimination of malaria in Tanzania.  It works in conjunction with Rotary Clubs:

• in the UK – to raise funds to support these aims
• in Tanzania – to financially support programmes and activities that are designed to meet these aims.

1.2 Although not working directly with staff, volunteers or beneficiaries of the programmes and activities that it supports, REMIT is aware of its responsibility to ensure that the principles of safeguarding of all children, young people and vulnerable adults as set out in this policy are implemented by all partners to this work.  

2. Purpose

2.1 The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, young people and at-risk adults and beneficiaries of assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with any project or activity supported by REMIT, through its association with Rotary International and local Rotary Clubs.  This includes harm arising from:

• the conduct of staff employed or contracted by local Rotary Clubs, or volunteers/personnel associated with REMIT, Rotary Clubs or Rotary International, working on projects supported by REMIT
• the design and implementation of programmes and activities supported by REMIT.

2.2 The policy:

• lays out the commitments made by REMIT, and informs all related personnel, whether paid or volunteers, of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding
• provides safeguarding guidelines to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to:

• prevent harm, particularly sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment from occurring
• protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that harm
• respond appropriately when harm does occur.

This draws from the values and principles and shapes the culture of REMIT and all Rotary Clubs. It pays specific attention to preventing and responding to harm from any potential, actual or attempted abuse of power, trust, or vulnerability, especially for sexual purposes.

2.3 This policy does not cover:

• safeguarding concerns in the wider community perpetrated by personnel or volunteers who are not working on projects or activities that are supported by REMIT.

3. What is safeguarding?

3.1 In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples' health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

3.2 REMIT understands it to mean:

• protecting people, including children and at-risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with individuals working on the projects or programmes it supports in partnership with an organisation based in Tanzania
• providing a safe and protected environment for children, young people and at-risk adults who are involved with any programmes or projects funded by REMIT.

3.3 Further definitions relating to safeguarding are provided in the glossary below.

4. Scope

4.1 This policy applies to:

• all staff or individuals contracted by local Rotary Clubs in Tanzania to work on the projects supported by REMIT
• associated personnel while engaged with work or visits related to these supported projects, including but not limited to the following: consultants; volunteers; contractors; programme visitors including journalists, celebrities and politicians.

5. Policy Statement

5.1 REMIT believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.  REMIT will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by staff or associated personnel contracted in Tanzania to work on any project that it supports.

5.2 This policy will cover the safeguarding of children, young people and adults to provide protection from harm through sexual exploitation, violence and physical and mental abuse. 

5.3 REMIT commits to addressing safeguarding through prevention, reporting and response.

6. Prevention - REMIT and partner responsibilities

6.1 REMIT will:

• ensure all partners to projects and activities it supports understand the requirements of this policy and their local staff/personnel/volunteers have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy.
• work together with local Rotary Clubs in Tanzania to:

• design and undertake all of its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with these programmes.  This includes the way in which information about individuals in the programmes is gathered and communicated.
• implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying staff and associated personnel
• ensure staff/personnel and volunteers receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the project

• designate an appropriate individual to act as Safeguarding lead for each project.
• promptly follow up and act on reports of safeguarding concerns.

7. Prevention - Staff/personnel/volunteer responsibilities

7.1 Project staff, associated personnel and volunteers must not:

• engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18
• sexually abuse or exploit any children, young people or at-risk adults
• subject any child, young person or at-risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
• engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children, including child labour or trafficking.

7.2 REMIT acknowledges its primary responsibility is to safeguard all of its beneficiaries, whether direct beneficiaries or those from within the communities where the projects and activities it funds are based.  However, all individuals working on the projects and activities it funds must apply the criteria in 7.1 above to all children, young people or at-risk adults.

8. Prevention - Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse

8.1 Project staff, associated personnel or volunteers must not:

• exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance
• engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics.

8.2 Additionally, project staff, associated personnel or volunteers are obliged to:

• contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy
• report, without delay, any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by a project staff member, associated personnel or volunteer to the designated project leader.

9. Reporting concerns

9.1 REMIT will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available for:

• staff, personnel and volunteers and the communities covered by the projects and activities that it funds
• external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies. 

9.2 It will be the responsibility of local partners to provide REMIT with the process for reporting such concerns both within Tanzania and to REMIT, to include the following:

• how to report a safeguarding concern - staff, personnel and volunteers who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to the designated Safeguarding lead
• if they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern, they may report to any other appropriate member of the project team. 

10. Response

10.1 REMIT must be advised by its local partners of any reports of safeguarding concerns. REMIT will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and legal and statutory obligations

10.2 REMIT will ensure that:

• appropriate disciplinary measures are applied to staff, contractors or volunteers found to be in breach of this policy.

• the offer of support is provided by its local partners to survivors of harm caused by staff, associated personnel, or volunteers working on any project or activity that it supports, regardless of whether a formal internal response is carried out, (such as an internal investigation).  Decisions regarding support will be led by the survivor.
• action will be taken to report issues, where appropriate, to law enforcement in Tanzania or, if applicable, the United Kingdom.

11. Confidentiality

11.1 It is essential that confidentiality in maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns.  Information relating 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.

12. Glossary of Terms

12.1 Beneficiary of Assistance

Someone who directly receives goods or services from any programme supported by REMIT.  Note that misuse of power can also apply to the wider community that the project serves, and also can include exploitation by giving the perception of being in a position of power.

12.2 Child and Young Person/People

In line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and for the purposes of this policy, a child is any person below the age of 18.

In line with United Nations definitions, young people are any individuals who are aged 15 to 24 years old.

12.3 Vulnerable and at-risk

Vulnerability of individuals may arise, for example, for reasons of gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, disability, age or illness, with local customs and traditions often making these individuals at-risk from exploitation and harm. 

12.4 Harm

Harm is any detrimental effect on a child’s, young person’s or at-risk adult’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing. Harm may be caused by abuse or exploitation whether intended or unintended.

12.5 Psychological harm and violence

Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bad name calling, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming, solitary confinement and isolation.

Violence includes physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment and sexual abuse.

12.6 Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

The term used by the humanitarian and development community to refer to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of affected populations by staff or associated personnel.  The term derives from the United Nations Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13)

12.7 Safeguarding

Safeguarding applies consistently and without exception across the projects and programmes, partners and staff that REMIT supports. It requires proactively identifying, preventing and guarding against all risks of harm, exploitation and abuse and having mature, accountable and transparent systems for response, reporting and learning when risks materialise. Those systems must be survivor-centred and also protect those accused until proven guilty.

Safeguarding puts beneficiaries of assistance and affected persons at the centre of all we do.

12.7 Sexual abuse

The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

12.8 Sexual exploitation

The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.  This definition incudes human trafficking and modern slavery.

12.9 Survivor

The person who has been abused or exploited. The term ‘survivor’ is often used in preference to ‘victim’ as it implies strength, resilience and the capacity to survive, however it is the individual’s choice how they wish to identify themselves.

12.10 At-risk adult

Sometimes also referred to as vulnerable adult.  A person who is or may be in need of care by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

To download a copy of this policy, please click on the icon below:

Version:                       3-2019

Date approved:           05/11/2019

Date of next review:   By 05/11/2020