This document sets out the policy of Ephsol Children’s Fund (‘ECF’) to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk (‘vulnerable individuals’).
The activities of ECF include raising funds to help children in special need in the UK, Ghana, and Jamaica in the form of clothing items, educational materials, medical supplies, and other basic household needs. ECF also raises funds and awareness about our work through events and other activities.
Tolerance, respect, understanding, and the welfare of those with whom we engage are key to our ethos and to our approach to everything we do and to all those with whom we interact. This policy sets out our commitment to the welfare and safeguarding of all vulnerable individuals with whom we engage and to providing a working environment for our staff, volunteers, and stakeholders which promotes and protects these values.
In line with our commitment to safeguarding, we expect any organisations with which we work, partner, or support, whether in the UK or overseas, to have similarly robust policies in place (or adopt our policies adjusted for local agencies) and we reserve the right to request and retain on file copies of such policies.
This Safeguarding Policy explains the procedures and systems we have implemented to protect vulnerable individuals, whether children or adults at risk, with whom we may come into contact. Its purpose is to ensure that no individual is subjected to any abusive behaviour by anyone associated with ECF and also to ensure that any concerns about an individual’s welfare, from whatever source, are listened to, dealt with sensitively and effectively and are recorded and reported in line with best practice and all legal requirements.
The Policy is founded on the three pillars of prevention, reporting, and response. Our staff and volunteers are committed to taking all reasonable steps to safeguard vulnerable individuals, both through their own actions and by providing a means for such individuals to report abuse. We expect them all to be familiar with this Policy and committed to behave in accordance with it.
Abuse can take many forms and may be carried out by any person against anyone else, including by one child against another or by an adult against a child or another adult. This can include actions such as:
The safety and welfare of those with whom we come into contact is paramount. Staff and volunteers must:
If you are concerned about an individual, either because of something done or said by them or someone else, or because of something you observe, you must: