Down Syndrome
Society of Bangladesh (DSSB)
Safeguarding
Policy
April, 2020
I. Introduction
Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh is a platform for
children with Down syndrome and their parents. The sole purpose of this
platform is to inspire children born with Down syndrome by enabling them to
help change the world and assist them in special needs advocacy, education,
employment and social inclusion.
As a national level pioneering organization on Down
syndrome issues, DSSB works with a range of multi-faced partners including
government, civil society actors and the private sector. The activities of the organization are guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. This Safeguarding Policy is applicable in all our
working settings, program approaches and implementation framework giving key
focus on the safety of the children and beneficiaries in programme
implementation.
DSSB has developed
this policy in view of its growing involvement in projects which include grass
roots activities. A special thanks to Inclusion International, our partner in
Inclusion Works Projects for sharing its policy which we have gone through,
analyzed and took as a key guideline to develop our own safeguarding policy.
The Safeguarding means promoting and protecting
people's health and wellbeing, human rights, enabling them to live free from
harm, exploitation and abuse. A safeguarding approach means identifying and minimizing
the risk of harm to children and adults at risk from staff, representatives and
partners through DSSB’s activities and includes responding appropriately to any
safeguarding concerns about children and women and men at risk within
communities where we work. It entails a
wide potential range of policies, procedures and activities seeking to address
child and adult safety and wellbeing.
In DSSB’s case, a safeguarding approach means minimizing
the risk of harm, exploitation or abuse of children and adults from staff, or
programme activities. It includes reporting any safeguarding concerns about a
child or adult within settings where we work to the appropriate authorities.
It is known that children and adults with disabilities
may be at particular risk of harm, exploitation and abuse. This policy recognizes
that these specific risks are best addressed through a broader and
comprehensive safeguarding approach with specific actions focused on children
and adults with disabilities who are at risk where relevant.
The Safeguarding Policy is applicable for all DSSB
staffs, executive committee members, part time instructors, parents of child
and adults with Down syndrome and volunteers who are on a specific short time
assignment.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that DSSB
activities are implemented in a safe and protective environment where rights
and autonomy are promoted and harm, exploitation and abuse are effectively
prevented, and responded to effectively.
The policy has three specific objectives:
1)
Keeping children and adults safe;
2)
Ensuring the highest standards of
behaviour from representatives and minimising the risk of abusers entering the
organisation
3)
Safeguarding the reputation of DSSB from
false allegations or from operating within an unclear framework;
IV.
Pledges
1.
The DSSB and its leadership
hereby pledge that the safeguarding of its people (employees, participants,
beneficiaries) and the people of the communities it serves against abuse, that
is, against any sorts of sexual harassment, child and adolescent abuse, bullying,
discrimination, intimidation and violence, neglect and exploitation will
continue to be a primary guiding principle in its work, programmes and its
disability related actions.
2.
The DSSB and its leadership pledge that the
commitment to safeguarding will continue to be articulated at the level of its
values, code of conduct and work instructions. They pledge that safeguarding
will continue to be incorporated in the design of programmes and enterprises.
They pledge that, where necessary, secondary safeguarding mechanisms will
continue to be established and then maintained.
3.
The DSSB and its leadership
pledge that they will analyze, describe and document the safeguarding work they
have done and do. Of particular importance are the descriptions of the ways
safeguarding risks have successfully been avoided in the design of programmes
and enterprises and the descriptions of secondary mechanisms that have
successfully tackled specific remaining risks. DSSB will make this research
available to its partners and donors, as well as to other organizations in the
sector.
4.
The DSSB and its leadership
pledge that they will continue to find-out any gaps and weaknesses in their
safeguarding practices and address them wherever and whenever they are found,
on immediate basis. The breach of safeguarding standards will be taken
seriously from the organizational perspectives. System audits have been, are
and will be an important element of this constant improvement of safeguarding
practices within and outside the organization.
5.
The DSSB leadership hereby pledge that they
will continue to research, innovate and test new safeguarding solutions. They
recognize that, because of the scale, breadth and interconnectedness of its programmes
and enterprises, DSSB occupies a unique position in the neuro-developmental
disability and Down syndrome arena.
V. Scope of the policy
As a national level advocate of Down syndrome issues, DSSB is
committed to safeguarding and its practices as a whole within the
organizational hierarchy. It wants to
protect all of its employees, children and adults, participants and project
beneficiaries against abuse, that is, against bullying, sexual harassment,
intimidation and violence, humiliation and discrimination, neglect and
exploitation.
DSSB also recognizes that some of its people are more at risk. It
is with that in mind that DSSB recognizes six different categories within its
people that are more at risk than others and therefore deserve extra efforts to
protect them. These six categories are: children, adolescents, adults with
special needs, women among the participants; adults with special needs and
women among the employees. However, DSSB will not hesitate to add other general
categories to this list in future if it seems necessary to ensure safeguarding
within the organization and its intervention areas.
VI. Safeguarding Principles
DSSB holds the following principles with regard to safeguarding for
its practices:
1)
Organization has a
safeguarding duty of care to participants, staff and volunteers, project
beneficiaries, self-advocates including where down-stream partners are part of
delivery. This duty of care extends to people at risk of abuse within the
communities the organization serve.
2)
Organization has a duty to
identify groups of people among employees and participants that are at greater
risk of becoming victims of abuse. They have a duty to try to mitigate the
extra risks those groups face.
3)
Organization has a duty to try
to prevent abuse occurring. They must make safeguarding a central element of
the organizational culture. They must mitigate existing risks that may already
exist in the programme design and specific work practices. They must establish
alternative safeguarding strategy wherever risks cannot be mitigated through existing
design.
4)
Organization has a duty to
make sure that, if abuse does occur, victims and witnesses have access to
multiple safe reporting channels. Organization have a duty to always follow up
on reports of abuse, to investigate them and to make sure that, if warranted,
appropriate disciplinary action is taken.
5)
Organization has, in
principle, a duty whenever abuse crosses the line into criminal behaviour to
involve local authorities. However, the dangers in terms of lack of due process
and disproportionate punishment should be taken into account.
6)
DSSB has the responsibility to
ensure safeguarding within management. Responsibilities with regard to
safeguarding should extend to the highest levels of management and to the
Boards. Those responsibilities should be clearly assigned. Organization has a
duty to make sure that the execution of safeguarding policies is carried out by
competent professionals according to the highest standards and, whenever
possible, following global best practices.
7)
Everybody in DSSB is
responsible for safeguarding employees, participants and community members.
Everybody should intervene to stop abuse whenever possible. Everybody should
report abuse.
VII. Standards of Behaviour
The
following standards of behaviour are the minimum requirements for all employees
and associate personnel (including part time staffs, intern, mission team
members, short term volunteers) with regard to safeguarding and prevention of
abuse, that is, sexual harassment, intimidation and violence, bullying,
humiliation and discrimination, neglect and exploitation.
1.
Employees and associated personnel of DSSB must not:
1.1 Violate
the Code of Conduct of DSSB.
1.2 Violate
the Sexual Harassment Elimination (SHE) Policy
1.3 Violate
the Child and Adolescent Protection Policy
1.4 Violate
the Adults with Special Needs Policy
1.5 Violate
the Adults with Down syndrome.
1.6 Violate
the Prevention against workplace bullying and violence policy
2.
They must not:
2.1 Physically
assault anybody
2.2 Threaten
anybody with physical assault
2.3 Hit children and adolescents to discipline or correct them
2.4 Assault
anybody with a weapon
2.5 Threaten
to assault anybody with a weapon.
3.
They must not:
3.1 Bully
anybody
3.2 Humiliate
anybody
3.3 Humiliate
children or adolescents to discipline or correct them
3.4 Discriminate
against anybody, for example, based on religion, gender, sexual orientation,
race, skin color, age, ethnicity, caste.
4.
They must not:
4.1 Interact
sexually with anybody without the other’s willing consent
4.2 Sexually
harass or assault anybody
4.3 Have
any sexual interaction with children
4.4 Have
any sexual interaction with adolescents who are participants
4.5 Have
any sexual interaction with adolescents under the age of consent
4.6 Have
any sexual interaction with adults with special needs.
5.
They must not:
5.1 Neglect
children, adolescents and adults with special needs who are entrusted to their
care
5.2 Exploit
children, adolescents, adults with special needs or other participants or
fellow employees in any form
5.3 Bring
children, adolescents, adults with special needs or other participants or
fellow or partner employees into a situation where they can be abused or
exploited by third parties.
5.4 Stop
immediately any abuse they witness, if at all possible
5.5 Report
any abuse they witness or have reliable information about
5.6 Treat
everybody with respect
5.7 Respect
everybody's privacy.
VIII. Investigation Procedures
The
organisation requires an investigation into any incidents takes place. This
shall be completed within 28 days and shall be documented and submitted to the
concerned authorities for judgments. The
organisation shall investigate any incident as follows:
1) Where an
allegation of inappropriate behaviour, abuse or neglect is made against a
member of staff, a board Member or a volunteer (occurring in the course of
their work), DSSB in accordance with its employment procedures, will carry out
a full investigation into the circumstances before any action is taken.
2) It may be
necessary to suspend the individual for their own protection until this is
concluded.
3) All
allegations should be followed up, regardless of whether the person involved
tenders his or her resignation or ceases to provide their services.
4) Every
effort should be made to reach a conclusion in all cases of allegations,
including any cases in which the person concerned refuses to cooperate with the
process.
