Child Protection Policy

Language: English
Last update: January 2025
Applicable to: All ASUL ’s staff, volunteers, visitors, and associates.
Contact: Board of ASUL

Contents

• Glossary
• Introduction
• Legal framework
• Application
• Our principles
• Our actions
• Code of conduct
• Data protection
• Staff recruitment procedures
• Updates and training
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Final aspects

Glossary

Abuse
Any act or behaviour towards a child that causes significant harm or risks causing harm to their physical or mental health, survival, or development. This includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Child
A child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier (source: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).

Children’s rights
The fundamental human rights that apply specifically to children. These rights are set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a legally binding international agreement ratified by nearly every country worldwide.

Exploitation
Any act or practice that takes advantage of, harms, or risks harming a child’s physical or mental health, safety, or development for financial gain or other benefits.

Safety
The measures and conditions in place to protect children from harm, injury, or danger. This includes physical safety, such as protection from accidents and hazards, and emotional and psychological safety, such as safeguarding against abuse, neglect, and trauma.

Staff
The group of people (employed or working for the organization on a paid or voluntary basis) responsible for carrying out the organization’s mission and programs and making a positive impact in the community or cause they serve.

The definitions have as source the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Introduction

ASUL is committed to ensuring the safety, well-being, and protection of all children we engage with in our programs and activities. This Child Protection Policy has been developed to guarantee that no child is harmed or placed at risk during their involvement with ASUL .

The guidelines in this document are designed to uphold the principles of child safeguarding. It has been approved by ASUL ’s management and incorporates international benchmarks, including guidance and resources from organizations such as Save the Children and Keeping Children Safe. These standards inform our approach to safeguarding children, ensuring that all policies, procedures, and actions align with international best practices.

Legal framework

This Child Protection Policy is based on the following legislation, policies, and guidance that protect children:

• The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols;

Application

The Child Protection Policy of ASUL applies to:

• All members of staff and volunteers;
• All individuals acting on behalf of ASUL, such as consultants or trainers;
• Staff members or representatives from partner organizations involved in delivering ASUL ’s programs;
• All adults participating in activities organized by ASUL, including journalists, donors, photographers, filmmakers, and policymakers.

Our principles

• All child abuse directly violates children’s rights.
• All children are entitled to equal protection from abuse and exploitation.
• Every child’s situation should be improved by promoting their rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This includes the right to freedom from abuse and exploitation.
• Abuse is never acceptable.
• ASUL is committed to protecting every child we work with or for.
• We hold our partners accountable for adhering to minimum standards of child protection in their programs.

Our actions

ASUL will fulfil its commitment to child protection by focusing on the following areas:

Awareness
We will ensure that all staff, volunteers, and associates are educated about child safeguarding and aware of the risks children may face.

Prevention
Through awareness and good practices, we will minimize risks to children’s safety. Copies of our child protection policy will be made accessible to all staff and volunteers. Recruitment processes will include candidate checks to ensure suitability for working with children. Induction sessions will include child protection briefings.

Reporting
Clear reporting procedures are in place for concerns related to children’s safety. All ASUL staff, volunteers, and associates must prioritize the safety of the child when reporting concerns, which should remain confidential.

Responding
We will take action to protect and support children whenever concerns of abuse arise.

Engaging stakeholders
ASUL will actively involve children, families, and communities in its safeguarding efforts by:

• Conducting regular consultations with children and families to update and refine safeguarding measures;
• Maintaining accessible reporting channels for stakeholders to express concerns or share insights;
• Creating child-friendly educational materials that explain children’s rights and safeguarding practices.

To achieve these goals, ASUL commits to:

• Taking all concerns seriously;
• Supporting all those affected by safeguarding issues;
• Ensuring investigations are guided by the ‘best interests of the child’ principle;
• Actively involving parents/carers and collaborating professionals in safeguarding processes.

Code of conduct

ASUL staff and associates must never:

• Physically assault or abuse a child;
• Engage in physical or sexual relationships with children;
• Develop exploitative or abusive relationships with children;
• Use inappropriate, offensive, or abusive language with children;
• Engage in sexually suggestive or provocative behaviours;
• Invite children to their homes unsupervised, or sleep in the same room or bed as children they work with;
• Perform tasks for children that they can do themselves;
• Engage in illegal, dangerous, or abusive activities with children;
• Humiliate, belittle, or emotionally abuse children;
• Discriminate against or unfairly favour certain children.

This list is not exhaustive. All staff should avoid behaviours that could be perceived as abusive or inappropriate.

Data protection

ASUL is dedicated to safeguarding the personal data of all children and families participating in our activities. Data collection adheres to the following principles:

• Children and their families must be informed about the purposes of data collection and their rights regarding their personal data.
• Personal data is collected only for specific, legitimate purposes and must not exceed the designated requirements.
• Explicit, informed consent must be obtained from both the child and their parent/legal guardian before data collection.

Staff recruitment procedures

ASUL follows strict recruitment processes to ensure that all employees and volunteers are suitable to work with children. These include:

• Interviews with child protection-related questions;
• References from previous employers or colleagues;
• Mandatory child protection training for new recruits.

Updates and training

All ASUL staff members and volunteers will receive child safeguarding training when they join the organization. External partners and collaborators, including consultants and trainers, will also be informed about the policy.

Safeguarding training ensures that all personnel understand their duties, remain alert to child protection risks, and adhere to ethical standards in their work.

Roles and Responsibilities

Leadership
The General Manager is tasked with overseeing the policy’s implementation. Leadership allocates resources, reviews safeguarding strategies, and ensures compliance among all personnel.

Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO)
The Designated Safeguarding Officer ensures that all child protection concerns are addressed correctly, maintains records, and manages liaison with relevant authorities.

Staff and Volunteers
All ASUL employees and volunteers must abide by the policy and promptly report concerns.

Partner Organizations
ASUL ’s project partners must conform to the established safeguarding policy and standards.

Children and Families
ASUL seeks feedback and participation from children and families in shaping effective safeguarding practices.

Final aspects

This Child Protection Policy is available on the ASUL website.

To ensure safeguarding measures are effective, ASUL will conduct:

• Annual internal reviews and periodic external evaluations;
• Consultations with children, families, and staff to inform updates;
• Reviews based on safeguarding incidents and lessons learned.

The policy is reviewed annually to ensure it meets the highest standards of child safeguarding.

If you have questions or concerns about child protection, contact president@asul.eu. The designated officer ensures that all safety concerns are reported and addressed.