Protecting children and protecting you - AFO child protection policy
Action for Orphans revolves around helping children. Children are at the centre of everything we do which is why we take the issue of child protection very seriously. Action for Orphans is fully committed to protecting the security, privacy, and dignity of our children.
A reality of life is that children are potentially at risk from abuse or exploitation by some adults and this threat exists throughout the world. Although it is a very small minority that presents this risk, everyone has a responsibility and role in protecting children and following all practical and reasonable steps to counteract the risk. To protect children, Action for Orphans has policies and systems so that abuse is not perpetrated or compounded by those that Action for Orphans puts in contact with children and in whom children place their trust. These measures also protect sponsors from actions that could be misconstrued and lead to false accusations. This information sheet outlines our child protection measures.
Giving child protection priority
As a child-focused organisation, Action for Orphans is wholly committed to protecting children.
Action for Orphans has a child protection policy in UK with which AFO Iran's policy is in line.
Action for Orphans is fully committed to protecting the security, privacy, and dignity of the children in its care.
Members of Action for Orphans Trustee Board are responsible for considering child protection in all Board decisions ·
Our Child Protection Officer provides a point of contact for issues relating to child protection. ·
Staff and volunteers bring all incidents or concerns to his/her attention however minor.
Recruiting carefully
We have a number of measures to ensure that staff do not put children at risk, either through their actions or lack of action.
Staff and volunteers undergo a police check/Criminal Records Bureau disclosure and satisfactory clearance is necessary before they start working with us.
Action for Orphans’ child protection policy and guidelines forms part of the induction given to all new staff and volunteers.
Action for Orphans staff are trained in child protection issues
Controls within our work
By the nature of our work we hold details of children. This information has been given on the understanding that it will be used to find them a sponsor and then shared during the sponsorship. There are a number of ways that we ensure that information is not abused.
Access to details of children is based on the role of the volunteer or staff member.
Details are held securely and access to our computer systems is protected by passwords.
If information containing details of children has to be destroyed this is done so in a secure manner. The same applies to communications from sponsors.
Building safe relationships through sponsorship
Our work is supported by many who participate in our sponsorship program, Some of our sponsors correspond and some actually visit their sponsored child. Sponsorship is a wonderful opportunity to share in our work through the eyes of a particular child, and many strong friendships develop. To ensure that we do not allow harmful relationships to develop we have the following safeguards in place.
We consult with external bodies including the police if we have any serious doubts about a specific individual sponsoring a child. Action for Orphans may decline sponsorship for any reason including concern for the safety or well being of children.
Correspondence between sponsors and sponsored children comes via Action for Orphans UK office rather than direct. Communications from sponsors are screened to intercept inappropriate written or visual material that raises child protection concerns. At the same time we check for political or religious comments that could cause offence or be illegal and we also protect the privacy of our sponsors by checking that letters do not contain their contact details.If we cannot send it we return the correspondence to sponsors explaining our concerns and actions.
The Internet is an un-controlled and un-regulated media. Recognising this, we ask sponsors to respect the privacy of their child by refraining from using the Internet to share their details with others.
When children leave the sponsorship programme some sponsors naturally are keen to stay in touch. We facilitate this only if the child agrees.
Clear guidelines for visits to sponsored children - protecting them and you
We encourage and arrange for sponsors to visit their sponsored child. We have a firm policy in place to ensure that children being visited are safe. The policy has child protection as its basis, but the interests of the visitor are also catered for. The guidelines also protect sponsors from actions that could be misconstrued and lead to false accusations.
All sponsors receive clear guidance on how to arrange a visit when they join and the visit policy is outlined in detail if a sponsor enquires about visiting.
All visits should be arranged in advance through Action for Orphans’ UK office and we ask that sponsors inform us at least 2 months in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements. This includes obtaining a background police check and satisfactory clearance is required before the visit. This would show if someone had been convicted for inappropriate behaviour and would go some way towards minimising the possibility of child-related offences.
Visitors sign a statement, which says that they understand and agree to the policy before visiting and we also ask sponsors to provide us with their passport details as identification.
All visits are monitored by members of Action for Orphans’ staff in Iran.
Sponsored children and their house sisters/brothers must not be invited or taken away from their community.
Action for Orphans strongly discourages any invitation by sponsors for sponsored children to visit the sponsor's country.
Sponsors and sponsored child should not exchange mailing addresses during visits.
After every visit a report is sent to Action for Orphans UK office.
Only in exceptional circumstances do Action for Orphans' staff agree to a visit, which does not follow the above policy. This would only be done where staffs are satisfied that the interests of the children have been protected.
Taking action if necessary
Majority of our sponsors follow our measures to protect children. However, occasionally, some do not. Action for Orphans takes all such incidents very seriously. In most cases these are due to a lack of awareness by the sponsor rather than any harmful intent. However, Action for Orphans is careful to thoroughly investigate every case.
Action for Orphans reserves the right to bring a sponsorship to a close without giving a reason.
Where sponsors go against our policies we may decide to bring their sponsorship to a close.
We would do this because:
We cannot knowingly continue to put a child at risk, or at potential risk - and in making this decision we must act on the side of caution.
We could not continue to facilitate a relationship knowing that it did not respect basic human rights of privacy and protection from harm.
As a child-focused organisation we have a duty to protect all children.
Thank you very much for your support
As an Action for Orphans supporter you are an integral part of our work in helping our children. Thank you also for your support in our efforts to protect children. If you have any questions or are interested in visiting please contact our Child Protection Officer on 020 8870 0387 or email:
