Safeguarding Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults
Amelia Wilhelmina Elliot-Harvey Estates (AWEHE) abides by the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and is committed to safeguarding practice that reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice requirements.
We recognise the welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take.
All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation has an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse.
Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.
Purpose:
AWEHE will:
Protect children and young people who receive AWEHE’s services from harm. This includes the children of adults who use our services
Provide staff and volunteers, as well as children and young people and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of AWEHE, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, other stakeholders, volunteers, sessional workers, agency staff and students. Failure to comply with the policy and related procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organization.
Definitions:
Child: The Child Care and Protection Act 2004 definition of a child is: anyone under the age of 18.
Adult at Risk:
An adult who has needs for care and support (whether or not the authority is meeting any of those needs),
is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect, and
as a result of those needs is unable to protect himself or herself against the abuse or neglect or the risk of it.
Child and Adult Abuse: Children and adults may be vulnerable to neglect and abuse or exploitation from within their family and from individuals they come across in their daily lives. There are 4 main categories of abuse, which are: sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect. It is important to be aware of more specific types of abuse that fall within these categories, they are:
Bullying and cyberbullying
Child sexual exploitation
Child Criminal exploitation
Child trafficking
Domestic abuse
Female genital mutilation
Grooming
Historical abuse
Online abuse
Safeguarding children: The Child Care and Protection Act 2004 covers three groups of children’s rights:
PROTECTION RIGHTS: Rights that protect children from all types of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.
PROVISION RIGHTS: Rights that guarantee the basic things that children need for their survival, growth and development.
PARTICIPATION RIGHTS: Rights that ensure children’s views are considered when making decisions that affect them and that opportunities are provided for them to share their views.
Legal Framework:
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in Jamaica including the Child Care and Protection Act, 2004.
AWEHE should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people as well as vulnerable adults.
Training and Awareness:
AWEHE will ensure an appropriate level of safeguarding training is available to its Trustees, Employees, Volunteers and any relevant persons linked to the organization who requires it (e.g. contractors).
For all employees who are working or volunteering with children, this requires them as a minimum to have awareness training that enables them to:
Understand what safeguarding is and their role in safeguarding children.
Recognise a child potentially in need of safeguarding and take action.
Understand how to report a safeguarding Alert.
Understand dignity and respect when working with children.
Have knowledge of the Safeguarding Policy For Children and Vulnerable Adults.
Similarly, employees and volunteers may encounter concerns about the safety and wellbeing of an adult at risk of abuse (a vulnerable adult) and can follow the same steps within this policy for reporting their concerns.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing:
AWEHE expects all employees, volunteers and trustees to maintain confidentiality. Information will only be shared in line with the Jamaican Data Protection Act 2020 and Data Protection.
However, information should be shared with the relevant local authority if a child is deemed to be at risk of harm or contact the police if they are in immediate danger, or a crime has been committed.
Recording and Record Keeping:
A written record must be kept about any concern regarding an adult with safeguarding needs. This must include details of the person involved, the nature of the concern and the actions taken, decision made and why they were made.
All records must be signed and dated. All records must be securely and confidentially stored in line with the Jamaican Data Protection Act 2020 (and GDPR when dealing with EU stakeholders information).
Safe Recruitment & Selection:
AWEHE is committed to safe employment and safe recruitment practices, that reduce the risk of harm to children from people unsuitable to work with them or have contact with them.
AWEHE has policies and procedures that cover the recruitment of all Trustees, employees and volunteers.
Social Media:
All employees and volunteers should be aware of AWEHE social media policy and procedures and the code of conduct for behavior towards the children we support.
Use of Mobile Phones and other Digital Technology:
All employees, trustees and volunteers should be aware of AWEHE policy and procedures regarding the use of mobile phones and any digital technology and understand that it is unlawful to photograph children and young people without the explicit consent of the person with parental responsibilities.
Whistleblowing:
It is important that people within AWEHE have the confidence to come forward to speak or act if they are unhappy with anything. Whistle blowing occurs when a person raises a concern about dangerous or illegal activity, or any wrong-doing within their organization. This includes concerns about another employee or volunteer. There is also a requirement by AWEHE to protect whistleblowers.
Important Contacts:
Main contact at AWEHE for safeguarding
Name: Alexa Wynter
Position: Trustee
Email address: info@awehe.org
Telephone number: +1 876-474-8537
Additional contact at AWEHE for safeguarding
Name: Marcia Grant
Position: Trustee
Email address: info@awehe.org
Telephone number: +1 876-474-8537
Child Protection and Family Services Agency, Jamaica
24-hour child abuse reporting hotline 2-1-1
211
Police Emergency
119
Police In Hanover Non Emergency
+1 876-956-2333 / +1 876-956-3633
UNICEF Child Protection Page for Jamaica
https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/child-protection
Children First HQ
+1 876 669-3285 / +1 876 869-0666
info@childrenfirstja.org
9 Monk Street, Spanish Town
St. Catherine, Jamaica