Child safeguarding programs are must for every service provider that has contact with children – whether large or small. Here’s what they are and how you can get started today.
What does a child safeguarding policy do? It ensures that organizations and professionals that work with kids do their part to protect kids from harm. Essentially it consists of:
- Creating a policy and make sure everyone understands it and follows it
- Defining clear responsibilities and expectations for everyone to follow and support them in those
- Detailing what steps they should follow when there are concerns about a child’s safety
- Ensuring accountability with regular reviews
Why we need child safeguarding
12% of children suffer sexual abuse in Hong Kong
of child sexual abuse cases are unreported
of children in reported cases knew their abuser
Resources to get you started
Save the Children offers the most comprehensive program we are aware of in Hong Kong and can cater to your organization’s needs from assessment, design and delivery, to review. They works with both large for profits and small non-profits. They also occasionally host webinars with some good basic information.
The Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights has a Child Safeguarding Charter to help organizations formulate a code of conduct for its child related workers as an initial step to develop a Child Safeguarding Policy.
As an international advocate of child safeguarding their policy is a good model to look at. They are also active in Hong Kong.
The UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children explains how to write a safeguarding or child protection policy statement that sets out your organisation’s commitment to keeping children safe.