Tool overview
The tool is broken down into 6 sections, each focussing on different aspects of a positive safeguarding culture, including: accountability; policies and processes; do no harm/safer programming; survivor-centred approach; awareness raising; and safer recruitment and HR processes.
Each section can be completed separately. You can download a tailored action plan after completing discussions and recording priority actions for each section.
Larger organisations are encouraged to start with Accountability, particularly if the leadership team is completing the tool, as this section is particularly directed at leaders taking responsibility for safeguarding and the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH). This is the longest section and it will provide foundations for all other, shorter sections
AccountabilityThis section helps leaders understand the impact of their own power over others, and how they can proactively encourage feedback and learning (at least 4 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders understand the impact of their own power in relation to others, particularly those from at-risk or marginalised groups and proactively seek to make themselves accountable to others.
- Leaders are proactively engaged in learning from cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) or other types of harm; keeping safeguarding at the forefront of the organisation.
- Leaders ensure the organisation is transparent about processes and decision-making.
- Leaders ensure that their organisation actively encourages and receives feedback and reports of safeguarding issues, including from at-risk or marginalised groups and staff at all levels of the organisation. Routinely reflect on patterns, trends and how to improve reporting and response mechanisms.
- Leaders proactively influence their peers to achieve a higher standard of safeguarding practice through challenge and support, and seek the same feedback for themselves.
Policies and processesThis section helps leaders understand how to ensure that their organisation’s policies function to prevent and respond to safeguarding-related issues (around 3 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders display courage in ensuring that their organisation’s policies function to prevent and respond to safeguarding -related issues.
- Leaders take responsibility for ensuring the organisation’s activities, including safeguarding processes, are gender-sensitive, inclusive and explicitly consider power imbalances.
Do no harm/safer programmingThis section helps leaders understand how standards and context-specific safeguarding measures lead to safer programming (around 3 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders ensure that teams know to only approve new partners, projects/initiatives if they have evidence that the programme appropriately addresses safeguarding issues.
- Leaders are informed about the specific local or contextual challenges to implement good safeguarding practice and ensure this is reflected in planning.
- Leaders ensure their organisation is clear about their commitment to the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) and/or equivalent international standards and how these links to safeguarding.
Survivor-centred approachThis section focuses on how leaders can ensure a survivor-centred approach (around 3 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders prioritise survivors’ best interests over those of the organisation.
- Leaders ensure that processes to report safeguarding incidents or concerns, including referral pathways (e.g. to support services), are informed by victim and survivor feedback and that their wellbeing is prioritised.
- Leaders allocate financial and other resources to the implementation of robust investigations and victim and survivor care.
Awareness-raisingThis section focuses on the role of leaders in raising awareness of safeguarding within their organisation (around 3 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders model commitment to learning and development around safeguarding and participate in safeguarding training.
- Leaders regularly share insights around safeguarding that bring the issues to life in a meaningful way for staff.
- Leaders ensure that safeguarding is routinely on the agenda for leadership and team meetings.
Safer recruitment and HR processesThis section focuses on how leaders can actively champion and model safer recruitment practices (around 3 hours).
Behaviours covered:
- Leaders actively champion and model safer recruitment processes.
- Leaders support prioritising safer recruitment processes over other organisational priorities such as staffing shortages.
- Leaders demonstrate that safeguarding good practice extends to all employment processes, including the conduct of disciplinary processes etc.