Behaviour
Discuss the behaviour
Consider how the behaviour relates to your working environment and your interactions with colleagues and others outside the organisation. Pose your own questions where relevant and make notes on your discussion.
Questions for you to consider
How do you know that your staff are properly trained and equipped to deliver victim and survivor-focused investigations?
What is your role in ensuring that investigations are being carried out with the victims and survivors at the centre?
How do ensure enough resources are allocated to safeguarding investigation and victims and survivors care?
How do you ensure that safeguardinginvestigations are completed in a timely manner and prioritise appropriate feedback and support to victims and survivors?
What actions would you implement to make a change?
Using what you discussed, decide what actions you plan to take as an organisation. Note down who is accountable for ensuring these are implemented and when you aim to achieve them. Note that the "Actions for leaders" are a starting point, not an exhaustive list. You can add specific actions that are relevant to your organisation.
Glossary of terms used
Leaders
When we speak about “leaders” we mean those people within an organisation that have the authority and power to make decisions and allocate resources. Depending on the organisation, this could be a CEO, directors, senior management teams, country directors, safeguarding leads or other decision-makers.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is about all the preventative and responsive measures we take to ensure we do no harm to anyone in our organisation and anyone we come into contact with as part of our work. This tool was developed with tackling sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) in mind, but is applicable beyond that.You can find a more comprehensive definition on the Bond website
Survivor-centered approach
A survivor-centred approach means that the survivor’s rights, needs and wishes are prioritized, putting the safety, wishes and interest of the survivor first, above all other considerations. Taking a survivor-centred approach requires that an organisation talks to and listens to the survivor in ways adapted to each and every single survivor. A survivor-centred approach indicates that the survivor’s wellbeing should be prioritised over and above other actions such as internal reporting requirements, protecting an organisation’s reputation, completing a fact-finding process or reporting a concern or incident to legal authorities.
Referral pathways
Referral pathways outline the various mechanisms or support services that victims or survivors may be referred to for ongoing support. Assistance and support can comprise medical care, legal services, support to deal with the psychological and social effects of the experience, and immediate material care such as food, clothing, emergency and safe shelter, as necessary. Provision of assistance services is entirely independent from any additional procedure or action taken on the allegation. Referral also includes referral to informal community-based support.
Investigation (or fact finding)
An internal administrative procedure, in which an organisation attempts to establish whether there has been a breach of safeguarding policy. Organisations that do not have internal legal capacity may find "fact-finding" a more suitable term to use given the term investigation infers formal legal proceedings.