Child safeguarding and ethical principles (Code of Conduct)

Safeguarding vulnerable children and adults in the Felm operating areas and protecting them from all harm is at the core of all Felm activities. Guidelines, procedures and practices are used to ensure that people within the scope of our work do not suffer damage or harm from our operations.

Safeguarding means actions taken by an organization to protect the safety, dignity and well-being of the people with whom it interacts, in particular by preventing and responding to abuse, exploitation and other forms of harm.

Felm has zero tolerance for violence and abuse against children and adults. This also applies to violence and abuse perpetrated by an employee of Felm or our partner organization or any other person involved in our work.

It is our duty to safeguard the people in our work, including employees, from any possible exploitation that may result from the actions of our employees or our organization. We continuously strengthen safeguarding measures and create safer structures to prevent all forms of abuse and harm, including sexual violence. Everyone should be able to trust that our employees, work processes and activities are safe.

Power imbalances, cultural assumptions, gender inequality, as well as lack of diversity and inclusion increase the risk of vulnerable people being exposed to exploitation. We aim to address these root causes in all our activities and training.

Whistleblowing channel

Any information, concerns or significant suspicions related to violations of Felm’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct must be reported without delay through Felm whistleblowing channel. Felm employees can also report violations to their supervisor. The whistleblowing channel is available on the Felm website at https://felm.notificationchannel.com

Reporting of the above matters is mandatory. In case of a Felm employee, deliberately withholding or failing to report information, reports, concerns or significant suspicions may result in disciplinary action. The employee must cooperate, upon request, in all investigations related to possible violations concerning Felm guidelines such as Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

Any violation of the guidelines and Code of Conduct is misconduct and, if found to be accurate, may result in disciplinary action, which may include dismissal and/or, if necessary, legal action.

If an employee deliberately makes false or misleading claims about the actions of another employee, this is considered misconduct and may be subject to disciplinary action at the discretion of the employer.

Whistleblower protection

Felm complies with the European Union’s Whistleblower Protection Directive. Felm stakeholders must have the opportunity to express their concerns without fear of retaliation or unfair treatment. Felm ensures that reports are treated confidentially without affecting the employment relationship or causing retaliation and/or harassment as a result of raising the issue. Confidentiality protects both the whistleblower, the subject of the complaint and other witnesses. When processing notifications, Felm adheres to the need-to-know principle, according to which information is only shared with parties necessary for the processing.

The importance of safeguarding

All people have the right to live and work in a safe environment, free from harm and abuse caused by exploitation and neglect. Safeguarding measures protect children and adults with whom Felm is in contact.

Felm strengthens the realization of human rights in all its work. The rights-based approach puts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international human rights treaties and standards at the center of our work. We support people in demanding their rights, and those in charge to respect everyone’s human rights.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions the right of individuals to security: ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person’. We are all created in God’s image – this is inherently valuable and worth protecting. This means protecting everyone from harm and abuse. Harm and abuse can happen anywhere because people can cause harm to others and abuse their power. Any type of abuse must be reported in order to be addressed effectively.

We promote the responsible and transparent exercise of power in our organization. Abuse and misconduct are always associated with abuse of power. It is important that we recognize power structures in our work. Recognizing one’s own privileges and their effects is also at the heart of safeguarding.

Principles of safeguarding

The key principles of safeguarding help prevent, address and eliminate harm and abuse.

Zero tolerance

Felm upholds the zero-tolerance principle towards all forms of abuse. Zero tolerance also means zero tolerance for non-intervention or inaction. Felm takes all concerns, reports and allegations seriously and responds to them fairly, reasonably and promptly. All concerns are properly addressed, ensuring that the rights and needs of victims or survivors come first.

Do no harm principle

The presence of an organization always affects the operating environment in many ways. If we do not seek to avoid or mitigate negative impacts, our efforts may ultimately do more harm than good to those whose rights we seek to enforce. The aim of the ‘Do no harm’ principle is to ensure that all possible impacts are carefully assessed so that no damage occurs, intentionally or unintentionally.

Confidentiality

Felm undertakes to work with victims and survivors, whistleblowers and all others involved in the handling of reports confidentially and respectfully. Personal data and other confidential information are protected in the processing of reports.

Accountability

Felm operates responsibly at all levels of operations. Felm ensures that responsibility processes and different roles and responsibilities work seamlessly together and form a coherent whole. Leaders have a special responsibility in creating operating environments that promote safety.

Gender and power

Felm uses an intersectional approach, taking into account and recognizing the effects of gender, other identity factors (e.g. age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, etc.) and power. We work to ensure that children and adults are involved in safeguarding measures in a way that promotes equality and justice and increases their safety and protection. Power imbalances, cultural assumptions, gender inequality, as well as lack of diversity and inclusion increase the risk of vulnerable people being exposed to exploitation.

Cultural sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity guides practices at all levels, including behaviour and direct interaction with community members. However, cultural sensitivity should never be used as a reason or justification for not reporting or investigating a concern or report.

Survivor/community-centred approach

Felm puts the rights, dignity, needs and wants of survivors and persons affected by harm and abuse at the center so that they receive the help and support they need. Confidentiality always comes first, and procedures are designed to avoid potential revictimization for the survivor.

Mandatory reporting

If a Felm employee or other representative of Felm (such as a volunteer or consultant) identifies concerns or suspicions of harm or abuse by a colleague, partner, or others, they must report those concerns. The exception to this are the victims or persons affected by harm. They are encouraged to report, but they can decide for themselves when and how to do it.

Learning

Felm is committed to continuously learning and developing safeguarding practices according to the best practices identified.

Policies and Guidelines guiding Felm operations

All Felm employees, both permanent and temporary staff, their dependents, volunteers, trainees and other persons representing Felm or visiting projects, sign a declaration that they are familiar with Felm Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy and comply with them. Felm partners also commit to the guidelines in the project agreements.

Felm trains its employees and partners in these policies and guidelines and rules of conduct. Orientation aimed at safeguarding people within the scope of work is always given at the beginning of employment, followed by supplementary training. Written consent to the Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy is sought with a binding signature.

The Child Safeguarding Policy (pdf) includes, for example, instructions for safe recruitment, communication, behaviour and strengthening the participation of children.

The ACT Code of Conduct (pdf) guides all activities of Felm and includes standards of behaviour.

Felm Policy and Procedure Against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, Harassment and other Inappropriate Behaviour (PSEAH) (pdf). Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment as well as inappropriate behaviour are against the law and human dignity. Felm has a Policy Against SEAH. Felm has a zero tolerance for SEAH, and we are committed to preventing misconduct and managing reports appropriately and confidentially.

Anti-corruption Policy (pdf)

Contacts related to safeguarding

Felm has a designated person responsible for safeguarding and regional responsible persons. Inquiries can be directed to: complaintscommittee@suomenlahetysseura.fi

Children’s rights and child protection

Felm is committed to respecting and promoting children’s rights as defined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights treaties. A key element of Felm’s program is to promote children’s right to live, grow and develop in a safe and protective environment with their families. Many of the projects of partner churches and organisations supported by Felm focus on these issues.

In addition to the special focus on promoting children’s rights, these rights are taken into account in all Felm activities and supported projects that affect children. Particular attention is paid to the right of children to participate and be heard in decision-making that affects them and to be protected from all forms of abuse and violence.

Here we describe the key concepts and Felm child safeguarding practices, as well as key issues that are always taken into account in all Felm activities and projects that affect children.

At the heart of the children’s rights approach is the promotion of child safety and positive outcomes for children, including the fight against discrimination. As part of a rights-based approach, the primary focus must always be on improving the realization of the rights of the most vulnerable children.

Key aspects of the rights of the child and child protection as a human rights issue

Felm gives priority to the rights of children to participate in all decisions that affect them and to have their views heard and act accordingly. The reporting shall provide evidence that this has been achieved. Whenever conflicting interests are involved, Felm ensures that the rights, needs and well-being of the child come first. The best interest of the child is a principle of the rights of the child based on Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (see below). The assessment of the best interests of the child means ‘the assessment and balancing of all the factors necessary to make a decision in a given situation with regard to a particular individual child or group of children’.

Felm ensures that our personnel, activities and programs do not harm children or expose children to the risk of harm or abuse. Our personnel are committed to the following guidelines both at work and in their free time:

All persons representing Felm or its partner organization shall behave appropriately towards children and shall never abuse the trust attached to membership in our organization.
Every person associated with Felm, or its partner organization is aware of and responds appropriately to issues related to child abuse and child sexual abuse.
We create a child-safe environment in all our activities by always assessing and reducing potential risks to children.
We are guided by our duty of care* towards children.

*Duty of care is a common law concept that refers to the responsibility of the organization and the individual to provide children with adequate protection from harm. It is the responsibility of the organization and its individuals to protect children from any reasonably foreseeable risk of harm or actual harm.

Planning and implementing projects safely for children

Careful project planning is based on an analysis of the situation of children’s rights, which includes an assessment of local child safety and child welfare risks. The best interests of the child must be at the core of the projects in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Felm partners are encouraged to develop their own child safeguarding guidelines to ensure that they stem from the local context and take into account the principle of do no harm (i.e. they do not establish or strengthen practices and patterns that are harmful to children). If Felm partner does not have its own appropriate and comprehensive guidelines and child safeguarding code of conduct, the Felm Child Safeguarding Policy is applied. Even in a project that is not child-centred, potential risks to children must be identified.

Risk reduction and management in projects

The overall approach to child safeguarding is based on understanding the potential risks posed to children by the organization and its staff, projects and activities. Identifying, addressing and mitigating these risks creates child-safe organizations. If potential risks can be identified, the necessary structures can be created to ensure that the space is as safe as possible for children. In other words, the more we talk about risks and identify them, the more we can plan for prevention. If, when completing the risk matrix tool (and in particular risks related to child protection), it is found that the project in question has a direct link with children, the child protection risk assessment tool will also be used.

Felm projects use a risk matrix and a checklist for child-safe recruitment. Safeguarding risks are considered already at the project planning stage to ensure that resources (human and financial) are allocated to mitigating these risks during project implementation.

All projects should also be designed in such a way that the participation and inclusion of communities, including children, is ensured from the outset and they are also involved in decision-making.

Participatory approach and children’s participation

The human rights-based approach pays attention to the people whose rights are at stake as key actors. Therefore, children must be involved at every stage of the project cycle. Ensuring participation is a human right. Children’s participation is about giving children the opportunity to express their views, taking them seriously and giving them the opportunity to influence decision-making that affects their lives. It is also recommended, for example when carrying out risk assessments, to involve children where appropriate, as they know best where they feel safe or unsafe.

Definition of child abuse

Child abuse, neglect and ill-treatment means any form of physical and/or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or negligence, or commercial or other abuse, which causes actual or potential harm to the health, survival, development or dignity of a child (WHO, 1999, 2002, World Report on Violence and Health).

Violence against children includes all forms of violence against all persons under the age of 18. The primary responsibility of the organization is to prevent child abuse within the organization or because of the organization’s activities. Everyone is responsible for child protection.