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Safeguarding - keeping vulnerable people safe

We want everybody who applies for tools from TWAM to be treated with respect, honesty and dignity.  We hope this will always be the case, but if it is not, we need to know.  So below is a guide to who applies to our safeguarding policy and how to report a concern.

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Who is a vulnerable person?

  1. Anybody under 18

  2. Older people, especially widows

  3. People at risk of harm or abuse due to physical or mental health problems

  4. People at risk because of poverty, low income or debt

  5. People at risk because of detrimental life events such as loss of a parent or spouse and sudden relationship/household changes

  6. People with limited education, experience or capability when dealing with finances and life changing decisions.

  7. Child-headed families

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What is a safeguarding concern?

If a vulnerable person is affected by one of the following experiences while they are applying for our tools, undergoing a project assessment or in any way in contact with our official in-country teams then we need to know.  The most important areas of concern are:

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  1. Sexual exploitation: Using the power you have over somebody to force them into have sex with you.  This is often covered by law.

  2. Sexual abuse: Using force and threat to make somebody have sex with you against their consent. Sexual abuse is generally covered by law.

  3. Sexual harassment: A range of unacceptable and unwelcome sexual behaviours that make a person feel humiliated or ashamed.  Often sexual harassment is covered by law.

  4. Bullying: Rude, abusive, or threatening behaviour or misuse of power that intends to make a person feel humiliated or ashamed.

  5. Harassment: A type of bullying related to a person’s identity, or who they are such as it relates to their age, gender, race, tribe, disability, religion etc. 

  6. Discrimination: Treating a person unfairly because of their age, gender, race, tribe, disability, religion etc.

 

If in doubt please ask us for advice, we would rather talk to you than you suffer in silence.

 

We expect our teams and representatives to treat everybody with respect and honesty and this should include:

  1. To work as a team to avoid safeguarding concerns

  2.  Act professionally at all times in their actions, communications and decisions in accordance with the TWAM Code of Conduct.

  3. We expect TWAM employees, volunteers and in-country partners to:

    1. Establish, maintain and develop relationships based on trust and respect.

    2. Exhibit and defend professional and personal integrity and honesty at all times.

    3. Demonstrate sensitivity for the customs, practices, culture and personal beliefs of others.

    4. Comply with TWAM’s Global Safeguarding and Code of Conduct policies

    5. Challenge others if they suspect unlawful or unethical conduct or behaviour.

    6. Promptly report any safeguarding concerns

    7. Not to expose others to the risk of discrimination, neglect, harm or abuse or coerce others to sex acts, criminal acts or bribery.

    8. Not to emotionally abuse another person, such as engaging in behaviour intended to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade or to act in ways that may be violent, inappropriate or sexually provocative.

 

How to report a safeguarding concern

  1. If you wish to report a safeguarding concern please report it to your nearest Regional Development Manager

  2. If the concern is about a Regional Development Manager please report it to the Country Leader

  3. If the concern is about the Country Leader in our in-country partner (the organisation you collect tools from) please report it to your UK based Country Coordinator

  4. If the concern is about the UK based Country Coordinator, please contact our UK based Global Safeguarding Officer on safeguarding@twam.uk

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What will happen next

Once a concern is reported we will ask the Country Leader or partner (if the concern is not about them) to investigate.  They will contact you, or if you are a women ask the designated female safeguarding officer in your country to contact you.  Depending on the concern we will report it to the relevant authorities or police.  If we suspect criminal activity we will always do this.

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Once an investigation has been concluded you will be informed of the outcome and any actions or compensation that are considered appropriate.  

 

You can download our Global Safeguarding Policy here

 

You can download our Global Code of Conduct here

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