Introductory Child Safeguarding Policy Workshop

“How do Sports Institutions Apply Child Safeguarding Measures?” Workshop

Child Safeguarding in Practice

Child Safeguarding in Sports for Sport Associations (CSP-S01)

Plan International Hong Kong has conducted the first-ever Situation Analysis Research on Child Safeguarding Policy (CSP) in the sports sector. With 20 proposed child safeguarding policy standards developed with comprehensive literature review, this study attempts to benchmark the implementation of child safeguarding policy in local sports organisations against the global standards. It also aims at analysing the factors influencing the level of CSP implementation, including the understanding on child abuse, attitudes towards CSP and if any barriers exist which affect the level of CSP implementation. For more details, please see the executive summary and research summary.
If you are interested in reading the full research report, please kindly contact us.
Clear code of conduct allows staff to identify appropriate and inappropriate behaviors towards children and protect the safety of children. For example, requiring staff to avoid staying alone with children for a certain period of time and forbidding them to engage in any sexual relations with children can prevent children from falling victim into sexual abuse in the organisation. Setting up the rule of ‘no abusive or derogatory language’ can also help prevent children from suffering psychological abuse.
The usual and standard reply of many institutions would be: “The organisation will handle and follow-up the complaints of suspected child abuse seriously.” However, to understand whether child safety is really the top priority of the institution, you may ask the following questions:
要了解機構如何保障兒童安全,最簡單直接的方法,是了解機構有沒有訂立「守護兒童政策」,承諾機構將兒童的安全和福祉放在第一位。當然,即使某些機構未必有明確的政策保障兒童安全,也不代表他們沒有任何相關措施。如果你想了解機構如何在各方面保障兒童安全,可以下列問題作參考基準。
清晰的行為守則,能讓員工清楚了解哪些是對待兒童的恰當與不恰當的行為,保障兒童的安全。例如,規定員工避免與兒童長時間單獨相處和不得與兒童發生性關係,便能盡可能避免兒童受到機構工作人員的性侵犯;規定員工不應羞辱或以冒犯性的言語對待兒童亦能盡可能避免兒童在機構內受到精神虐待。
自2012年起,提供與兒童工作相關職位的僱主,可以查核準僱員的性罪行定罪紀錄,以確保其適合從事與兒童經常接觸的工作。你可以了解有關機構內的員工是否已經通過性罪行紀錄查核。值得注意的是,現時政府並無立法強制要求相關僱主使用此機制,而機制所涵蓋的工作類別亦沒有包括志願工作者、私人家庭補習導師及已受聘的現職僱員。
兒童是機構的第一身服務使用者,如果他們覺得機構內的任何人或運作的慣例讓他們感到不安或有安全疑慮,他們需要知道應向誰人反映他們的憂慮。家長亦需要知道機構會如何與他們保持聯繫,讓他們了解子女在機構的情況。
機構需要為員工提供保護兒童的支援和培訓,才能確保機構內的員工了解如何在日常工作中確保兒童的安全。在問及機構就保護兒童的培訓時,不妨了解一下,機構員工是否了解兒童接觸機構時的安全風險,而員工又是否有一致的標準和做法應對兒童安全的問題?例如遇到兒童之間的欺凌事件時員工會如何處理?在機構舉辦活動前會做足風險管理措施確保場地安全嗎?
除了員工之外,機構內的義工、工作伙伴或相關工作人士均有可能接觸兒童,並透過工作上的機會傷害兒童。不妨了解一下,該機構的「守護兒童政策」是否也需要相關人士簽署,確保政策適用於機構內所有接觸兒童的人士?他們是否也得到機構的支援和培訓,以及清楚了解機構保護兒童的行為守則?
相信大部份機構都會這樣回應你:「機構會認真看待和跟進所有懷疑虐兒事件的投訴。」要了解機構的投訴程序過程中有沒有將兒童安全放在第一位,不妨了解以下幾點:
機構應該妥善儲存兒童的個人資料和照片,亦應尊重並保障兒童的私隱,在向外發放兒童的個人資料或圖片前,徵詢兒童及家長的同意。
To understand how the organisation ensures the safety of children, the most simple and direct way is to know whether it has a Child Safeguarding Policy in place and makes a pledge on putting the safety and welfare of children in their top priority. Of course, even if some organisations may not have clear policies on safeguarding children, it does not mean that they don’t have any relevant practices or procedures. If you want to know more about how the organisation protects the safety of children in different aspects, the following questions may serve as a reference for you.
Since 2012, employers offering positions which involve direct contact with children can check the sexual conviction record of prospective employees to ensure they are suitable for the job. You may ask if the organisation requires all its staff to go through the Sexual Conviction Record Check. One point to note is that the use of this mechanism is not a mandatory requirement by law, and it does not cover volunteers, private tuition tutors and existing employees under permanent contract.
The organisation needs to provide assistance and training to staff and anyone working around children so that they will know how to protect children in daily operation. When asking about child protection training, you may want to know if the staff understand the safety risks involved when children come into contact with the organisation, and whether they have the same standards and practices around issues related to child safety. For example, how do the staff handle the situation of bullying among children? Does the organisation put in place sufficient risk management measures to ensure the venue and every aspect of the organisation activities are safe for children?
Apart from staff, volunteers, partners and associates of the organisation may also come in contact with children and bring harm to them. You may want to know whether the Child Safeguarding Policy applies to all personnel who come in contact with children in the organisation with an acknowledgement of signature. You may also ask if all personnel have received assistance and training provided by the institution, and whether they have clear understanding of the Safeguarding Code of Conduct.
Children are the primary users of the services provided by the organisation. If they feel uncomfortable with any personnel or have safety concerns with the operation of the institution, they need to know who to turn to in order to reflect their concerns. Parents will also need to know how the organisation will keep in touch with them and keep them informed on their children’s situation in the organisation.
The organisation should store the personal information and photos of the child appropriately, respect and protect the privacy of the child by seeking the consent of the child and parent before disclosing personal information or photos of the child to the public.