SAFEGUARDING FOR NGOs
How can your NGO improve its approach to safeguarding and protect itself against the risk of abuse?
As non-governmental organizations or NGOs (particularly those involved in providing international aid) are often forced to mobilise huge teams at a moment’s notice to respond to emergencies in some of the most remote areas of the world.
The incredible pressures involved can unfortunately sometimes make it difficult to meet their desired standards when it comes to recruitment and training.
This can lead to compromises being made and these compromises can sometimes leave NGOs open to allegations of abuse and exploitation against the external contractors and service providers representing the organization locally.
While it is difficult for NGOs to maintain complete control over externally contracted staff working thousands of miles away, there are a series of steps you can take to identify potential risks and put the required protocols, procedures, and training in place to protect you from such accusations.
HL Safeguarding’s team of highly experienced safeguarding experts are here to help you through this series of steps.
They will help you design and implement the safeguarding framework your organization needs to mitigate the potential risk of accusations of abuse and provide the tools your Directors, Trustees, and senior management will need to make sure everything is being followed correctly.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOUR NGO IMPROVE ITS APPROACH TO SAFEGUARDING?
Depending on your aims, objectives, and areas of operation HL Safeguarding’s experienced team will help you:
- Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify and address the safeguarding risks and issues that may impact on your NGO’s work.
- Develop the policies and protocols you’ll need to introduce to mitigate these risks and help you with the roll-out.
- Review your current operational practices and suggest how these can be improved to better protect those who come in to contact with your organization’s local contractors and representatives.
- Provide the training required to make sure all your staff are familiar with and now how to execute their safeguarding responsibilities.
- Help you introduce a more stringent safeguarding element to your recruitment, management, and staff deployment.
- Provide you with a framework you can use to respond to reports or accusations of abuse, exploitation, or neglect.
- Manage the legal response resulting from a breach of safeguarding policy or an allegation of abuse, exploitation, or neglect.
- Ensure the victims, their families and their local community have the clear path to justice they deserve, safe from intimidation and administrative or procedural delays.
HL Safeguarding 