Safeguarding Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children, at risk adults and beneficiaries of
assistance, from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with ELIF. This includes
harm arising from:

• The conduct of trustees or personnel associated with ELIF
• The design and implementation of ELIF’s programmes and activities

The policy lays out the commitments made by ELIF, and informs trustees and associated personnel ¹ of
their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
This policy does not cover:

• Sexual harassment in the workplace – this is dealt with under ELIF’s Anti Bullying and Harassment
  Policy
• Safeguarding concerns in the wider community not perpetrated by ELIF or associated personnel

What is safeguarding?

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect ²
In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at risk adults, from harm
that arises from coming into contact with our trustees or programmes.
Further definitions relating to safeguarding are provided in the glossary below

Scope

• All ELIF trustees.
• Associated personnel whilst engaged with work or visits related to ELIF, including but not limited to
  the following: paid staff, consultants; volunteers; contractors; programme visitors including journalists,
  celebrities and politicians

Policy Statement

ELIF believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. ELIF will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by trustees or associated personnel.

This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding [as appropriate]: child safeguarding, adult
safeguarding, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. These key areas of safeguarding may
have different policies and procedures associated with them (see Associated Policies).
ELIF commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention,
reporting and response.

Prevention

ELIF responsibilities
ELIF will:

• Ensure all trustees have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this
  policy
• Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk
  of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with ELIF. This includes the way in which
  information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated.
• Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying trustees
  and associated personnel
• Ensure trustees receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the
  organization
• Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process

Trustees responsibilities

Child safeguarding
ELIF trustees and associated personnel must not:

• Engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18
• Sexually abuse or exploit children
• Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
• Engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labour or trafficking

Adult safeguarding

ELIF trustees and associated personnel must not:

• Sexually abuse or exploit at risk adults
• Subject an at risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect

Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse

ELIF trustees and associated personnel must not:

• Exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange
  of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance
• Engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on
  inherently unequal power dynamics
  Additionally, ELIF trustees and associated personnel are obliged to:
• Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and
  promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy
• Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by an ELIF trustees member
  or associated personnel to the appropriate trustees member

Enabling reports

ELIF will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made
available to trustees and the communities we work with.
Any trusteesreporting concerns or complaints through formal whistleblowing channels (or if they request
it) will be protected by ELIF’s Disclosure of Malpractice in the Workplace (Whistleblowing) Policy.
ELIF will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official
bodies.
How to report a safeguarding concern
Trustee members who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately
to ELIF’s chair. If the trustee member does not feel comfortable reporting to the Chair (for example if
they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern) they
may report to any other appropriate trustee member.
Chair: Mr. Safa Alkateb.

Response

ELIF will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and
statutory obligations (see Procedures for reporting and response to safeguarding concerns in Associated
Policies).
ELIF will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to trustees found in breach of policy.
ELIF will offer support to survivors of harm caused by trustees or associated personnel, regardless of
whether a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation). Decisions regarding
support will be led by the survivor.

Confidentiality

It is essential that confidentiality in maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding
concerns. Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a
need to know basis only, and should be kept secure at all times.

Associated policies

Code of Conduct
Anti Bullying and Harassment policy
Disclosure of Malpractice in the Workplace (Whistleblower) policy
Child Safeguarding policy
Adult Safeguarding policy
PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by trustees) policy
Complaints Policy
Procedures for reporting and response to safeguarding concerns
Procedures for safeguarding in trustees recruitment

Glossary of Terms

Beneficiary of Assistance
Someone who directly receives goods or services from ELIF’s programme. Note that misuse of power can
also apply to the wider community that the NGO serves, and also can include exploitation by giving the
perception of being in a position of power.

Child
A person below the age of 18

Harm
Psychological, physical and any other infringement of an individual’s rights

Psychological harm
Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bad name calling, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming, solitary confinement and isolation

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
The term used by the humanitarian and development community to refer to the prevention of sexual
exploitation and abuse of affected populations by trustees or associated personnel. The term derives
from the United Nations Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual
Exploitation and Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13)

Safeguarding
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect ²
In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our trustees or programmes. One donor definition is as follows:

Safeguarding means taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm, particularly sexual exploitation, abuse
and harassment from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that
harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur.

This definition draws from our values and principles and shapes our culture. It pays specific attention to
preventing and responding to harm from any potential, actual or attempted abuse of power, trust, or
vulnerability, especially for sexual purposes.

Safeguarding applies consistently and without exception across our programmes, partners and trustees.
It requires proactively identifying, preventing and guarding against all risks of harm, exploitation and
abuse and having mature, accountable and transparent systems for response, reporting and learning
when risks materialise. Those systems must be survivor-centred and also protect those accused until
proven guilty.

Safeguarding puts beneficiaries and affected persons at the centre of all we do.

Sexual abuse
The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by
force or under unequal or coercive conditions.

Sexual exploitation
The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability,
differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially
or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. This definition incudes human trafficking and
modern slavery.

Survivor
The person who has been abused or exploited. The term ‘survivor’ is often used in preference to ‘victim’
as it implies strength, resilience and the capacity to survive, however it is the individual’s choice how they
wish to identify themselves.

At risk adult
Sometimes also referred to as vulnerable adult. A person who is or may be in need of care by reason of
mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or
unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

1. See ‘Scope’ for definition of associated personnel
2. NHS ‘What is Safeguarding? Easy Read’ 2011