Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy

1. Purpose and Commitment

Paranubhuti Foundation is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in its care, programs, activities, and services. The Foundation recognises its responsibility to provide a safe, respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment and to protect children from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and inappropriate conduct.

For the purpose of this Policy and its associated procedures, a child means any person below the age of 18 years.

All staff, volunteers, members, representatives, partners, and other persons working with or on behalf of Paranubhuti Foundation are expected to contribute to creating an environment in which children are safe, respected, heard, and protected.

Paranubhuti Foundation is committed to embracing difference and diversity and respecting the rights, dignity, views, wishes, and feelings of every child and young person.

2. Guiding Principles

This Policy is based on the following fundamental principles:

• The welfare and best interests of children shall be the primary concern in all decisions and activities involving children.
• Every child has an equal right to protection from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, and inappropriate behaviour.
• Protection shall be provided to all children regardless of their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial or ethnic origin, socio-economic status, religious belief, sexual identity, or any other personal characteristic.
• Child protection is everyone’s responsibility. Every staff member, volunteer, member, representative, and person associated with the Foundation has a responsibility to help safeguard children.
• Children have the right to be listened to and to express their views, wishes, and concerns on matters that affect them, in a manner appropriate to their age and understanding.
• Children should be treated with dignity, fairness, respect, and without discrimination.
• Paranubhuti Foundation shall work in partnership with children, parents, guardians, carers, communities, and relevant organisations to promote children’s welfare, health, safety, and development.
• Concerns relating to the safety or welfare of a child shall be taken seriously, responded to appropriately, and handled promptly and responsibly.
• All safeguarding actions shall seek to protect children while maintaining appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and respect for all persons involved.

3. Paranubhuti Foundation’s Commitments

Paranubhuti Foundation will:

• Promote the health, safety, welfare, and development of children by providing safe and appropriate opportunities for them to participate in the Foundation’s programs, activities, educational initiatives, community work, sports, and other services.
• Respect and promote the rights, wishes, feelings, dignity, and individuality of children and young people.
• Establish, promote, and implement appropriate child safeguarding and protection procedures to protect children from abuse, neglect, exploitation, harm, and inappropriate conduct.
• Take reasonable steps to identify, assess, prevent, and reduce safeguarding risks associated with its activities, programs, events, field visits, volunteers, staff, and other interactions with children.
• Recruit, select, train, support, and appropriately supervise staff, members, and volunteers so that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities and good practices.
• Provide appropriate training, guidance, supervision, and support to staff and volunteers working with or around children.
• Require all relevant staff, members, volunteers, interns, representatives, and associated personnel to understand, accept, and comply with this Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and its related procedures.
• Promote professional and appropriate behaviour when interacting with children and ensure that individuals associated with the Foundation understand acceptable and unacceptable conduct.
• Respond promptly and appropriately to any allegation, disclosure, suspicion, concern, or report of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, misconduct, or other safeguarding risk.
• Handle safeguarding concerns in accordance with this Policy, applicable procedures, and relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Where appropriate, initiate or follow relevant disciplinary, grievance, investigation, reporting, and appeals procedures in response to misconduct or safeguarding concerns.
• Cooperate, where appropriate and legally required, with parents/guardians, child protection authorities, law enforcement agencies, local Child Protection Committees, healthcare professionals, and other competent authorities or organisations.
• Observe and implement applicable laws, regulations, statutory requirements, and recognised guidance concerning the protection and welfare of children.
• Take appropriate measures to protect children from abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, harassment, violence, and other forms of harm within the Foundation’s sphere of responsibility.
• Ensure that safeguarding concerns are handled with appropriate confidentiality and sensitivity, while recognising that information may need to be shared with authorised persons or competent authorities where necessary to protect a child or comply with the law.
• Regularly monitor, evaluate, and improve the implementation and effectiveness of this Policy and its associated procedures.
• Maintain appropriate records of safeguarding concerns, actions, training, and reviews in accordance with applicable requirements and the Foundation’s internal procedures.
• Promote a culture in which staff and volunteers feel able to raise concerns without fear of retaliation or disadvantage.

4. Responsibilities of Staff and Volunteers

All staff, volunteers, members, interns, representatives, and other persons associated with Paranubhuti Foundation who interact with children are expected to:

• Follow this Policy and all related safeguarding procedures.
• Treat every child with dignity, respect, fairness, and care.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children.
• Avoid behaviour that could place a child or themselves at unnecessary risk.
• Remain alert to signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation, distress, or other safeguarding concerns.
• Report any safeguarding concern, allegation, disclosure, or suspected abuse through the appropriate reporting procedure.
• Never knowingly ignore, conceal, or minimise a safeguarding concern.
• Cooperate appropriately with safeguarding investigations and protective measures.
• Participate in required safeguarding training and awareness activities.

5. Response to Concerns and Allegations

Paranubhuti Foundation will take all safeguarding concerns seriously, regardless of whether they relate to a staff member, volunteer, member, partner, visitor, parent/carer, other child, or any other person.

Where a concern or allegation arises, the Foundation will:

• Prioritise the immediate safety and welfare of the child.
• Respond to disclosures or concerns sensitively and without intimidation, blame, or judgement.
• Follow established reporting and safeguarding procedures.
• Refer or report matters to appropriate competent authorities wherever required or appropriate.
• Take reasonable steps to prevent further harm while a matter is being assessed or investigated.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and share information only with persons who have a legitimate need to know, subject to applicable law.
• Take appropriate action under relevant disciplinary or organisational procedures where misconduct is established.

6. Partnership and Participation

Paranubhuti Foundation recognises that effective child protection requires cooperation and partnership.

The Foundation will, wherever appropriate:

• Encourage children to express their views, concerns, wishes, and experiences.
• Involve parents, guardians, and carers appropriately in promoting children’s welfare.
• Work collaboratively with relevant community organisations, schools, healthcare providers, authorities, and other stakeholders.
• Consider the age, maturity, communication needs, disability, and individual circumstances of children when seeking their views or communicating safeguarding information.

7. Monitoring and Review

This Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and its associated procedures shall be regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that they remain effective, relevant, and compliant with applicable requirements.

The Policy will be reviewed:

• In accordance with changes in applicable legislation, regulations, standards, or guidance relating to the protection and welfare of children.
• Following any significant changes in the structure, activities, programs, operations, or working practices of Paranubhuti Foundation.
• Following any safeguarding incident, allegation, concern, complaint, or identified risk that indicates a need to strengthen the Policy or procedures.
• When significant issues or concerns are raised regarding the protection and welfare of children within Paranubhuti Foundation.
• Following lessons learned from safeguarding cases, reviews, audits, or organisational experience.
• In all other circumstances, at least once every three years.

Paranubhuti Foundation reserves the right to review and update this Policy at any time where circumstances, legal requirements, organisational needs, or safeguarding considerations require an earlier review.

8. Policy Statement

Paranubhuti Foundation believes that every child has the right to grow, learn, participate, and develop in an environment that is safe, respectful, inclusive, and free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination.

Safeguarding children is a shared responsibility. Paranubhuti Foundation is committed to maintaining strong safeguarding practices and continuously improving its systems, procedures, training, and organisational culture to ensure that the welfare and best interests of children remain at the centre of its work.