Child Protection Policy

Child Protection Policy – KindCircle and Buddy4Study India Foundation

This policy and its directives apply to all employees, affiliates, freelancers, operational partners, and business partners/clients (enforceable separately in derivatives) and members of Buddy4Study India Foundation. KindCircle also adheres to all Child Protection Policy of Buddy4Study India Foundation

Buddy4Study being an organisation working towards the betterment of education for children and students worldwide, abides by universal principles and derivatives of safeguarding academic, social, professional, personal and emotional sanctity of children. Buddy4Study operations include ensuring a safe environment for children to seek counselling, mentorship, assistance and thereby contribute towards a holistic development model for them.

This policy lays down the general regulations of engagement, interaction, coordination and communication with children who seek services from Buddy4Study India Foundation or are subjects of the foundation’s outreach programs in any format (online, offline, media, tele, and personal). The policy outlines clear guidelines for stated organization stakeholders regarding behaviour, pedagogy and communication in supervised, non-supervised, solicited, unsolicited and direct, indirect environments.

The prime objectives of the policy are to imbibe the vision and mission of Buddy4Study India Foundation in all operations and processes as carried out by all personnel of the organisation. The individuals and groups of organization working in any capacity and at any location should ensure that students are subjected to the most humane treatment, ensuring their free will and best interests in the information, or services provided thereof. It is the responsibility of the members of the organisation and its associates in any format to maintain civil conduct and deliver legally and morally sanctified treatment.

Objectives and Prime Guidelines of Buddy4Study India Foundation-Child Protection Policy

This policy would help in building capacities of stakeholders –organisations, individuals, families and communities and help us work proactively towards realizing child protection rights of children.

The objectives and prime outlines of the Child Protection Policy of Buddy4Study India Foundation are, to

Provide basic knowledge and understanding on the concepts of child rights and child protection violations
Create consciousness of the urgency of child protection to be accordingly prioritised in civil society under organisational operations
Provide a framework for locating and acting on instances of child protection violations at individual, organisational and community levels.
Enable the reader with information on the laws relevant to child protection issues

Vision for child protection
We aim to create “Child Safe” environments, both internally and externally, where children are respected, protected, empowered and enabled for their own protection, and where staff are skilled, confident, competent and well supported in meeting the child protection responsibilities.

Code of Conduct

Staff, Employees, duty bearers should

Ensure that a culture of openness exists that facilitates children to interact and express their issues and concerns with staff for children's personal, physical, social, emotional, moral and intellectual development.
Encourage and respect children's voices and views. Be inclusive and involve all children without selection or exclusion on the basis of gender, disability, ethnicity, religion or any other status.
Should practice moral restraint themselves and avert from any form of child abuse. They should also identify potential instances for peer abuse and should report such incidences. They should also formulate special measures to protect children (especially vulnerable children) from peer and adult abuse (mental, physical, and emotional).
Avoid placing oneself in a compromising or vulnerable situation when meeting with children.
Immediately report the circumstances of any situation which occurs which may be subject to misinterpretation.
Inform children about steps of interventions being taken with respect to them or in the context of their lives.
Should remain updated about changes and improvisations in the Child Protection policy of the organisation or in general.
Keep data about the children and youth in B4S confidential.
Ensure the responsible use of computers and other information technology and refrain from inappropriate usage, especially that relating to the creation, viewing, downloading or distribution of any inappropriate or offensive material, including, but not restricted to, abusive images of children, pornography or child pornography.
Report all concerns regarding actual or potential child abuse, mistreatment or any other violation according to the reporting and responding system.
Ensure that any instance of managing logistical/accommodation/commute support for children, related to their transport, assembly, or excursion, etc. should be done in appropriate supervision, especially for female and transgender/others where same-sex supervision is mandatory.
Record all decisions of movement of children to hospitals or referral service centres or even in the case of repatriation/ restoration.
Ensure constructive and positive professional relationships with all participants, delegates, applicants, attendees, cooperating, assisting and collaborating children, as well as co-workers.

Staff, Employees, duty bearers shall not

Kiss, hug, fondle, rub or touch a child in an inappropriate or culturally insensitive way.
Sleep alone with any child.
Use corporal punishment or tolerate corporal punishment by the staff.
Act in any manner that puts children at risk.
Implore, coerce or force a child or group of children without consent/due permission to leave secure premises and/or personal space (home, school, college, playschool, etc.)
Use language that will mentally or emotionally abuse the child.
Threaten a child or group of children, or force them with any due/undue implications real/virtual.
Use abusive or offensive language in direct or indirect communication
Tease/mock a child, suggest any racial, religious, gender biased slur or call out nicknames.
Act in any way that intends to embarrass, shame, humiliate or degrade a child.
Show discrimination of race, culture, age, gender, disability, religion, sexuality, or any other status.
Develop a sexual relation with a child.
Give cash or any kind of gifts directly to children.
Do things of a personal nature that a child could do for him/herself, including dressing, bathing and grooming.
Initiate physical contact unless initiated by the child (e.g. holding hands).
Suggest inappropriate behaviour or relations of any kind.
Allow children to engage in sexually provocative games with each other.
Stand aside when they see inappropriate actions inflicted by children on other children because it is frequent and commonplace.
Take children to the residence of any staff member/ superintendent for the night.
Engage children in personal work or employ children at work or otherwise.
Use his/her position for his/her own benefit or for the benefit of family or friends.
Work under the influence of intoxicating substances such as alcohol or any other substances that significantly impair ability to do the job assigned.
Take any photograph that would or could potentially violate the child‘s dignity, or privacy in any way.

Behaviour Protocols for volunteers & other visitors (in addition to the above)

Shall not give cash or any kind of gifts to the children directly unless as an unconditional contribution/donation by the company
Shall not take/collect photos, videos, or stories of children and/or upload the same on blogs or any social networking sites without prior permission from the authority concerned.
Shall not ask personal details of the child and if known, then not to divulge it to others.
Shall not encourage any kind of infatuation.
Shall not ask any child to meet alone outside schools/colleges