Child Protection

Volunteer Africa is committed to ensuring that all children involved in our projects are kept safe from all forms of harm and ill-treatment. Under UK regulations volunteers working on sites on the project in Singida where children are present, is classed as a controlled activity. Under this classification you will need an Enhanced Criminal Records Check and we will check your name against the Barred list of the Independent Safeguarding Agency.

Everyone involved in the work of Volunteer Africa projects has a part to play in keeping children safe.

Volunteer Africa will ensure that:
1. Volunteers are suitable to work with children by ensuring that effective recruitment procedures are followed (interview, vetting & references)
2. Volunteers are briefed about the way they should behave towards children and provided with a Code of Conduct
3. Any complaints, allegations or concerns receive appropriate attention and steps are taken to ensure the safety of all concerned

Volunteers are encouraged to:
1. Co-operate with Volunteer Africa's vetting arrangements and provide the necessary documents and/or consent to ensure that criminal records checks can be completed (Click here for Vetting Procedures )
2. Follow Volunteer Africa's Code of Conduct at all times and take action if they witness or suspect someone else is behaving inappropriately
3. Bring any complaints, allegations or concerns to the attention of Volunteer Africa without delay - regardless of the circumstances

Volunteers are suitable to work with children by ensuring that effective recruitment procedures are followed (interview, vetting & references)

All volunteers applying to participate in a Volunteer Africa project involving children should be interviewed by an approved interviewer. This interview will include questions about the applicant's motivation and previous work experience with children and young people. Following interview, successful applicants will be offered a place on the Volunteer Programme, pending satisfactory references and vetting.

Volunteer Africa requires appropriate official vetting enquiries to be carried out prior to volunteer participation. The acceptable forms of vetting vary from country to country. Any costs associated with vetting must be met by the applicant. Volunteer Africa may take steps to ensure the authenticity of any official documents received.

Volunteer Africa will not permit the involvement of anyone who has been convicted of a sexual offence. In all other cases any criminal convictions revealed will be reviewed by Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators before confirming acceptance on the programme.

Volunteers should also provide a reference from a reputable source. A reference form will be provided to all successful applicants. Referees will be specifically asked whether they know of any reason why the applicant should not work with children.

Volunteers are briefed about the way they should behave towards children and provided with a Code of Conduct

Volunteer Africa will require volunteers to commit to our Child Protection Policy. The declaration form signed by volunteers will include a statement to the effect that;
"I have read, understood and agree to comply with Volunteer Africa's Child Protection Policy. While on the project I will follow the Code of Conduct provided. I have never been convicted of a criminal offence against a child and there are no reasons why I should not have substantial, unsupervised, contact with children."

Code of Conduct

Volunteer Africa's Code of Conduct seeks to ensure that children are kept safe from harm and that volunteers are not placed in a compromising position.

Do put the Code of Conduct into practice
Do remember that Tanzanian culture may be different to your own
Do plan activities, which involve more than one person being present, or at least are within sight/hearing of other volunteers
Do work with other volunteers as a team
Do respect a child's right to personal privacy
Do listen to children's views and concerns
Do encourage others to discuss attitudes/behaviour they do not like
Do remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions
Do recognise that caution is required even in sensitive moments, such as when dealing with bullying or bereavement

Do NOT permit abusive peer activities (e.g. bullying)
Do NOT allow children to stay in volunteer accommodation
Do NOT play rough physical contact games with children
Do NOT have any inappropriate physical or verbal contact with others
Do NOT jump to conclusions about others without checking facts
Do NOT show favouritism to any individual (e.g. money, gifts etc)
Do NOT give excessive gifts to children or their families (donations can be made through Volunteer Africa)
Do NOT make suggestive remarks or gestures to children, even in fun
Do NOT ignore others who do not put the Code of Conduct into practice

Volunteers should report any complaints, allegations or concerns to Volunteer Africa without delay - by contacting Trustee Susie Tysome on susie@volunteerafrica.org.

Any complaints, allegations or concerns receive appropriate attention and that steps are taken to ensure the safety of others.

Volunteer Africa will take seriously any complaints, allegations or concerns made against volunteers or those connected with our projects. The response to complaints, allegations or concerns against volunteers will be managed by one of Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators. The staff of host agencies may be asked to support any information gathering or deal with communication difficulties; however Volunteer Africa will remain responsible for all decisions regarding a volunteer's continued participation in the programme.

Volunteer Africa reserves the right to suspend any volunteer's involvement with its projects and may do so pending investigation of any complaints, allegations or concerns. Volunteers will be informed of any such action by Volunteer Africa staff or their representatives. Volunteers will only be permitted to resume their participation where this is approved by one of Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators.

Allegations of a criminal nature will be brought to the attention of the local Tanzanian Police. Volunteers are subject to Tanzania law while in the country. A number of countries have laws enabling the prosecution of their citizens for offences committed overseas. Volunteer Africa may pass details of any complaints, allegations or concerns received to appropriate law enforcement agencies in a volunteer's home country.

The response to complaints, allegations or concerns against the staff or others connected with host agencies will be managed by one of Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators. Volunteer Africa is not responsible for the management of other organisations. Any complaints, allegations or concerns received will be passed to the responsible officers of the appropriate organisations. In the event that the responsible officers of the organisation are the subject of the allegations, Volunteer Africa may pass relevant information to the Tanzanian Police.

Volunteer Africa may suspend its involvement with other organisations that do not take appropriate action to protect children. The decision to suspend involvement with other organisations will rest with one of Volunteer Africa's Co-ordinators.

Volunteer Africa will co-operate with any bone-fide investigation resulting from one of its projects. Legal constraints regarding the release of information of third parties (such as the UK's Data Protection Act and other nation's equivalents) will be observed; in these circumstances advice may be sought from appropriate sources.