CHILD PROTECTION POLICY, CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

THE PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION

CHILD PROTECTION DIRECTIVE

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

OF THE

PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION - ENGLISH BELOW

EFFECTIVE: from 01.11.2023

PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION CHILD PROTECTION POLICY¹

1. Objectives:

The purpose of this policy is to protect children and young people who come into contact with Partners Hungary Foundation (hereinafter referred to as "the Foundation") and participate in the activities of the Foundation from various forms of abuse, insult and ill-treatment, and to ensure their protection as follows:

1.1 The rights and welfare of children shall be a primary consideration in the work of the Foundation;

1.2. all employees, agents, volunteers, contractors, collaborators and partner organisations of the Foundation shall apply appropriate child protection protocols in accordance with their role at the Foundation and take appropriate action in the event of suspected abuse or endangerment;

1.3. the Directive sets out a clear and transparent framework for the necessary action to be taken in cases of suspected child abuse or endangerment.

II. Legislative background:

This Directive has been drafted taking into account the following legislation:

2.1 UNICEF Policy on Conduct Promoting the Protection and Safeguarding of Children (CF/EXD/2016-006) ("UNICEF CS Policy"),

2.2 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - Act LXIV of 1991 on the proclamation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed in New York on 20 November 1989,

2.3 Act V of 2013 on the Civil Code,

2.4 Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code,

2.5 Act I of 2012 on the Labour Code ,

2.6 Act XXXXI of 1997 on the Protection of Children and Guardianship Administration,

2.7 Act CXII of 2011 on the Right to Informational Self-Determination and Freedom of Information.

III. Scope of the Directive

This policy applies to all employees, agents, volunteers, contractors, contributors and partner organisations of the Foundation.

IV. Definitions

For the purposes of this Directive, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

4.1. Children: who has not reached the age of eighteen.

4.2. Young adult: a person who has reached the age of majority and is under the age of 24.

4.3. Staff: employees, agents, volunteers of the Foundation, all other contributors in a legal relationship with the Foundation.

4.4. Partner organisation: external national, national and international organisations (companies, institutions, social organisations, etc.) cooperating with the Foundation.

4.5. Child protection focal point: the person who coordinates the implementation of the Child Protection Directive, its necessary amendments, and child protection alerts and cases.

4.6. Child abuse: child abuse is when someone causes physical or psychological harm or pain to a child. It is also child abuse if someone witnesses an act of harm to a child but does not prevent or report it.

4.7. Forms of child abuse:

• Neglect (maltreatment): long-term neglect or severe deficits in meeting needs, e.g. physical, emotional and educational neglect.
• Emotional abuse: systematic, long-term emotional maltreatment (shaming, criticising, emotional blackmail, exploitation, scaring, scolding, verbal abuse, communicating unloved feelings to the child, if the child is child regularly witnesses the abuse of other people's eyes and ears), which has a detrimental effect on the child's emotional development.
• Physical abuse: an intentional act or negligence that results in physical injury to a child (e.g. hitting, shaking, hair pulling, forcing a child into uncomfortable positions, any type of corporal punishment).

• Sexual assault (abuse): the involvement of a child in any sexual act.
• Contemporary abuse (child-on-child abuse): where a child is abused by a child in emotional, physical, sexual or cyberbullying (sending threatening messages or images through electronic communication) ways. Child-to-child bullying is when the bully intentionally, knowingly, and usually without a specific reason, wants to hurt the victim; the bullying is repeated over a long period of time; there is a power or authority differential between the bully and the victim, which leaves the victim unable to defend him/herself.

V. General rules

5.1 The protection of children and children's rights is one of the main objectives of Partners Hungary Foundation, and it is the responsibility of all employees and partner organisations of the Foundation to be aware of and comply with this policy.

5.2 The Foundation applies the principle of zero tolerance to violence against children in its work. The Foundation takes special care in relation to its events that involve children in any way, assessing the likely risks of the event for children's rights and child protection. Where there is a suspicion of a violation of children's rights at any of the Foundation's programmes or events, the best interests of the child shall be the primary consideration in any proceedings.

5.3 It is the responsibility of the Child Protection Focal Point to inform staff of the policy before they start work, but each member of staff is responsible for their own compliance. The Child Protection Focal Point is supported in this task by his/her supervisor.

5.4 Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all companies, institutions or social organisations that cooperate in the Foundation's programmes. The focal point for child protection within the Foundation is responsible for informing companies, institutions or social organisations about the policy, but each company, institution or social organisation is responsible for its own compliance.

5.5 Partners Hungary Foundation is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Child Protection Directive.

VI. Pre-screening when recruiting new staff and working with external partners

The Foundation takes into account child protection aspects when selecting new staff and when establishing cooperation with companies, institutions or social organisations. Given that new staff members and partner organisations may come into contact with children, the following steps should be taken in the selection process:

6.1 For new employees who will come into contact with children in the course of their work, a certificate of good conduct not more than 3 months old is required in all cases. No person shall be employed who has previously committed a criminal offence against minors or who, during the selection process, is found to be the subject of an ongoing criminal proceeding or has been the subject of a complaint or violation of children's rights.

6.2 In the case of new partner organisations, if they may come into contact with children and young adults in the course of their cooperation with Partners Hungary Foundation, the new partner organisation must be familiar with and accept the Foundation's Child Protection Policy.

6.3 All new employees and partner organisations must read and accept this policy.

VII Behaviour

7.1 Given that the children and young adults who come into contact with the Foundation often regard the staff as persons in a position of trust, it is of paramount importance that they act in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and conduct. Amongst other things, they should fulfil their duty of care to children, respect their rights and dignity, and generally act without discrimination and in the best interests of the child, regardless of gender, race, nationality, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation or ability.

7.2 The general standards of conduct for the protection of children are set out in the Foundation's Code of Conduct.

VIII. Orientation training

8.1 All new employees are required to attend an orientation session on the Code of Conduct and the Child Protection Directive.

8.2 Volunteers will attend a group orientation session, during which they will receive brief training on the Code of Conduct and the Child Protection Directive, depending on the nature of their tasks.

8.3 Partner organisations must be informed about the content of the Code of Conduct and the Child Protection Directive by the staff members working on the joint project concerned.

IX. Image, sound and video recordings

9.1 Written consent of the legal guardian and the permission of the child or young adult concerned must be obtained in all cases before making any photographic, audio or video recordings. The child, young adult and legal representative concerned must be informed of the purpose of the recordings, the disclosure of the recordings and the possibilities for erasure.

9.2 The best interests of the child must be a primary consideration when making photographic, audio and video recordings, including ensuring the child's right to privacy, respecting the child's dignity and ensuring that the child is provided with information appropriate to his or her age and maturity.

X. Data protection

10.1 The Foundation shall make every reasonable effort to ensure adequate data protection and data security, including compliance with applicable data protection and data security requirements, when processing children's data.

10.2 Access to children's personal data recorded in internal systems is strictly limited to those directly involved in the relevant projects and only on a need-to-know basis. Any misuse or leakage of data poses a risk to children. Every effort should be made to prevent unauthorised access or inappropriate use.

XI. Child protection signals

11.1 The Foundation takes all reports of child rights violations and child abuse seriously, investigates them and takes the necessary measures.

11.2 The Foundation will treat all notifications as confidential and will only share information related to a notification or investigation on a need-to-know basis. All decisions, including the reasons for decisions, shall be recorded, kept secure and confidential.

11.3 If a suspected violation of children's rights is detected at any of the Foundation's programmes or events, the person who detects the suspected violation shall inform the Foundation's Child Protection Focal Point orally and in writing within 24 hours (immediately in serious cases). The Child Protection Focal Point will investigate the matter and, if necessary, report the problem to the authorities through the Child Protection Signposting System or notify the police.

11.4 If a staff member violates the Partners Hungary Foundation Code of Conduct or this Child Protection Policy, the Foundation's Executive Director (hereinafter: Director) will decide on the employment consequences in cooperation with the Strategic Area Managers and the Child Protection Focal Point.

11.5 If the Partners Hungary Foundation Code of Conduct or this Child Protection Policy is violated by a partner organisation, the strategic area managers will decide together with the Child Protection Focal Point and the Director on the possible consequences and the possibilities for further cooperation.

11.6 Final responsibility for the process rests with the Director.

11.7 Under this policy, it is prohibited to intentionally prevent the raising of child protection concerns or the reporting of concerns about abuse. It is also prohibited to knowingly make a false report or to retaliate against a person who has made a report.

XII. Guidelines for child participation

12.1 The Foundation ensures that the children participating in its programmes and events are volunteers: their participation in the programmes is voluntary, they cannot be forced to express their opinions and they are given the possibility to withdraw from the cooperation at any time.

12.2 The Foundation shall ensure a child-friendly environment for children participating in its programmes and events: it shall make every effort to create safe conditions for children.

12.3 The Foundation shall ensure inclusiveness for children participating in its programmes and events, in accordance with the programme framework: all children shall have the opportunity to participate in programmes and events, avoiding all forms of discrimination.

12.4 All incidents involving children and young people should be evaluated also in the light of whether a child protection referral has been made and, if so, what conclusions can be drawn about the protocols in place at the Foundation.

XIII. Review

13.1 Following the implementation of the Policy, the Director will review annually with the Child Protection Focal Point the Child Protection Indicators for the year and amend the Policy as necessary.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

OF THE

PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION

EFFECTIVE FROM: 01.11.2023

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY OF THE PARTNERS HUNGARY FOUNDATION¹

I. Objectives:

The purpose of this policy is to protect children and young people, involved in the Partners Hungary Foundation (hereinafter: the Foundation) and participating in the Foundation's activities, from various forms of harm, insults or abuse, and to ensure their protection as follows:

1.1. the rights and well-being of children must be considered as primarily important throughout the work of the Foundation;

1.2. all employees, trustees, volunteers, other contractual partners, contributors and partner organisations of the Foundation must apply appropriate child safeguarding protocols according to their role at the Foundation, and take the necessary steps if suspected abuse or endangering arises;

1.3. the policy lays down the necessary measures in a transparent, clear framework if child abuse or endangering is suspected.

II. Legal background:

The policy has been prepared taking into account the following legislation:

​

2.1 UNICEF Policy on Conduct Promoting the Protection and Safeguarding of Children (CF/EXD/2016-006) ("UNICEF CS Policy"),

2.2 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - UN CRC

https://net.jogtar.hu/jogszabaly?docid=99100064.tv

2.3 Act V of 2013 on the Civil Code,

2.4. Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code,

2.5 Act I of 2012 on the Labor Code,

2.6. Act XXXI of 1997 on the Protection of Children and the Administration of Guardianship,

2.7 Act CXII of 2011 on the Right of Informational Self-Determination and on Freedom of Information

III. Scope of the policy

This policy covers all employees, agents, volunteers of the Foundation, all other contractual partners, contributors and partner organisations engaging in a legal relationship with the Foundation.

IV. Definitions of Terms

For the purposes of this policy, the following terms correspond to the meanings below:

4.1 Child: who has not reached the age of 18.

4.2 Young adult: an adult who has not reached the age of 24.

4.3 Employee: the employees of the Foundation, trustees, volunteers, and all other contributors, with whom it has a legal relationship.

4.4 Partner organisation: external, local, national and international organisations cooperating with the Foundation (company, institution, social organisation... etc.).

4.5 Child safeguarding focal point: the member of staff who coordinates the introduction and necessary amendments of the child safeguarding policy, as well as manages child safeguarding signals and cases.

4.6 Child abuse: every case is considered child abuse if someone causes physical or mental injury or pain to a child. It is also considered child abuse if someone witnesses an act to the detriment of a child, but does not prevent or report it.

4.7 Forms of child abuse:

▪ Neglect (maltreatment): long-term failure to meet needs or serious deficiencies, e.g. physical, emotional or educational neglect.

▪ Emotional abuse: regular, long-term, harmful emotional treatment (humiliation, criticism, emotional blackmail, exploitation, intimidation, scolding, conveying unloved feelings to the child or when the child regularly witnesses the abuse of other people), which has a harmful effect on the child's emotional development.

▪ Physical abuse: the intentional act or negligence that leads to the physical injury of the child (e.g. hitting, shaking, pulling hair, forcing into uncomfortable positions, all types of physical punishment).

▪ Sexual abuse: involving a child in any type of sexual act.

▪ Peer abuse (abuse among children): when a child abuses a child in emotional, physical, sexual ways or in the form of cyberbullying (sending threatening messages and images through electronic means of communication). A case of bullying among children, if the abuser intentionally, premeditatedly, usually without a specific reason, wants to hurt the victim; the harassment takes place repeatedly and over a long period of time; there is a significant difference in strength or power between the abuser and the victim that leaves the victim in no position to defend himself or herself.

V. General rules

5.1 The protection of children and their rights is one of the main objectives of the Partners Hungary Foundation, so it is the responsibility of all employees and partner organisations of the Foundation to familiarise themselves and comply with this policy.

5.2 During the Foundation's work, the principle of zero tolerance applies to violence against children. In connection with events of the Foundation in which children are involved in any way, the Foundation takes special care and assesses the expected child rights and child safeguarding risks of the event. If a violation of child rights is suspected at any of the Foundation's functions or events, the best interest of the child must be taken into account as a norm during all procedures.

5.3 The task of the child safeguarding focal point is to familiarise the employees with the policy before their work or assignment, but each employee is responsible for their own compliance. The child safeguarding focal point is supported in this task by its supervisor.

​5.4. Compliance with the policy is mandatory for all companies, institutions or social organisations that cooperate in the Foundation's programmes. Acquainting companies, institutions or social organisations with the policy is the task of the child safeguarding focal point within the Foundation, but each company, institution or social organisation is responsible for their compliance.

5.5. The Partners Hungary Foundation is committed to transparency and responsibility in the implementation of the child safeguarding policy.

VI. Preliminary screening upon hiring of new employees and cooperation with external partners

When selecting new employees and developing cooperation with companies, institutions or social organisations, the Foundation also pays attention to aspects of child protection. Given that new employees and partner organisations may come into contact with children, the following steps must be taken during the selection process:

6.1 In case of new employees who come into contact with children in the course of their work, it is always necessary to present a moral certificate not older than three months. A person who has previously committed a crime against minors or who is found to have been the subject of such a case during the selection process or who has already been mentioned in connection with any child rights violation report or complaint, cannot be employed.

6.2 In case of new partner organisations - if they may come into contact with children and young adults during their cooperation with the Partners Hungary Foundation - the new partner organisation must familiarise themselves with and accept the Foundation's Child Safeguarding Policy.

6.3 Acquaintance with and acceptance of this policy is mandatory for all new employees and partner organisations.

VII Attitude

7.1 Given the fact that children and young adults who come into contact with the Foundation often view the staff working there as trusted persons, it is of utmost importance that they act in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and conduct. Among other things, they must fulfil their duty of care towards children, respect their rights and dignity, and generally act without discrimination, taking into account the best interests of children, regardless of gender, race, nationality, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation or ability.

7.2 The Foundation's Code of Conduct lays down the general standards of conduct to protect children.

VIII. Orientation training

8.1 Every new employee is required to attend an orientation session on learning about the Code of Conduct and the Child Safeguarding Policy.

8.2 The volunteers shall participate in a group orientation session, depending on the nature of their task, during which they receive a short training session regarding the provision of the Code of Conduct and the Child Safeguarding Policy.

8.3. Employees who work on each joint project are obliged to inform the partner organisations about the principles stated in the Code of Conduct and the Child Safeguarding Policy.

IX. Image, sound and video recordings

9.1 Prior to taking pictures, audio or video recordings, the written consent of the legal representative and the permission of the child or young adult concerned must be obtained in all cases. It is necessary to inform the affected child, young adult and legal representative both about the purpose of the recordings, as well as their disclosure and cancellation options.

9.2 When taking pictures, audio or video recordings, it is necessary to act in accordance with the best interests of the child so as, among other things, to ensure the child's right to privacy, to respect his or her dignity and to ensure that age-appropriate education to the level of the child's maturity about the recording process is provided.

X. Data protection

10.1 The Foundation is obliged to do everything in its power to ensure adequate data protection and data security when handling children's data, including compliance with applicable data protection and data security requirements.

10.2 The personal data of children recorded in internal systems can only be accessed strictly by those directly involved in the relevant projects, and only following the principle of the necessary measures. Misuse or leakage of data poses a threat to children. Every effort must be made to prevent unauthorised access or improper use.

XI. Child safeguarding signals

11.1 The Foundation takes all reports regarding violations of children's rights and child abuse seriously, investigates them and takes the necessary measures.

11.2 The Foundation treats reports in confidentiality and shares information related to reports and investigations only to the necessary extent. All decisions, including the reasons for each decision, are recorded, and stored securely and in confidentiality.

11.3 If a violation of children's rights is suspected at any of the Foundation's functions or events, the person who detects the alleged violation shall inform the Foundation's child safeguarding focal point verbally and in writing within 24 hours (and, in serious cases, immediately). An anonymous report can be made at the following email address: segelyvonal@partnershungary.hu.

The child safeguarding focal point ensures the investigation of the case and, if necessary, reports the problem to the authorities via the child safeguarding alert system or notifies the police.

11.4 If an employee violates the Partners Hungary Foundation's Code of Conduct or this Child Safeguarding Policy, the Executive Director of the Foundation (hereinafter: Director) will decide on the employment consequences in cooperation with the strategic area managers and the employee of the child safeguarding focal point.

11.5 If a partner organisation violates the Partners Hungary Foundation's Code of Conduct or this Child Safeguarding Policy, the strategic area managers, together with the staff member of the child safeguarding focal point and the Director, will decide on the possible consequences and the possibilities of further cooperation.

11.6. The Director is ultimately responsible for the process.

11.7 This policy prohibits intentionally preventing the raising of child safeguarding concerns or the reporting of abuse concerns. It is also prohibited to intentionally make a false report or to retaliate against a person who has used a report.

XII. Child Participation Guidelines

12.1 The Foundation ensures volunteering for children participating in the functions and events of the Foundation: children's participation in functions is voluntary, they cannot be forced to express their opinions, and they are guaranteed the opportunity to withdraw from cooperating at any time.

12.2 The Foundation ensures a child-friendly environment for children participating in its functions and events: it does everything to create safe conditions for children.

12.3 Children participating in the functions and events of the Foundation are ensured of inclusivity, in accordance with the framework of the function: every child is given the opportunity to participate in the functions and events, avoiding all forms of discrimination.

12.4 All events involving children and young people must be evaluated in the light of whether a child safeguarding alert has been issued and, if so, what conclusions can be drawn regarding the protocols in effect at the Foundation.

XIII. Review

13.1 After the introduction of the policy, the Director does an annual review of the child safeguarding signals of any given year with the employee of the child safeguarding focal point and, if necessary, amends the Policy.