Child protection policy

PRINCIPLES OF CHILD PROTECTION AND EQUAL RIGHTS "SINCE HEART" BF.

BF "Schyre Sertse" wants children all over the world to feel safe.

The principles of child protection of BF "Schyre Sertse" were developed in order to ensure the rights of children in the sphere of influence of BF "Schyre Sertse", to protect them from careless and cruel treatment, and to introduce children's rights wherever our activities are implemented.

The principles of equal rights ensure that people are protected from unfair treatment because of their nationality, skin color, age, special needs, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs. These characteristics should not put a person at a disadvantage.

The principles of child protection and equal rights of BF Shchyre Sertse apply to:

Our employees
Volunteers and interns
Members of the Board
Our partners in developing countries

The Board of Trustees of Shchyre Sertse is responsible for the implementation of the principles. For this we will:

introduce policies for our employees, job applicants, volunteers, interns and partners;
train those recruiting candidates for work or volunteering in the principles of ensuring a non-discriminatory candidate selection process;
conduct annual data analysis (for example, nationality, gender, special needs) of candidates, employees and volunteers to monitor the results of the equal rights policy.

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF SINCE HEART BF

Mission: "Schyre Sertse" BF supports and helps people and communities who are in a vulnerable situation, creating sustainable and innovative solutions for them.

The vision of BF "Sincere Heart" is a safe and stable world where everyone can have a dignified life.

Values of BF "Sincere Heart":

We respect the dignity and rights of the child.
Every Ukrainian child is a child of war, but everyone perceives it in their own way. It is important to listen to all children and teach them to keep control of what is happening so that they do not depend on help.
We believe that the best results in overcoming children's injuries can be achieved with the help of specialists.
By involving parents in this process, we prevent family conflicts and problems.
We are for a future where children are not victims of war, but free and happy citizens.
We work together with children and for children.

The principles of BF "Schyre Sertse" include an equal approach to all people and the protection of their rights, regardless of their nationality, skin color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, special needs or cultural origin.

BF "Sincere Heart" is governed by the Act on Equal Treatment in force in Estonia: https://www.riigiteataia.ee/akt/nOQ644c;?leiaKehtiv
Employees, volunteers and partners of BF "Schyre Sertse" are obliged to ensure the rights of children and groups of people who are in a vulnerable or socially excluded situation, and to protect them from careless and cruel treatment both in the performance of their official duties and outside of work sometimes.
BF "Schyre Sertse" is governed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, approved by the United Nations in 1989. Every child and adolescent, up to the age of 18, is subject to the rights specified in the Convention.

All children in the world are equal.

Every child has the right to attend school, learn and acquire knowledge.
If a child becomes ill, they have the right to receive the necessary and best treatment to restore their health.
Every child has the right to a full life. Children with mental or physical disabilities have the right to special care and assistance.
Every child has the right to rest and free time for play and other activities.
Every child has the right to be protected from neglect and abuse, and no child should be subjected to abuse.
No one has the right to use a child for personal gain, including sexual purposes.
Every child has the right to privacy.

POSSIBLE RISKS

Risk	Probability	Elimination of risk
Beneficiary organizations and partners who are not familiar with the principles of equal treatment or are unwilling to apply these principles in their daily work may inadvertently discriminate against people based on their nationality, skin color, etc.	High	Translate the principles of equal treatment of Shchyre Sertse BF into local languages by adding rules to partnership agreements. Educate partner organizations so that they can identify potential cases of discrimination in a timely manner.
Lack of awareness among beneficiaries of children's rights and violation of these rights as a result.	High	Translation of the principles of equal treatment of BF "Schyre Sertse" into local languages, adding these rules to partnership agreements. Research the laws of partner countries. Give children the opportunity to: inform them about their rights, explain what types of behavior are acceptable and what are not, give recommendations on where to turn in case of misbehavior. Educate staff, volunteers and partners and create a sense of responsibility so that any child maltreatment is detected early. Communicate with the local children's organization to see how our principles can be applied in practice.
Children's rights to education are violated, the risk is especially high among girls and children with special needs.	average	One of the main target groups of the Shchyre Sertse BF support programs is children and improving their educational opportunities. We pay special attention to girls, children who have lost one or both parents, and children with special needs.
Photographing a child or publishing their photos / details of their private life without their consent; stereotypical and overgeneralizing captions.	average	Photographing children is always a tricky issue as they may not always understand what will be done with the photographs in the future and how it may affect them. With that in mind, it's important to have an ethical compass handy when photographing children and to consider whether they would want to see a photo of their child or younger relative on a foreign non-profit website. We recommend that you follow the Dochas Code of Conduct when taking and posting photos: https://dochas.ie/sites/default/files/lllustrative_Guide_to_the_Dochas_Code_of_Conduct_on_lmages_and_Messages.pdf Train employees and volunteers. The "Schyre Sertse" BF communications manual contains recommendations. regarding photographing children and will be reviewed with volunteers prior to assignment.
Insufficient awareness of people with special needs regarding the assignments of BF "Schyre Sertse" and their lack of interest in employment for paid or volunteer work.	average	Collaborate with organizations related to people with special needs to support the inclusion of such people in programs.
Sexual exploitation of children	low	BF "Schyre Sertse" does not hire or send on assignments persons who have been convicted of sexual violence against children. We conduct criminal background checks.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Every employee of BF "Schyre Sertse" signs this code of conduct and must adhere to it during work. We expect our staff and volunteers to behave professionally and with care at all times.

Employees and volunteers must not:

Threaten anyone
Use physical force
Yell at other people
Avoid or isolate certain people or refuse to cooperate with them
Spread offensive jokes
Distribute material aimed at offending certain groups (such as sexist or racist jokes) via email and social media or by any other means
Engage in sexual relations with children or use violence
Behaving in a sexually provocative manner
Engage in sexual relations with members of the population residing in
in a state of crisis
Approve or assist in illegal or dangerous activities by children
Behaving in a way that humiliates children or is emotionally stressful in some other way
Discriminate or favor certain children.

Employees and volunteers will adhere to the basic principles of humanitarian aid coordination:

Sexual exploitation and abuse of humanitarian workers can be grounds for dismissal.
Sexual activity with children (those under the age of majority or age of consent) is prohibited regardless of the age of consent at the local level. A mistaken belief as to a child's age is not a defense to liability.
The exchange of money, goods, or services for sexual relations, including sexual favors or other forms of degrading or exploitative behavior, is prohibited. This also applies to the exchange of aid that belongs to the beneficiaries.
Any relationship between persons providing humanitarian assistance and protection and a person receiving humanitarian assistance and protection initiated by abuse of position is prohibited. Such relationships undermine the credibility and integrity of humanitarian work.
If an aid worker suspects sexual abuse or exploitation by a staff member, whether or not they work for the same organization, they should report those suspicions through the organization's established reporting mechanisms.
Humanitarian workers have a responsibility to create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse and promotes the implementation of their code of conduct.
Managers at all levels have special responsibilities for maintaining and developing the systems that enable this environment.

NOTIFICATION OF UNFAIR BEHAVIOR OR VIOLATION OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

An employee, volunteer or partner of BF "Schyre Sertse" who notices that someone is behaving illegally, a child is subjected to cruel treatment or notices other unfair actions (see the list in the previous paragraph), must notify the board members of BF "Schyre Sertse" by sending by e-mail to: Information can also be provided by phone: +38 (068) 059 94 80
If the person reporting a child in need of assistance is in doubt
various options can be considered for the security of the means of communication at its disposal
ensuring the security of personal data. For example, at first you can
report that the child needs help, and then, together with the recipient
data, decide how to provide personal data regarding the need in a secure manner.
Both employees and board members of Shchyre Sertse BF must comply with data protection requirements and keep personal data confidential outside of work, using data relating to a child, their family or loved ones only at work to help a child.
The Shchyre Sertse BF board will review all reports, and the person who reported the violation will be notified of the results. Cases of discrimination and harassment will also be analyzed when updating the security plan of the "Schyre Sertse" BF.
The victim will be advised to contact a professional psychiatrist, social worker or child welfare services for help.

AVOIDING DISCRIMINATION WHEN RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES

We train those who hire candidates for positions or volunteering on how to ensure that the hiring process is free from discrimination.
Advertisements for paid and volunteer work must comply with our principles of equal treatment.
All applicants for paid or volunteer work will be equally and fairly assessed for their competence to perform the work.
If possible, more than one person will screen and interview candidates.
Questions discussed during interviews are relevant to the job and are not discriminatory.

UPDATE OF THE PRINCIPLES: The principles of child protection and equal treatment at BF Shchyre Sertse will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary.