‘CHILDREN OF FIJI’ CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
We
believe that every child has at all times
and
in all situations a right
to
feel safe and protected from anything
that
results in that child
being
physically or psychologically damaged.
‘Children
of Fiji’ endorses the rights of children* as outlined in the United Nations ‘Convention on the Rights of the
Child’, Articles 1 to 40. In particular it accepts and promotes that
i)
all children have the right to live in a safe environment, protected from
violence, abuse, exploitation, injustice or conflict.
ii) that all children have an equal right to love, healthcare and education.
These rights are not dependent on ethnic origin, language, cultural background, gender, ability, religious belief (or non belief) or financial status
Implementation
of the policy
The
responsibility of ‘Children of Fiji’ in implementing the Child Protection
Policy is two-fold. Firstly, there is the responsibility of the trustees and all
volunteers who, through the work of the charity, have direct contact with
children in Fiji and must therefore adhere to the policy. Secondly there is the
responsibility of the trustees and volunteers to be aware of the indicators of
any violation in child protection and take the appropriate action when suspicion
is aroused.
A]
All trustees will be required to obtain clearance
from the disclosure service of the Criminal Records Bureau to ensure their
suitability to hold this position in a charity concerned with children.
In addition, all trustees and volunteers who, through
the work of the charity, could come into contact with children shall
i)
be made
aware of and understand the content of the Child Protection Policy
ii)
sign a
declaration to say that they understand and are in agreement with the Child
Protection Policy
iii)
have a
face to face interview with at least two trustees
iv)
provide
the names of two independent referees who can vouch for the person’s
suitability to work with children
v)
declare
any criminal convictions that they have involving the abuse of children, however
old these convictions may be. Children of Fiji reserves the right to request
clearance through the disclosure service of the Criminal Records Bureau (please
note that this includes exemption from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
[1974] )
vi)
declare
any pending convictions or proceedings relating to child abuse.
B]
Whilst respecting the law and customs of Fiji, it
should be noted that to ignore the violation of children’s rights by others
and not take action is tantamount to condoning the violation. It is therefore
the responsibility of all trustees and other volunteers to:
i)
ensure
that, where a child is in direct danger, arrangements
be made to move the child to safety immediately.
ii)
offer
advice and explanation, where appropriate, as to how and why a certain action is
in conflict with the Child Protection Policy
iii)
inform
the designated Child Protection Officer of the institution concerned. If there
is no designated Child Protection Officer, the matter should be reported to the
person in charge of the institution.
iv)
make a
written report of the incident, keeping one copy with the trustees of the
charity and forwarding another copy to
the person in charge of the institution involved.
If the matter is not resolved by the above procedure,
a written report and other supporting evidence should be passed on to the Social
Services Department of the Fiji Government.