Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers for the Prevention of Child Abuse

TdH It has a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in its activities from harm. All children have a
right to protection, and the needs children with disabilities and others who may be particularly
vulnerable must be taken into account. TdH It Staff and Volunteers will ensure the safety and protection
of all children involved in TdH It activities through their strict adherence to the present Code of Conduct.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers must show respect and consideration towards their contacts (beneficiaries,
partners, colleagues…), with particular attention for people in vulnerable situations. In no circumstances
should they commit an act or adopt behaviour liable to injure one of their contacts either physically or
psychologically, or cause them harm of any sort.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers have to respect and promote respect for the fundamental principles
contained in the international conventions concerning, but not limited to:
 child labour
 prostitution
 people trafficking
 internet crime
 traffic and use of drugs and psychotropic substances.
TdH It operates under an ‘open door’ policy: TdH It Staff and Volunteers are discouraged from being
alone with a single child where they cannot be observed by others, and when this is unavoidable
another staff member will be informed. During the activities, TdH It Staff and Volunteers supervising
children should space themselves in a way that other staff/volunteers can see them.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers should never leave a child unsupervised.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers should not abuse children in any way including:
 physical abuse: striking, spanking, shaking, slapping, etc.;
 verbal abuse: humiliating, degrading, threatening, etc.;
 sexual abuse: touching or speaking inappropriately;
 mental abuse: shaming, withholding kindness, being cruel, etc.;
 neglect: withholding food, water, basic care, etc.;
Any form of abuse will not be tolerated and may be cause for immediate dismissal.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers must use positive techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive
reinforcement and encouragement rather than competition, comparison and criticism.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will have age-appropriate expectations and setup guidelines and
environments that minimize the need for discipline. Physical restraining is used only in predetermined
situations (when necessary to protect the child or other children from harm), administered only in a
prescribed manner, and must be documented in writing.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will portray a positive role model for children, parents, and school staff they
are in contact with, by maintaining an attitude of respect, loyalty, patience, courtesy, tact, and maturity.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will not tolerate any bullying behaviour by children/young people and will
deal with any incidents immediately. Bullying can be defined as verbal, psychological or physical
aggression conducted by an individual or group against others. Examples of bullying include teasing,
taunting, threatening, hitting, extortion, and exclusion.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will respond to children with respect and consideration and treat all children
equally, regardless of gender, race, religion, culture, disability or economic level of the family.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will respect children’s rights to not be touched or looked at in ways that

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make them feel uncomfortable, and their right to say “No.” TdH It Staff and Volunteers should conduct
or supervise private activities in pairs, e.g., diapering, putting on bathing suits, taking showers, etc.
When this is not feasible, TdH It Staff and Volunteers should be positioned so that they are visible to
others.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will ensure that suspicious or unknown individuals do not occupy the
restrooms before allowing children to use the facilities. TdH It Staff and Volunteers will stand in the
doorway while children are using the restroom and remain there until all children come out of the
restroom. If they are assisting younger children, doors to the restroom and stalls must remain open. No
child, regardless of age, should ever enter a bathroom alone during an outing or when on an off-site
location. Always send children in threes (the rule of three), and whenever possible, with staff and/or
volunteers.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will refrain from intimate displays of affection towards others in the presence
of children, parents, and staff.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers are not to transport children in their own vehicles or allow youth participants
old enough to drive to transport younger children in the program.
Children will not be taken on outings without parental approval in writing, or by phone in an emergency,
and will be accompanied by more than one adult.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers must appear clean, neat, and appropriately attired.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers are NOT allowed to:
 use, possess, or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs during working hours;
 smoke or use tobacco in the presence of children or parents and during working hours;
 use profanity, inappropriate jokes, share intimate details of one’s personal life in the presence of
children, parents, volunteers, or other staff;
 harass children, parents, volunteers, or other staff;
 possess or use of any type of weapon or explosive device;
 use TdH It computers to access pornographic sites, send e-mails with sexual overtones or
otherwise inappropriate messages, or develop online relationships.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will ensure that everyone photographing or filming the activities has a
connection to the activities or is from the media. TdH It does not condone the distribution of the
photographs or videos apart from those images that have the express permission of the parents, or are
for the families’ use.
Clear boundaries are important in maintaining professional behaviour: TdH It Staff and Volunteers will
not initiate contact with or accept supervisory responsibility for participating children outside approved
project activities. This includes babysitting, sleepovers, driving or riding in cars, and inviting children to
their homes. Any exceptions require a written explanation before the fact and are subject to prior
approval from TdH It.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers should not give excessive gifts (e.g., video games, TV, jewellery, mobile
phones) to youth nor be exclusive. Gifts around celebrations and holidays are to be shared with all
participants.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers may not date program participants who are under the age of 18.
Under no circumstances should TdH It Staff and Volunteers release children who have been placed
under their supervision to anyone other than the authorized parent, guardian, or other adult authorized
by the parent or guardian (written parent authorization on file with TdH It).
TdH It Staff and Volunteers will conduct a visual health check of each child, each day, during the
activities, noting any fever, bumps, bruises, burns, etc.: everyone must be alert to the possibility that
children with whom they are in contact may be experiencing abuse or have been abused in the past.
This is an important responsibility for any individual when working with children and young people.

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Questions or comments based on the observation conducted will be addressed to the parent or child in
a non-threatening manner. Any questionable marks or responses will be documented.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers who, in the course of their work, have access to confidential information
have an obligation not to disclose that information to other employees, members or other persons
within or outside TdH It. All information regarding concern or assessment of child abuse should be
nonetheless shared on "a need to know" basis, in the interests of the child.
TdH It Staff and Volunteers are required to report to a supervisor any other staff or volunteer who
violates any of the policies listed in this Code of Conduct.

I, the undersigned employee / volunteer, hereby acknowledge receipt of TdH It Code of Conduct for
Staff and Volunteers for the Prevention of Child Abuse. I further acknowledge that I have read and
understand that any violation of this Code of Conduct may result in termination.

Printed Name Signature Date

Maysa Yousef Khader
Abu Al Halawi 12/11/2016

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 STEPS to FOLLOW in case of CHILD ABUSE or POTENTIAL CHILD ABUSE

Child abuse or potential child abuse is either suspected, witnessed, reported or disclosed. Dealing with
an allegation that a professional, staff member, foster carer or volunteer has abused a child is difficult
but must be taken seriously and dealt with carefully and fairly.
Child abuse can often be difficult to identify and the ability to recognise child abuse depends as much
on a person’s willingness to accept the possibility of its existence as it does on their knowledge and
information.

The possibility of child abuse should be considered if a child appears to have suffered a suspicious
injury for which no reasonable explanation can be offered. It should also be considered if the child
seems distressed without obvious reason or displays persistent or new behavioural problems. The
possibility of child abuse should also be considered if the child displays unusual or fearful responses to
parents/carers.

Signs of abuse can be physical, behavioural, or developmental. They can exist in the relationships
between children and parents/carers or between children and other family members. A cluster or
pattern of signs is likely to be more indicative of abuse. Children who are being abused may hint that
they are being harmed and sometimes make direct disclosures. Disclosures should always be believed;
less obvious signs could be gently explored with the child, without direct questioning. Play situations
such as drawing or story telling may reveal information.

Some signs are more indicative of abuse than others. These include:
i. disclosure of abuse and neglect by a child or young person;
ii. age-inappropriate or abnormal sexual play or knowledge;
iii. specific injuries or patterns of injuries;
iv. absconding from home or a care situation;
v. attempted suicide;
vi. under-age pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease;
vii. signs in one or more categories at the same time. For example, signs of developmental delay,
physical injury and behavioural signs may together indicate a pattern of abuse.

Points to Remember
The severity of a sign does not necessarily equate with the severity of the abuse. Severe and potentially
fatal injuries are not always visible. Emotional and/or psychological abuse tends to be cumulative and
effects may only be observable in the longer term. Signs or indicators of abuse should be gently
explored with the child; explanations which are inconsistent with the signs should constitute a cause for
concern.

Any reasonable suspicion of abuse must elicit a response. Ignoring the signals or failing to intervene
may result in ongoing or further harm to the child or young person.

The guiding principle in regard to any case of child abuse is that the safety and wellbeing of the child or
young person must take priority. No person in TdH It will collude to protect an adult or an organization.

If the child is in danger or unsafe, immediate action has to be taken to secure their safety.

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When there are suspicions of abuse by a staff or volunteer, both staff/volunteer’s and children’s rights
are to be attended to. This means that the safety of the child is of first concern, and that the
staff/volunteer must have access to legal and professional advice.

The suspected staff/volunteer will be prevented from having further unsupervised access to children
during any investigation and will be informed fully of their rights.

Staff/volunteer will declare to a senior person any situation where there could be a conflict of interest,
and provision will be made on a case-by-case basis about who will handle the process.

When it is decided that concerns are not significant enough to refer to statutory authorities, the child will
continue to be monitored, and records kept.

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If you suspect a child of being abused your immediate response may be to talk with the child

This may be difficult because he or she may be afraid to disclose for the following reasons:
 The fear of being hurt further by the abuser
 The belief that the abuser may go to jail
 The fear that something will happen to him/her, such as removal from home
 The fear that other people in the family will blame them
 Loyalty to the caregiver and the family – no matter how bad the situation may be
 The fear that you may think that the abuse is deserved

Abused and neglected children may be unaware that their situation is unusual and while talking
with a sympathetic adult may relieve some children, others may feel threatened and withdraw

One way to approach the child about your concerns is to tell him/her that you are concerned that they
are looking unhappy/angry/withdrawn or that you have noticed a bruise/burn/cut etc. This may lead you
to asking if there is anything they want to tell you about this observation. Do not, however, pressure the
child to respond. Assure the child that you can be approached when he or she needs to talk. If the child
does disclose, listen carefully and immediately make notes once the child has left your company.

In case concerns are significant, the family will be notified as soon as possible, but only after it has been
confirmed that this will in no way jeopardise the safety of the child. A process for doing this will be
discussed by a senior staff member in conjunction with an experienced professional or specialized
agency. If a family member or someone close to the family is suspected of abuse, the police or social
services should make the disclosure. TdH It staff will not advise a family or caregiver of the concerns:
disclosure to a parent or caregiver may be difficult and traumatic for both staff and parents, and the
person undertaking the disclosure will have the skills and knowledge to support the family.

In the event of a child/young person disclosing an incident of abuse it is essential that this is
dealt with sensitively and professionally by the staff/volunteer involved. The following are
guidelines to support the staff/volunteer in this:
 React calmly
 Listen carefully and attentively: stop what you are doing, look at her/him, respond by nodding and
making supportive sounds; take the young person seriously
 Control your expressions: do not show signs of panic, shock or horror
 Reassure the young person that they have taken the right action in talking to you; assure them that it
is not their fault and they are not bad
 Express your belief that the child is telling the truth
 Use the child’s language and vocabulary
 Do NOT seek details beyond those the child freely wants to tell you. Your role is to listen to the child,
not to conduct an investigation: ask questions for clarification only; do not ask leading questions
 Do NOT promise to keep anything secret and do NOT make promises or commitments you cannot
keep
 Check back with the child/young person that what you have heard is correct and understood
 Do not express any opinions about the alleged abuser: the child may well love this person and only
want the abuse to stop
 Record the conversation as soon as possible, in as much detail as possible. Sign and date the record

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 Ensure that the child understands the procedures which will follow - Let them know that you need to
tell someone else
 Consult immediately with your line manager or a senior person in charge. Discuss and agree on an
appropriate course of action, including who will inform the parents of the child and provide support for
the family and whether a report of concern is to be made to the social services and/or the police - Do
not attempt to deal with the problem alone
 Treat the information confidentially: all information regarding concern or assessment of child abuse
should be shared on "a need to know" basis in the interests of the child: giving information to others
for the protection of a child is not a breach of confidentiality
 Look after yourself: seek help for yourself if you feel you need support.

The same action should be taken if the allegation is about abuse that has taken place in the past, as it
will be important to find out if the person is still working with or has access to children.

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DOs and DON’Ts

Things TO SAY when a child discloses

 Repeat the last few words in a questioning manner
 ‘I believe you’
 ‘I am going to try to help you’
 ‘I will help you’
 ‘I am glad that you told me’
 ‘You are not to blame’

Things NOT TO SAY when a child discloses

 ‘You should have told someone before’
 ‘I can’t believe it! I am shocked!
 ‘Oh that explains a lot’
 ‘No not… s/he’s a friend of mine’
 ‘I won’t tell anyone else’
 Why? How? When? Where? Who?

Things TO DO
 Reassure the child that it was right to tell you
 Let them know what you are going to do next
 Immediately seek help: do not permit personal doubt to prevent you from reporting the
allegation
 Write down accurately what the child has told you. Make certain you distinguish between what
the child has actually said and the inferences you may have made
 Sign and date your notes. Keep all notes in a secure place for an indefinite period
 Seek help for yourself if you feel you need support

Things NOT TO DO
 Do not attempt to deal with the situation yourself
 Do NOT formally interview the child:
Never ask leading questions
Never push for information or make assumptions
Only necessary relevant facts should be obtained, when clarification is needed
 Do not make assumptions, offer alternative explanations or diminish the seriousness of the
behaviour or alleged incidents
 Do not keep the information to yourself or promise confidentiality
 Do not take any action that might undermine any future investigation or disciplinary procedure,
such as interviewing the alleged victim or potential witnesses, or informing the alleged
perpetrator or parents or carers