Everyone at Chance for Childhood is horrified at the allegations being made of INGO staff in the DRC during the Ebola crisis.
At Chance for Childhood we believe that as well as having robust safeguarding policies and procedures, safeguarding and the wellbeing of those we support must be central to our organisational culture and must be upheld within every area of our organisation, as well as within partner organisations. We are focused on being person centred and ensuring that the children, young people and adults that Chance for Childhood and our partners support are at the heart of our work, policies and procedures.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone we support and our partners support are able to access the information they need to report any incident, abuse or misuse of power. We work with incredibly vulnerable children and young people who are often excluded from conversations and agendas and are placed at more risk due to their additional needs including mental health challenges and disabilities. This means we must work harder to ensure they understand and are fully informed of their rights and the process to report any wrongdoing and are working to ensure that everyone has the right information in a way that is accessible and inclusive to them.
We recognise the unequal and complex power dynamic between INGOs, local partners and the children, young people and adults that access the services we support or provide and are striving to recognise, acknowledge and address those imbalances in the best ways we can.
We strive to create spaces for staff and partners to reflect on positive and creative ways to keep children and young people safer through our Community of Practice. Our Survivors Support Fund will ensure support for a survivor and their family and/or carers for as long as they need with costs to cover medical needs, therapeutic support and legal fees for as long as they need.
If you have concerns about a Safeguarding or Child Protection issue, or would like to speak to us about a concern please contact:
