Trash Hero | Child Protection Policy

Trash Hero World values children and young people as being a vital part of our movement and desires to see them learn and fulfil their potential in a healthy and safe environment. Trash Hero also has a strong commitment to family and whole community action and, wherever possible, ensures its programme delivery is inclusive, with a parent, carer or teacher also participating, in a direct supervisory role for any children.

While Trash Hero representatives (staff or volunteers) are therefore unlikely to be in situations where they are directly responsible for children or young people, we recognise our general responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people who participate in our programmes, by committing to the following policy and practice which protects them. We believe that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse or neglect of any kind.

This policy is based on the following principles:

  • The welfare of children and young people is paramount
  • All children, regardless of age, ability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse
  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and teachers is essential in promoting their welfare.

The purpose of this policy is:

  • To provide protection for the children and young people who participate in Trash Hero’s activities worldwide, including the children of adult volunteers.
  • To provide staff and volunteers with guidance on procedures they should adopt while children are in their care.

The following code of conduct applies to all staff, including senior managers and the board of trustees, paid staff, volunteers, interns or anyone working as a representative of Trash Hero.

PHYSICAL SAFETY

  • Cleanup and other activity sites must be assessed for risk and potential dangers for children, e.g. steep drops, open water, traffic etc.
  • All activities should be age appropriate, avoiding excessive physical exertion, and held during daylight hours
  • Children and their parents / carers must be warned of potential hazards while carrying out activities, e.g. finding glass or sharp objects when cleaning, and that these must be handled by an adult
  • Good hygiene standards need to be met: gloves and hand sanitiser as a minimum at cleanups
  • There must be adequate provision for first aid and agreed procedures for emergency medical assistance in place
  • No children under 16 should be left unattended at any time

PERSONAL SAFETY

  • Trash Hero will request the presence of parent, carer or teacher with direct supervisory responsibility at all activities at which a child attends
  • Children who nonetheless attend activities without the presence of a parent, carer or teacher must provide written parental consent, and emergency contact number(s)
  • All Trash Hero activities will be carried out in an open, public environment, with more than one adult present, not in any private or unobserved situations
  • Trash Hero representatives will not allow or engage in suggestive remarks, gestures or touching which could be misunderstood

ONLINE SAFETY

  • Parents / carers must give explicit permission for images and / or names of their children to be used on Trash Hero’s own or any other media channels
  • Images of children used in, or released to, any channel must not show them in states of undress or in inappropriate poses
  • Details attached to images and included in captions must not allow that child to be identified or traced to his or her home

EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL WELLBEING

  • Trash Hero will work together with parents, children and their communities to create a safe, friendly and accessible environment for their activities
  • All children who participate will be treated with equal concern, respect and dignity, with no favouritism
  • Trash Hero representatives will seek to be excellent role models, provide enthusiastic and constructive feedback to reinforce positive behaviour, and avoid any criticism of children, their communities or culture
  • Trash Hero representatives will similarly not punish or negatively discipline any child by physical or verbal means for any reason; reasonable and calm intervention is acceptable in cases where a child’s safety is in question

Trash Hero will ensure this code of conduct is adopted by:

  • Recruiting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring checks are made / references obtained where possible>
  • Communicating our values and expected conduct to all volunteers and staff
  • Providing on-going support, training and supervision for all volunteers and staff
  • Ensuring that the child protection policy informs programme design
  • Responding quickly to any concerns or allegations of misconduct raised from within our organisation, and externally

We are also committed to annually reviewing our policy and best practice.

SeemaTrash Hero | Child Protection Policy