Child Protection Policy

“States Parties shall protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.”

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), Article 19

Penny Appeal Australia (PAAu) has a commitment to the prevention of child abuse and to the protection of children. The abuse and exploitation of children happens in all countries and societies across the world. This policy sets out common values and principles and describes the steps that will be taken in meeting our commitment to protect children.

This policy applied to all staff and anyone representing PAAu. Where “staff”refers to, full time, part time, international, national, and those engaged on short term contracts such as consultancies, researchers, photographers etc. Those “representing PAAu” refers to, visitors, volunteers, board members, and staff in partner agencies.

Child Protection Values

PAAu believes that:

• All child abuse involves the abuse of children’s rights.
• All children have equal rights to protection from abuse and exploitation.
• The situation of all children must be improved through promotion of their rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This includes the right to freedom from abuse and exploitation.
• Child abuse is never acceptable
• We have a commitment to protecting children with/ for whom we work
• When we work through partners, they have a responsibility to meet minimum standards of protection for children in their programmes.

Child Protection Principles

The following are rules that PAAu adhere to in order to uphold our values:

• To have zero tolerance of child abuse.
• To provide safe and protective services and environments.
• To take all reasonable steps to ensure that children are safe from harm.
• To take proactive steps to create child safe and child friendly programs.
• To adherence to this policy is a mandatory requirement for all staff and others who represent PAAu.
• To ensure that all staff and relevant stakeholders are made aware of this policy and their responsibilities.
• To ensure that all decisions regarding the welfare and protection of children are made based on the “Best Interests of the Child Principle”. This principle refers to decisions considering that the child receives maximum benefit possible from services provided, and that the positive impacts of any course of action outweigh any negative impacts.
• To ensure children in our programs should be given opportunities to express their views on matters affecting them.
• To ensure that all children should be equally protected and assisted regardless of their gender, nationality, religious or political beliefs, family background, economic status, physical or mental health or criminal background.