Keeping those involved with the Award safe from harm
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation (‘the Foundation’) has zero tolerance for harassment or exploitation against Award participants, their communities, Award operators, our partner organisations, staff, or volunteers. Organisations like ours must be held to the highest possible standards of safeguarding.
The Foundation licenses Award Operators worldwide. Each year, more than one million young people participate in the Award across more than 130 countries and territories. These young people are supported by almost 200,000 adults who mentor Award participants through their Award journey and empower them to develop and support their communities, including other children, young people and vulnerable adults. Keeping Award participants, and those they engage with, safe from harm is the Awards number one priority.
This policy is designed to inform the governance, management and delivery of all Award activities around the world. It stipulates the required standards and methodology for protecting people who come into contact with the Foundation and for ensuring children, young people and vulnerable adults involved in the Award are protected and safe from harm.
It is therefore the Global Safeguarding Policy for the Foundation, as well as the policy that licensed Award Operators must adhere to.
The Foundation and all licensed Award Operators are committed to:
- Ensuring the interests and well-being of children, young people and vulnerable adults are taken into account, in all our considerations and activities, wherever in the world those may be.
- Respecting the rights, wishes and feelings of the children, young people and vulnerable adults with whom we, our licensees and associated organisations work.
- Taking all reasonable practicable steps to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse and to promote their health, wellbeing and human rights.
- Promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and their protection within a position of trust.
The potential for abuse, harm and violence exists in all countries and all sectors. While we work to mitigate risk and minimise harm, when things go wrong, we expect to be judged on the following:
- The measures the Award and its licensed Operators have in place to prevent abuse or
misconduct from occurring; - The manner in which they respond to an incident of abuse or misconduct;
- And the actions they take to reduce the risk of the incident being repeated.
Our Global Safeguarding Policy reflects our commitment to respect, promote, uphold, and protect the rights of the child as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in line with the Award’s values.
Should you have a safeguarding concern, please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead, [email protected].
