Educating Staff on Your Abuse Prevention Policies & Procedures
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It’s important that all staff and volunteers understand your organization’s child sexual abuse prevention policies and procedures. This will prepare them to know what warning signs of abuse might look like and what they need to do if they spot them.
It’s also important that staff and volunteers are able to convey the layers of protection your organization has put in place. Parents and guardians should feel confident in your organization’s practices when their child is in your care. Below are some examples of questions your staff and volunteers will need to be prepared to answer:
- Does your organization have a child protection policy?
- Does your policy include limiting adult and child 1-on-1 situations?
- How are your employees and volunteers screened?
- Do older and younger children interact at your organization? And if so, how?
- What are your organization’s procedures for staff and community members to report suspicions or incidences of abuse?
- Do all staff and volunteers go through mandatory reporter training?
- Are all staff and volunteers trained in child sexual abuse prevention?
- Can parents tour the facilities?
- How are you working to prevent online abuse, including in your virtual programming? (See here for guidance for families on online safety, and protecting kids during a crisis.)
By answering these questions in advance, and discussing them with your teams, you are not only helping your staff to respond to and accommodate the concerns of parents—but you are actively reinforcing the resilience and preparedness of your entire organization.