SAFE FROM HARM
SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL A self-assessment tool to strengthen the capacity of your National Scout Organization
Š World Scout Bureau Inc. SAFE FROM HARM February 2019 World Scout Bureau, Global Support Centre Kuala Lumpur Suite 3, Level 17, Menara Sentral Vista, No 150 Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA Tel.: + 60 3 2276 9000 Fax: + 60 3 2276 9089 worldbureau@scout.org scout.org
Reproduction is authorized to National Scout Organizations and Associations which are members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Credit for the source must be given.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL A self-assessment tool to strengthen the capacity of your National Scout Organization
BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS BETWEEN ADULTS
BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE
RELATIONS
SAFE FROM HARM ENCOMPASS THE TOTALITY OF
PERSONAL INTEGRITY AND DATA PROTECTION
PHYSICAL SAFETY
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS EMOTIONAL SAFETY
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
CYBER SECURITY
SAFETY OF PLACE AND EQUIPMENT USED IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
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PROMOTING HEALTHY LIFE STYLE
World Scouting is committed to maintain a safe environment for young people in the Scout Movement, and beyond. A safe environment enables the selfdevelopment of young people as well as the creation of positive and healthy interpersonal relationships between all. The World Safe from Harm Policy aims to keep Scouts safe from harm by supporting the development of national frameworks that are effective in addressing local needs and will promote the well-being, healthy development, and safety of young people by providing them with a safe environment throughout their time in the Scout Movement. The policy sets a minimum level of implementation consistent with the expected performance of National Scout Organizations (NSOs) and Scout associations (NSAs1) regarding the World Safe from Harm Policy, and should complement other national policies, guidelines, and procedures.
The phrase “Safe from Harm” used in the following context encompass the totality of the: • relations between young people and their peers, young people and adults, or between adults and their peers; • different situations, for example, physical, emotional and psychological safety, promoting a healthy lifestyle, safety of the place and equipment used in the educational process, personal integrity and data protection, Cyber security, and any other situations which may bring any kind of risk to all involved.
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Later in the text, NSO stands for both cases NSO and NSA.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
Where does your National Scout Organization stand on keeping Scouts safe from harm?
Strengthening the Capacity of NSOs Through Self-assessments The capacity strengthening of NSOs is an integral aspect of achieving Vision 2023. The Capacity Strengthening Cycle is built on the principles of continuous improvement, where NSOs can assess their capacity, prioritise their actions, receive support, and monitor their progress. The Safe from Harm self-assessment tool helps your NSO to assess the level of development and consistency with the Safe from harm rules and procedures introduced in the World Safe from Harm Policy. By answering the following questions, you will be able to identify areas of implementation that meet the expected minimum level of performance as defined in the World Safe from Harm Policy and reflected in WOSM’s Quality Standard – the Global Support Assessment Tool (GSAT ). The results are for your own benefit and will help you to identify areas for improvement in the area of Safe from Harm, so that further development or requests for support can be made.
What is GSAT? GSAT is a Quality Standard owned by WOSM that assesses the compliance of an NSO towards international best practices in Good Governance and Quality Scouting.
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In the Global Support Assessment Tool (GSAT), under dimension 4 – integrity management, there is a quality standard that requires NSOs to have a Safe from Harm Policy which includes: •
a code of conduct for NSO activities
•
a commitment to fulfil its legal compliance obligations
•
a mechanism to receive and manage complaints of abuse involving children, young people, or adults
•
a system to oversee Safe from Harm matters at the highest level of the NSO
This policy is implemented and disseminated at all levels within the organisation. Also, under dimension 6 – Adults in Scouting, NSOs are required to have processes and procedures in place for all adults to ensure the implementation of the Safe from Harm Policy. These include: •
appointing adults after ensuring that all appropriate checks are in place and in compliance with local legislation
•
incorporating the Safe from Harm framework as part of training processes and contents
Additionally, under dimension 8 – Youth Programme, NSOs, through the Youth Programme’s educational objectives, are required to help young people to develop the competencies necessary to remain safe from harm.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
RELATED GSAT CRITERIA FOR SAFE FROM HARM
HOW TO USE THIS TOOL To achieve a greater awareness and understanding, you should involve relevant stakeholders such as national board and executive team representatives, Youth Programme and Adults in Scouting commissioners, and other relevant committees or departments in this self-assessment process. Responses to the criteria should be, to the best of your ability, based on evidence which can be provided towards each criterion and be completed by drawing on your team’s knowledge. The following self-assessment criteria encompass international best practices and provide an in-depth look at the recommended standards of WOSM. However, note that not all criteria may be applicable to an NSO considering the cultural, legal, and local contexts. To use this tool, please go through each of the self-assessment criteria and identify your NSO’s capacity by giving a response of either RED, YELLOW, LIGHT GREEN, or DARK GREEN based on the explanations below.
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EXPLANATION
IN OTHER WORDS‌
NON COMPLIANT
No evidence at all exists that the NSO has done anything around this criterion.
My NSO hasn’t done anything around this criterion. It may be time to start!
IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEW ITEMS
Evidence exists that the NSO has done some things (but not all) around this criterion.
My NSO has done a bit of work on this criterion, but there are so many other things we can still explore.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH MOST ITEMS
Evidence exists that the NSO has most things around this criterion. It is up-to-date and implemented.
My NSO is working on many of the items here, but there are some missing parts that we can look into to make them even better.
FULL COMPLIANCE
Evidence exists that the NSO has everything around this criterion. It is up-todate, implemented, regularly evaluated and refreshed.
My NSO has fulfilled this criterion. We will keep up the good work and review it along the way. We could even share it as a best practice.
NOT APPLICABLE
Not applicable due to the local circumstances or in relation to another non compliant criterion
Important note: this tool is not intended to be a scoring exercise, but to be used as a capacity strengthening resource by your NSO to identify strategies for improvement.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
STATUS
GENERAL
CRITERIA OF TOOL
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Criteria
Status
1
The NSO has a framework in place which covers the areas of Safe from Harm in an NSO (e.g. Youth programme, Adults in Scouting, NSO structures, and events).
2
The NSOs’ existing Safe from Harm framework has been reviewed in the past three years.
3
The NSO has structures (e.g. committees and teams dedicated to promote Safe from Harm within different departments) which support the implementation of the Safe from Harm framework.
4
The NSO provides opportunities (e.g. workshops, forums, and meetings) for young people and adults to discuss Safe from Harm issues (e.g. positive changes in terms of values and behaviour against violence, harm, and abuse).
5
The NSO is consistent with the legal framework of its country, when addressing the area of keeping young people and adults Safe from Harm.
6
The NSO has external partnership(s) in the area of Safe from Harm (e.g. with another NSO, non-governmental organisations, and governmental or public institutions).
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YOUTH PROGRAMME
Criteria
Status
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Components of the NSO’s Youth Programme are designed to encourage and empower young people to protect themselves from harm.
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The NSO promotes dialogue between young people and adults to develop awareness in the areas of keeping them safe from harm, through ensuring that the needed mechanisms are in place.
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For each programme activity of the NSO, promoting a safe environment (e.g. supporting personal growth and fulfilment, being able to trust, and possessing an inner state of freedom) is incorporated into the implementation of the educational objectives.
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Components of the NSO’s Youth Programme are designed to support the development of young people’s self-awareness, self-protection, and self-confidence in relationships with others.
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The elements of the Scout Method are used in a positive way that enables a young person to benefit from them in all activities (e.g. use of small teams as a way to participate in collaborative learning as well as using positive life experiences and reflections to facilitate ongoing development).
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The NSO has embedded into the process of delivering the Youth Programme ways of enabling young people to keep themselves safe from harm (e.g. council of young people, youth forum, youth in decision making structures).
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
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YOUTH PROGRAMME
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The NSO has procedures in place to ensure that consideration is given to protect young people from harm and other non-desirable outcomes when organising programme activities that are challenging, appealing, and rewarding.
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The NSO has a system in place to monitor and evaluate programme activities from the Safe from Harm perspective.
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The NSO has in place clear requirements for assessing the safety of facilities to ensure prevention of harm and abuse, and outcomes of the assessment are acted upon and recorded.
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The NSO ensures that personal data protection regulations and laws are met when managing personal medical, dietary, and developmental needs data of young people and adults.
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The NSO has in place guidelines which promote the safety of young people in online interactions during their participation in Scouting either between young people themselves or young people and adults).
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ADULTS IN SCOUTING
Criteria
Status
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The NSO has integrated into all role descriptions of adults who work with young people, the responsibility to keep the young people safe from harm.
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The NSO has integrated the Safe from Harm aspects in the recruitment, appointment, and induction process of adults (e.g. job advertising, references, background check, and Safe from Harm training).
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The NSO has guidelines for communicating the Safe from Harm standards and procedures of the NSO to parents, organisations, civil society, and authorities. The guidelines are disseminated it to its adults.
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The NSO includes Safe from Harm training in all its introductory training for adults (volunteers and professional staff). The Safe from Harm training includes the following topics – creating situational awareness, signs and symptoms of abuse, dealing with different forms of abuse, providing information about the existing mechanisms and procedures of the NSO, etc.
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The NSO has a process which is implemented to regularly review its training content in the area of Safe from Harm (e.g. to ensure inclusion of changes of legal frameworks and trends in harm prevention).
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The NSO has included Safe from Harm elements in its adults’ performance appraisal system (e.g. looking at risk planning and management in activities as well as facilitating interpersonal relationships, attitudes, and behaviours).
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
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ADULTS IN SCOUTING
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The NSO has resources, made available through expert guidance (e.g. professionals on child and youth protection as well as psychologists), to support all adults in keeping young people safe from harm.
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Procedures are set in place for the NSO to deal with topics related to Safe from Harm (e.g. Code of Conduct, Whistle-blowing Policy, and Bullying and Harassment Policy). These procedures describe how adults (at all levels) are expected to properly react to reports of abuse.
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The NSO has a system in place for documenting and storing reports of abuse, or any internal process to avoid the return of adults deemed inappropriate to be a member of the organisation. Such documentation and reports should be kept confidential to avoid inappropriate and accidental disclosure.
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NSO STRUCTURES
Criteria
Status
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The NSO engages young people and their families in the development and review of the National Safe from Harm Policy.
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The NSO ensures easy access to its Safe from Harm procedures, mechanisms, guidelines, tools, and other resources available, and has disseminated them to all its members.
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The NSO has a system in place to report abuse to the national level, directly through an assigned person or department in the NSO.
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The NSO has a system in place to make internal or external experts available to all parties involved in a Safe from Harm incident, to ensure immediate and continuous support.
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The NSO produces and requires an annual Safe from Harm report for its National Board. This report is treated as “strictly confidential.�
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The NSO has in place mechanisms to learn from the previous situations (reporting) and update the procedures and policy accordingly on at least an annual basis.
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The NSO has a committee department, or team appointed to oversee work in different areas related to Safe from Harm.
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The NSO continuously learns from other organisations which have the expertise in the area of Safe from Harm.
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The NSO has procedures in place for communicating with external stakeholders (e.g. media, ministry, and local authorities) in relation to situations of abuse and shares on a regular basis messages about positive Safe from Harm practices.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
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SCOUT EVENTS
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Criteria
Status
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The NSO ensures that each national Scout event has a team that is responsible for all aspects of Safe from Harm before (planning), during (monitoring), and immediately after (reporting) the event.
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The NSO has a Safe from Harm plan for each national Scout event, considering local legislation and culture and, if present, the international dimension of the event.
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Before each national Scout event, the NSO informs the participants and adults about the event’s Safe from Harm rules and procedures.
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The NSO requires Safe from Harm training for all adults involved in its national Scout events.
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During each national Scout event, the NSO sets in place a system (e.g. stewards or listening ears) for young people and adults to report harm or abuse.
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For each national Scout event, the NSO uses a database (meeting local legislation) of the personal, medical, and dietary needs of each participant, and makes this data easily accessible to authorised people in emergency situations.
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The NSO has measures in place to ensure that for each national Scout event, individual needs are addressed to ensure proper inclusion (e.g. access for persons in wheelchair and walkways for the blind or partially sighted people).
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The answers which were identified with: After the assessment, share your results with
non-compliant
You should consider planning the necessary steps to implement the requirements of the World Safe from Harm Policy immediately.
in accordance with few items
You should consider finding out if you plan of action is feasible and that you have all the resources needed for its implementation.
in accordance with most items
You should consider conducting a midterm monitoring/evaluation, assessing your current progress, and making necessary changes to meet the requirements of the World Safe from Harm Policy.
full compliance
You should consider analysing how you can achieve the standards set, determine if there is room for improvements, and find out how you can maintain the current standard.
the relevant persons in your NSO. Subsequently, present and discuss with the National Board after a reflection period. The results should help with discussions to clarify your NSO’s situation, raise awareness of human resource and other needs, and find a way forward in building the capacity of your NSO. Make sure you have a system of continuous follow-up and updates to assess the current and potential needs of the NSO with regard to the World Safe from Harm Policy.  
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL
ANALYSE THE RESULTS
NEXT STEPS TO CAPACITY STRENGTHENING After completing a self-assessment and analysing the results, schedule a meeting for action planning. Don’t forget to involve relevant stakeholders such as National Board and executive team representatives, Youth Programme and Adults in Scouting commissioners, and other relevant committees or departments. Various possibilities for follow-up include:
Prioritise After reviewing your results, prioritise key actions to take. Link it with your strategic planning to prioritise your actions. If you don’t have a strategic plan, examine criteria that would potentially prevent the growth of your organisation.
Coordinate Establishing NSO structures (e.g. Safe from Harm committee) to work on the issue of keeping young people safe from harm and to prepare an implementation plan. Appoint a leader who will be in charge of the follow-up of the overall process.
Create a Network Together with other interested NSOs, create or join the Regional Safe from Harm network (involve the Regional structures). Prepare a common project and apply for external funds.
Find resources At the Safe from Harm Service Area (https://services.scout.org/service/6), you can access a wide range of resources ranging from policies, toolkits, and guidelines to e-learning courses, in-person support (both online and in-person), workshops, and training courses. These include not only resources produced and provided by Scouting at World and Regional levels, but also NSO best practices and relevant external resources.
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SAFE FROM HARM SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL Ask for support Consider reaching out to the WSB Regional Support Centre for support and advice. Having completed this self-assessment should help you to provide a clear request for service. You can submit a Service Request through the WOSM Service Platform at services.scout.org or contact the World or Regional Support Centres.
Work on continuous assessment Continuous improvement is important for all organisations. This is achieved through evaluating and monitoring your progress, as well as reassessing your capacity. Decide if you would like to complete other self-assessment tools or go through the overall GSAT assessment process. You can learn more about GSAT at services.scout.org/service/9.
Every young person and adult, has a part to play in creating what is needed, to the extent of their abilities and responsibilities, to ensure the safety, personal development, and the well-being of all. Scouts create a Safe from Harm World
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© World Scout Bureau Inc. SAFE FROM HARM FEBRUARY 2019 World Scout Bureau, Global Support Centre Kuala Lumpur Suite 3, Level 17, Menara Sentral Vista, No 150 Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA Tel.: + 60 3 2276 9000 Fax: + 60 3 2276 9089 worldbureau@scout.org scout.org