Safeguarding, Safe from Harm & Protection Policy

1. Our safeguarding promise

Melandah Foundation exists to help people. Our work must never cause abuse, fear, humiliation, exploitation or avoidable harm.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Every trustee, employee, volunteer, consultant, partner and person acting in our name must help create a safe environment.

We will listen to concerns, take them seriously and respond with care. A person does not need to prove that abuse happened before reporting a worry. A reasonable concern is enough for us to listen and act.

2. Who and what this policy covers

This policy applies to all current and future work carried out by, funded by, controlled by or delivered in the name of Melandah Foundation.

It applies to trustees, staff, volunteers, interns, ambassadors, consultants, contractors, suppliers, teachers, trainers, researchers, doctors, nurses, health workers, delegates, participants, partner organisations and anyone using our name, premises, resources or systems.

It protects children, young people, adults at risk, patients, students, research participants, beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, visitors and community members.

It also applies to future hospitals, clinics, schools, colleges, universities, research institutes, training centres, digital platforms, overseas programmes, social enterprises and charity-owned businesses controlled by Melandah Foundation.

3. Our principles

4. Bangladesh law and international standards

Melandah Foundation is based in Bangladesh. We will follow the laws of Bangladesh that apply to child protection, violence, trafficking, sexual offences, employment, health, education, research, cyber safety and criminal matters.

The Children Act 2013 is an important foundation for protecting children in Bangladesh. We will also follow applicable government directions and reporting duties.

Where useful, we will follow recognised international safeguarding principles, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Keeping Children Safe International Standards, and international practice on protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

If the law requires stronger action than this policy, the law will be followed. If this policy gives stronger protection without conflicting with the law, the stronger protection should be followed.

5. Forms of harm covered

Harm can be deliberate or caused by poor practice, carelessness, weak supervision or unsafe systems.

6. Roles and responsibilities

Board of Trustees

The Board has overall responsibility. It must approve this policy, appoint a suitable Safeguarding Lead, receive reports and make sure serious concerns are not hidden.

Safeguarding Lead

The Safeguarding Lead receives concerns, advises on safety, keeps secure records and coordinates referrals.

Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Dr Khandaker Anwar Hossain
Email: safeguarding@melandahfoundation.org
Telephone: +880 9696763499

Deputy Safeguarding Lead:
Mahfuja Parvin
Email: safeguarding@melandahfoundation.org
Telephone: +880 9696763499

Managers and project leads

They must include safeguarding in planning, recruitment, supervision, budgeting, partnerships and risk assessment.

Everyone

Everyone must report concerns promptly and must not investigate allegations by themselves.

7. Safeguarding Code of Conduct

Anyone acting for Melandah Foundation must treat people with dignity, use suitable language, keep professional boundaries, follow supervision rules, ask permission before physical contact where possible, protect private information and report concerns.

They must never:

• engage in sexual activity with a child;
• exchange aid, jobs, grades, treatment, travel or opportunities for sexual contact;
• groom, exploit, threaten, shame or humiliate anyone;
• use physical punishment;
• send sexual, romantic or secret messages to a child or beneficiary;
• take or share intimate, degrading or exploitative images;
• cover up a concern to protect a colleague, donor or leader;
• punish someone for making a good-faith report.

8. Children and young people

For this policy, a child is a person under 18 years of age. Decisions must put the child’s safety, dignity and best interests first.

Children should receive information in a way they understand and should be listened to. Parental or guardian consent will be obtained where appropriate, but adult consent does not make an unsafe activity acceptable.

Activities involving children should have suitable supervision, attendance records, consent, emergency contacts, safe transport, safe toilets and changing arrangements, and procedures for illness, emergencies and missing children.

9. Adults at risk

An adult may be at greater risk because of disability, illness, age, dependence, poverty, displacement, crisis or unequal power.

Adults should normally be involved in decisions about their own safety. Their choices and privacy should be respected while considering serious risk, the safety of others and any legal duty to act.

No person receiving food, treatment, education, money, shelter or another service may be pressured to provide personal, political, financial or sexual favour in return.

10. Sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

Melandah Foundation has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and sexual harassment by anyone connected with our work. This means we will not knowingly ignore or excuse such behaviour, while still following a fair process.

Aid, donations, contracts, jobs, marks, treatment, research access and travel opportunities must never be offered or withheld in exchange for sexual activity.

Even between adults, a relationship may be unsafe where there is a strong power imbalance or professional duty. Such situations must be declared and managed.

11. Safe recruitment and management

Higher-risk roles must receive checks suitable to the work. These may include identity, references, qualifications, professional registration, criminal-record or police checks where lawful and available, interviews, declarations, probation and safeguarding induction.

A clear check does not prove that a person is safe. Good supervision, training and reporting are still necessary.

12. Safe activities, events and travel

Every activity must be planned for its location, participants and risks. Written risk assessments should be completed where there is meaningful safeguarding risk.

Planning may include supervision, transport, accommodation, washing and changing facilities, health needs, disability support, emergency contacts, security, weather, crowds, missing-person arrangements and a private reporting route.

International and residential programmes must name a safeguarding contact and explain how participants can report concerns.

13. Online and digital safety

This policy applies to websites, social media, messaging apps, online meetings, digital learning, research systems and cloud storage.

Official channels should be used where available. Private or disappearing messages with children should be avoided. Group messages should include appropriate adults or official accounts, except for a necessary safeguarding conversation that is properly recorded.

We will respond to cyberbullying, grooming, sexual messages, harmful image sharing, impersonation and privacy breaches connected with our work.

14. Photography, video and personal stories

Images and stories must show people with dignity. We will not use shocking or humiliating content only to attract attention or donations.

Consent will be obtained where appropriate. A person may refuse photography without losing access to aid or services.

We will avoid publishing information that could expose a person to abuse, stigma, trafficking, retaliation or unwanted contact.

15. Future hospitals, universities, research institutes and businesses

Hospitals and health services

Future hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and medical programmes must apply this policy alongside specialist rules for patient consent, confidentiality, chaperones, clinical safety, mental health, medicines, maternity, disability, complaints and professional accountability.

Schools, colleges and universities

Future educational institutions must have detailed procedures for student welfare, bullying, teacher-student boundaries, accommodation, laboratories, fieldwork, placements, disability support and online learning. Grades, admission and scholarships must never be used for personal or sexual advantage.

Research institutes

Research involving people must respect informed consent, privacy, safety and the right to withdraw. Research involving children, patients or vulnerable groups requires extra care and suitable ethical review.

Charity-owned businesses and social enterprises

Any business controlled by Melandah Foundation must follow this policy. Earning income for charitable work does not reduce our duty to protect people. Each business must assess its own risks and create additional procedures where required.

16. Partners, contractors and funded organisations

Organisations working with Melandah Foundation must maintain suitable safeguarding standards. Agreements may require training, incident reporting, confidentiality, safeguarding review and corrective action.

We may suspend funding, referrals or partnership where a serious concern is not managed properly. Ending a partnership does not end our responsibility to consider the safety of affected people.

17. How to report a safeguarding concern

Report concerns as soon as possible. You may report something that happened to you, something you saw, information shared by someone else or unsafe organisational practice.

Share who may be at risk, what happened, when and where it happened, whether there is immediate danger, and what action has already been taken.

Do not confront the alleged person, promise complete secrecy, search a device or carry out your own investigation. Preserve evidence and report the concern.

Anonymous reports will be considered. A report made honestly will not be treated as misconduct only because it is not later proven.

18. How Melandah Foundation will respond

1. Check immediate safety and medical needs.
2. Listen calmly and record the concern accurately.
3. Inform the Safeguarding Lead or an independent trustee.
4. Consider referral to police, child protection, health or another competent authority.
5. Protect the person from further contact or retaliation where possible.
6. Manage the alleged person’s role fairly and safely.
7. Keep secure records and review wider risks.
8. Offer suitable information and support.
9. Take disciplinary, contractual or governance action where justified.
10. Learn from the case and improve systems.

When someone discloses abuse

Listen without blame. Do not ask leading questions. Do not promise that nobody else will be told. Explain that information may need to be shared with people who can help keep them safe. Record their own words as soon as possible.

Concerns about senior leaders

A concern about the Chairperson, a trustee, Safeguarding Lead or senior manager must go to another independent trustee and, where appropriate, directly to the relevant authority. Nobody may control an investigation into an allegation against themselves.

19. Confidentiality, records and information sharing

Safeguarding information is sensitive, but it cannot always remain private. It may be shared where needed to protect a person, obtain professional advice, follow the law or support a fair investigation.

Records must be factual, dated, secure and limited to people with a real need to know. Personal opinions should be clearly separated from facts.

Records will be kept for a period suitable to the seriousness of the concern, legal duties and future protection needs.

20. Whistleblowing and protection from retaliation

A person may report unsafe culture, cover-up, poor management, misuse of power or failure to follow this policy.

Melandah Foundation will not knowingly punish someone for making a genuine report or helping with an enquiry. Deliberately false or malicious allegations may be addressed fairly, but a report is not malicious merely because it cannot be proven.

21. Training, supervision and support

Relevant personnel should receive a safeguarding introduction. Higher-risk roles require additional training. Trustees, managers, teachers, health workers, researchers and international programme leads may need specialist training.

People handling difficult cases should receive suitable supervision and wellbeing support while protecting confidentiality.

22. Monitoring and review

The Board will review this policy at least once a year and sooner after a serious incident, major organisational change or important change in law.

The Foundation should monitor concerns, response times, training, checks, partner compliance, project risk assessments, lessons from incidents and whether people know how to report.

Public reporting must protect identities. Serious failures must be addressed honestly rather than hidden.

23. Contact and approval