Dóchas Leadership Safeguarding Charter

The Dóchas Safeguarding Code, first developed in 2019 by leaders in the sector, has been updated over the course of this year under the guidance of the Dóchas Safeguarding Working Group. The reinvigorated Charter 2024 reinforces the principles and commitments set out in 2019, with the aim of building and strengthening a robust safeguarding culture for the development and humanitarian sector in Ireland.

Safeguarding is the responsibility of organisations to ensure that their people, operations and programmes do no harm to the individuals they work to support, and do not expose them to abuse or exploitation. It includes ensuring we protect our staff from harm and inappropriate behaviour such as sexual harassment in the workplace.

Context 

Leaders of Ireland’s international development and humanitarian NGOs are dedicated to building a world where justice, equality, solidarity and respect for human rights prevail. Organisations are responsible for ensuring that their staff, operations and programmes do no harm to the individuals they work to support, and do not expose them to abuse or exploitation. This includes physical, emotional and sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse by staff and volunteers as well as safeguarding risks caused by programme planning and execution. We must also ensure that we protect our staff from harm and inappropriate behaviour such as sexual harassment in the workplace. Dóchas members will implement strong and effective safeguarding measures to enable them to deliver programmes and activities of the highest quality and respond appropriately when harm occurs.

Vision 

Dóchas members are committed to upholding the highest standards of good practice and governance in safeguarding by continually enhancing their policies and processes. Leaders also have a responsibility to foster a culture of safeguarding within their organisations. The attitudes, values and behaviours demonstrated by leaders are crucial for establishing an effective, enduring and positive safeguarding culture. While we, as Dóchas members, are independent organisations with our own decision-making processes, priorities and approaches, we will endeavour to lead change throughout the sector by sharing principles and behaviours that promote a strong safeguarding culture.

We are committed to ongoing learning to improve our understanding and application of the principles, behaviours and actions that support such a culture.

Our Principles

Do No Harm 

We take our responsibility to avoid causing harm very seriously. Our work is based on the principle of providing relevant assistance and capacity strengthening in a manner that anticipates and aims to minimise any risk of harm during the process.

Zero Tolerance 

We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of exploitation or abuse, especially sexual misconduct, as well as to inaction or retaliation against those who report complaints or provide testimony.

Safeguarding Is Everyone’s Responsibility

While acknowledging our role as leaders, we also understand that safeguarding is not the sole responsibility of any individual. It is a collective responsibility shared among all stakeholders in the sector. We will persist in prioritising safeguarding across our organisations.

Personal Responsibility

Each individual within our organisations is responsible for protecting the people we help and those involved in our work, including staff, volunteers and associated personnel. We take responsibility for making sure our organisations are safe and that we have effective safeguarding measures in place.

Inclusivity 

We strive to establish an inclusive environment that values diversity. We encourage and advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion across our organisations to ensure that everyone involved with them experiences a psychologically safe working environment, regardless of their identity.

Identifying Power & Privilege 

We recognise the influence of power and privilege within and among our organisations, partners, and the communities we work with. We aim to ensure that power is identified and utilised positively, while opportunities to exploit positions of power are reduced.

Listening 

We value the perspectives and voices of the individuals we work to support. We aim to move beyond mere compliance practices and to embrace dialogue, active listening and learning to facilitate positive change.

A Responsive and Survivor-Centred Approach 

We encourage individuals to speak up and endeavour to show through our actions that every incident or allegation is taken seriously, and each case swiftly addressed with proper procedures. Our priority is to support survivors, respecting their rights and dignity while seeking appropriate justice in line with international safeguarding standards.

Confidentiality 

We encourage individuals to speak up and endeavour to show through our actions that every incident or allegation is taken seriously, and each case swiftly addressed with proper procedures. Our priority is to support survivors, respecting their rights and dignity while seeking appropriate justice in line with international safeguarding standards.

 To access the full Dóchas Safeguarding Charter click here