Child Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

About us

The Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) is an independent, non-profit research institute founded on the principle that research-based policy-making is essential for the economic welfare of societies. Established in Warsaw in 1991, CASE is now recognised as the leading think tank in Central and Eastern Europe and is highly regarded on the international stage.

CASE conducts policy-oriented research and development assistance projects, specialising in the following areas:

• Sustainable Development Policies,
• Labour, Migration and Social Policies,
• Fiscal Policies and Growth,
• Trade & Macro.

CASE offers rigorous quantitative and qualitative analyses, innovative methodologies, and sound recommendations, all aimed at promoting economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

CASE often involves children and young people in research and implementation projects related to the abovementioned topical areas. Children and young people take part in research activities such as consultations, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and participatory research activities. CASE also delivers a number of implementation projects, with children and young people participating in workshops, trainings, educational resources, and toolkits. CASE also engages in policymaking advisory services and awareness raising in matters related to child rights and equality.

Purpose

The purpose of this Child Safeguarding Policy is to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people involved in CASE’s research and implementation projects. We have responsibility to provide safe, supportive environment for youth to those at-risk.

We will follow the highest ethical and safeguarding standards for youth participants and set appropriate agendas and mechanisms to:

• prevent harm, exploitation and abuse,
• foresee and address potential safeguarding concerns,
• recruit and train staff in accordance with the safeguarding standards,
• review and continuously improve the Policy.

Scope

All paid employees, volunteers and associated experts must comply with this Policy. Partners and contractors working with the organisation must either have their own policies in place or act in accordance with CASE’s Policy.

Approval

This Policy is approved by the CASE’s Management Board on the 10 of September 2024. The next Policy review is due in 2 years.

Objectives

The Policy is divided into four Standards, which reflect different aspects of children and young people’s safeguarding measures:

• Standard 1: Policy
• Standard 2: People
• Standard 3: Procedures
• Standard 4: Accountability.

Following the Standards and protecting children and young people is a responsibility of everyone involved in CASE’s work. Each Standard apply equally to all individuals irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

Standard 1: Policy

General principles

All children have the right to protection and make informed decisions about their lives and decide on their well-being. We foster positive treatment towards children and support their resilience in all our actions.

1. We will, whenever possible, engage children in expressing their views and opinions in matters they find important in their lives. Children’s participation will be implemented in a non-exploiting and meaningful way, in line with standards set by other research organisations.
2. We prioritise children in safeguarding arrangements and in all the organisation activities. We create child-focused mechanisms and practices to make our actions age-appropriate and comprehensive.
3. CASE has a zero-tolerance policy against any forms of harm, exploitation or and neglect. CASE will ensure that power relations are not disrupted, and all activities are carried out with respect and partnership.
4. We will prevent, report and respond to all cases of harm, regardless of whether it happens internally or externally. No concerns will be considered trivial, and we will engage necessary authorities immediately if needed.
5. Safeguarding is the responsibility of the whole organisation and associated experts, volunteers, partners and collaborators. Anyone who comes into contact with CASE must adequately respond to any issues or concerns.
6. All concerns will be reported and addressed in a serious, timely, and careful matter, with a guarantee of confidentiality. Clear reporting procedures and complaint forms will be available to all that come into contact with CASE.
7. We will conduct training and raise awareness about the responsibility of child protection to all actors included in the scope of this policy and beyond.

Mapping child protection arrangements

The following mapping table presents legal acts and policies regarding child protection has been mapped as relevant to CASE’s arrangements.

Source: own elaboration.

Definitions:

Child – any human being below the age of 18 unless the local law specifies otherwise.

Harm – any detrimental effect on a child’s physical, psychological or emotional well-being or threatening the child’s welfare.

Exploitation – the use of a child for someone else’s advantage, profit, or benefit.

Neglect – failure to provide for children’s basic needs, including physical, mental, educational and medical care.

Violence – any deliberate use of power, physical or in the form of threat, against children.

Physical abuse – intentional act of injury or trauma caused to a person’s body.

Sexual abuse – forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, in person or online.

Emotional abuse – behaviours that impact children’s emotional well-being.

Organisation’s activities – all organisation’s activities that provide direct services to children. For CASE these include specifically research, consultations, workshops, training, education programmes, and play.

Staff – all CASE’s full-time employees, contracted experts, fellows, Management Board, Supervisory Council, and Advisory Council.

Partners – all organisations that CASE enters into a partnership or consortium with.

Child-friendly research and activities principles

CASE is committed to conducting child-friendly research and activities, to support children in expressing their views about their lives and meaningfully engage in research and training projects.

We design our research with:

• First-hand insight-gathering methods, including focus groups, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires, which are adapted to the capacities of the child,
• Observing children’s behaviour through ethnographic methods, with necessary child and/or parental consent, unless the consent is impossible to obtain,
• Analysing secondary data about children, for example, collected statistics, records, data or files from relevant institutions.

Our other activities include:

• Fun and entertaining activities engaging children in learning and/or play,
• Training and educational activities delivered by experienced formal educators,
• Networking events for children only or in cross-generational groups.

Child/parental engagement

We commit to participatory and inclusive research whenever possible. CASE’s activities are to engage all stakeholders such as children, parents and formal educators on an equal matter, in a partnership, while accounting for additional vulnerabilities stemming from age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc.

Our participatory principles rely on:

• Translating materials to multiple languages, if possible,
• Adapting research tools to age and accessibility capacities,
• Designing inclusive recruitment strategies,
• Sharing research output with children,
• Gathering child and/or parental consent,
• Delivering participant information sheets tailored to every project,
• Reflexive thinking about power dynamics between CASE’s staff and participants,
• Engaging different adult stakeholders in participatory principles.

Standard 2: People

CASE commits to ensuring the safety and well-being of children through the actions and behaviours of its staff, volunteers, and associated experts. This standard outlines the organisation’s commitments to safeguarding in recruitment, training, role responsibilities, access to external advice, and partnership management. By adhering to these principles, CASE will ensure that everyone involved upholds the highest standards of child protection.

Safe recruitment and safeguarding measures

We are dedicated to designing and implementing recruitment practices that prioritise child safeguarding, ensuring that only those who are fully committed to these principles and pose no risk to children are selected to join our team. We will actively identify and address potential risks throughout the hiring process. CASE will integrate child safeguarding measures at every stage of recruitment – including comprehensive steps before, during, and after the selection process to establish strong protections and maintain the highest standards of child safety at every level.

• Every recruitment process will be grounded in a thorough assessment of each job role or volunteer position, taking into account the extent of interaction with children.
• Job descriptions will clearly outline the responsibilities related to child protection, and all advertisements emphasise our commitment to safeguarding. Interviews include at least one question that assesses candidates’ understanding of child safeguarding. Final offers are contingent on satisfactory background checks, including at least two references, proof of employment history, proof of identification, qualification and registration checks, and criminal record checks (where applicable). All candidates must sign the code of conduct, including the section confirming they are safe to work with children
• All employees, volunteers, and contractors are required to read, understand, and sign the Child Safeguarding Policy as part of their employment or engagement with CASE. This ensures that every individual is aware of their responsibilities to uphold the highest standards of conduct towards children.
• Work must not begin until all safer recruitment steps are completed, including background checks (where applicable) and thorough guidance on the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Staff training

Continuous training and education equip CASE staff, interns, volunteers, and associates with the knowledge and skills needed to maintain a safe environment for children. This section details our commitment to providing relevant, ongoing training to all involved parties.

• All new employees and volunteers will receive mandatory safeguarding training as part of their induction. This training covers the definition of abuse, reporting procedures, and CASE’s expectations for behaviour.
• Ongoing training is provided regularly to keep staff updated on best practices and any changes in Policy, Code of Conduct or legal requirements.
• Staff members in roles with specific safeguarding responsibilities, such as Child Safeguarding Officer, receive additional training tailored to their needs. This includes advanced courses on risk assessment, handling disclosures, and managing safeguarding concerns effectively.

Roles and responsibilities (organisation structure, Child Safeguarding Officer)

Defining clear roles and responsibilities ensures that safeguarding is embedded across all levels of the organisation. This section outlines the structure of safeguarding responsibilities within CASE, including the role of the designated Child Safeguarding Officer.

• The designated Child Safeguarding Officer oversees the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy and provides guidance on safeguarding matters. Specifically, the tasks of a Child Safeguarding Officer:
  • Serves as the primary point of contact within the organisation for all matters related to child safeguarding.
  • Ensures that staff and partners are fully informed about the Child Safeguarding Policy and understand their roles and responsibilities, providing training, guidance, and ongoing support as needed.
  • Provides expert advice and support to staff and partners on implementing the safeguarding policy, including conducting risk assessments and ensuring compliance with established standards.
  • Develops and maintains connections with local child welfare, healthcare, and law enforcement professionals to access guidance and support in case of incidents or when external expertise is required.
  • Promotes awareness of the safeguarding policy and our commitment to children’s rights among children, families, and communities involved with CASE, ensuring that the policy is accessible and understood.
  • Acts as the initial point of contact for child protection concerns and escalates those concerns to the Management Board when necessary.
  • Maintains accurate records of all reported incidents, ensuring confidentiality and thorough documentation of each case.
  • Supports the monitoring and implementation of the Child Safeguarding Policy by submitting annual progress reports to the Management Board, including proposed actions to enhance safeguarding practices.
• Safeguarding is a shared responsibility across CASE. Key staff (namely the Management Board) are designated as focal points to ensure accountability and oversight of the Policy and make the contact details of the Child Safeguarding Officer public to ensure that individuals know how and where to report concerns or seek advice related to child safeguarding.
• Every staff member, regardless of their position, is responsible for safeguarding children and must act in accordance with CASE’s Child Safeguarding Policy. This includes adhering to the Code of Conduct (Appendix 2.), reporting any concerns, and creating a safe and supportive environment for children.

External advice and support resources and services

Access to external advice and support resources strengthens CASE’s ability to safeguard children effectively.

• CASE will collaborate with external child protection organisations, legal advisors, and support services to provide expert guidance when safeguarding concerns arise. These resources ensure that staff have access to the latest advice and best practices.
• Staff involved in safeguarding cases will have access to emotional and professional support to help manage the stress and complexities of handling such issues. Resources will also be available for children and families to ensure they receive appropriate support in line with their needs.

Partnerships with other organisations

Partnerships are crucial to achieving CASE’s safeguarding objectives. CASE will ensure that all partners align with our safeguarding standards and principles.

• All CASE partners, including donors, project partners, associated entities and contractors, are required to have safeguarding measures that align with CASE’s standards. If not, they are required to adhere to CASE’s Policy and sign the Code of Conduct.
• Partnership agreements include clear expectations, roles, and procedures related to safeguarding, including reporting protocols.
• CASE will work closely with partners to build capacity and ensure consistent safeguarding practices. This includes shared training opportunities, regular reviews of safeguarding measures, and open communication channels to address any concerns collaboratively.

Standard 3: Procedures

Risk assessment and mitigation

Areas of mitigating strategies:

Organisational culture: changes are made in the organisational culture to foster child safeguarding, which is as important as an organisation’s value.

Roles and responsibilities: changes pertain to staff or their responsibilities.

Policies and process: policies and processes are revised or new are introduced.

Systems and processes: existing systems and processes are revised or adapted.

Source: own elaboration.

Risks will be assessed systematically in every project involving children and young people. The process involves risk identification, assessment and mitigation strategy. Risk assessment will be conducted prior to the start of the project, with careful attention to any unexpected risks during the project course.

Child Safeguarding Protocol

The following reporting and response procedure is an obligation of all individuals identified in the Policy scope. The procedure is to be mobilised shall any concern, suspicion or incident that threatens children’s wellbeing arise. The person suspecting or witnessing a breach of this Policy is required to respond within 24 hours, and the Child Safeguarding Officer must take action within 72 hours from receiving the case. Confidentiality must be protected throughout the whole process.  All concerns and reports must be taken seriously.

Child Safeguarding Protocol flowchart

See Annex 3: Sample Incident Reporting Form.

Management responsibilities

Main responsibilities about child safeguarding policy development and implementation lies in the hands of Child Safeguarding Officer and Management Board.

Child Safeguarding Officer should be nominated by the Management Board. The Officer should be experienced in projects involving children and have good knowledge of the mechanisms of abuse, mitigation strategies, national/international laws, ethical concerns, and children’s rights. Child Safeguarding Officer should attend possible training about safeguarding and child protection. The Child Safeguarding Officer is also responsible for raising awareness of child safeguarding among staff. The Child Safeguarding Officer handles all complaint matters and regularly reviews and suggests updates to the Policy.

Management Board is responsible for nominating Child Safeguarding Officer and overseeing their work throughout its course. The Board is responsible for handling internal complaints procedures and for sharing information with authorities or children’s services. The Board will implement changes to the Policy based on the Child Safeguarding Officer recommendations.

Information, media and communication plan

Child protection is a principle that will be followed in all dissemination, exploitation and communication activities about projects involving children.  We will always respect children’s rights to privacy and make sure the safety of the child is not compromised by media activity. Collected information and visuals are strictly for professional use only.

The information, media and communication plan address the following themes:

1. Informed consent

All research, information and communication materials about the projects involving children will implement the child and parental consent (Annex 1). Consent about media will be a part of the standard research and implementation activities’ consent form, with a possibility of opting out only from the media section. Consent forms will outline all possible communication channels and message forms tailored to every project’s dissemination, communication and exploitation activities.

2. Collecting information and images

Any data involving children will be collected with their permission. Collecting information and images about children must be collected in a safe environment without pressure. Any information collected will be in accordance with the community and cultural standards. Children must be able to withdraw their research, activity or/and media consent at any time. External media representatives must act with respect to CASE’s Code of Conduct.

3. Using information and images

Images that do not meet the standards outlined above are not feasible for dissemination. Any information that may lead to identification of the child’s identity (name, surname, date of birth, address, place of study, place of living, names of the parents, or other sensitive information) must be eliminated. Children on images must be presented with dignity and respect, away from any vulnerable situation or inappropriately dressed. Images will not be manipulated or distort the reality of the situation. We will obtain the highest ethical standards when analysing data and avoid fabrication, generalisation or projection.

4. Data protection

We will protect children’s data in accordance with the national and international laws, including GDPR. We will follow GDPR standards of lawfulness, fairness and transparency; purpose limitation; data minimisation; accuracy; storage limitation; integrity and confidentiality; and accountability. When feasible, projects will have a designated Data Protection Officer ensuring all issues related to data protection are resolved.

5. Online safety

People outlined in this Policy’s scope who are involved in the projects with children will be informed about the appropriate use of information, technology and communication. People involved in projects with children must assess the online safety risks and discuss the topic of online safety with participants. CASE will carefully plan and review their communication about projects involving children. CASE’s staff are encouraged to share only those visuals shared by the official CASE’s channels and not take their own pictures for personal use. Online safety concerns are also subjected to the Child Safeguarding Protocol outlined in this Policy.

Standard 4: Accountability

Accountability ensures the effectiveness of CASE’s Child Safeguarding Policy measures and builds trust with stakeholders. This chapter outlines our structured processes for monitoring compliance, handling complaints, and evaluating our safeguarding policies with specific timelines to guarantee consistent oversight and improvement.

Monitoring compliance and implementation of the policy

To ensure that safeguarding measures are consistently and effectively implemented, we will conduct regular and structured monitoring activities:

• Quarterly Internal Monitoring (Every 3 Months) will be conducted to assess the adherence of our staff and partners to the Child Safeguarding Policy. These checks will include feedback sessions with Child Safeguarding Officer and reviews of safeguarding practices, focusing on whether standards are being implemented effectively and in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Reports will be compiled at the end of each quarter to summarise findings and identify corrective actions.
• Annual Internal Audit (Once a Year, Every October) will include an assessment of the implementation of safeguarding measures in all operation at CASE. Results, complied by the Child Safeguarding Officer will be reviewed by the Management Board in November, and an action plan will be developed to address any identified issues.
• Learning from Incidents (As Needed): Every reported safeguarding incident will be reviewed within one month of its occurrence. A detailed case review will be conducted by the Child Safeguarding Officer and the Management Board to identify causes and recommend changes to our practices. Summaries of these reviews are shared with relevant staff to ensure learning is integrated promptly.

Complaint procedure

A clear and accessible complaint procedure ensures that concerns about child safeguarding can be reported and addressed promptly.

• A key tool in this process is the Incident Reporting Form (Appendix 3.), which ensures a structured and efficient approach to handling safeguarding complaints. This form must be completed as soon as a concern or allegation is identified. The form is available in both digital and paper formats and can be accessed through the organisation’s intranet or Child Safeguarding Officer. Completed forms should be submitted confidentially to the designated Child Safeguarding Officer within 24 hours of the incident. All information recorded in the Incident Reporting Form will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. Only individuals directly involved in managing the incident and those responsible for safeguarding oversight will have access to these records.
• All reports will be acknowledged within 48 hours of receipt with an initial assessment conducted to determine the urgency and appropriate course of action, ensuring the immediate safety of the child if required.
• Once a complaint is received, an investigation is launched within five working days. Investigations are conducted in line with established protocols, prioritising confidentiality and the best interests of the child.
• Throughout the investigation process, the Child Safeguarding Officer will ensure protection from retaliation for those who report concerns. The outcome of each investigation will be communicated to relevant staff within 30 days of the complaint being filed. If more time is needed, regular updates are provided.
• Corrective actions will implemented immediately to address any identified failings.
• Individuals who file a complaint using the Incident Reporting Form receive feedback on the outcome of the investigation within the limits of confidentiality and privacy laws. This feedback includes the steps taken to address the concern and any further actions planned.

Policy evaluation

Regular evaluation of our safeguarding policy will ensure it remains effective, relevant, and aligned with best practices. Every January, the Child Safeguarding Policy will undergo an internal review. This includes gathering feedback from staff, partners, and stakeholders on the policy’s effectiveness and examining data from incidents and audits. Recommendations for policy updates will be submitted to Management Board by the Child Safeguarding Officer by February. In addition to annual internal reviews, our policy will be formally evaluated by an external evaluator every three years to assess its compliance, effectiveness, and areas for improvement, with findings presented to the Management Board. Insights and recommendations from reviews and evaluations will be incorporated into the policy immediately following the evaluation. Updated policies and procedures are communicated to all staff within one month of approval to ensure swift implementation.