What is Child Protection where you are?

Child protection and Safeguarding legislation and practice differ from country to country, so what does this mean for you?

Having worked with schools and students from all over the world, specifically in safeguarding and student support, I have noticed some confusion that can arise from different standards and cultural norms in the specific country in which the school or institution operates. An international school may follow a UK or US curriculum for example, with a staff body that predominantly comes from those educational systems, yet be beholden to the laws, practices and support networks of the country in which it is situated.

This begs the question ‘should  a school follow the child protection legislation and practice of the country to which it most closely aligns or that of it’s locale?’

There is no simple answer to this conundrum, and many schools find themselves operating with both in mind, for example a school will be legally obliged to follow local guidance and law, but might use child protection practice from a different country in pursuit of best practice. It is always essential for safeguarding to be contextual, so an institution must make arrangements to best protect it community specifically, tailored towards it’s specific student body and physical environment. But is there a way to cut through this an look at some universal principles?

The Keeping Children Safe International Child Safeguarding Standards help organisations meet the responsibilities set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to protect children from harm caused by their staff, activities, operations and partners. The good news for institutions the world over is that these principles underpin good safeguarding practice globally

The Standards are based on the following principles:

• All children have equal rights to protection from harm.

• Everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children.

• Organisations have a duty of care to children with whom they work, are in contact with, or who are affected by their work and operations.

• If organisations work with partners, they have a responsibility to help partners meet the minimum requirements on protection.

• All actions on child safeguarding are taken in the best interests of the child, which are paramount.

While local support agencies, healthcare and legislation can vary significantly from country to country I think it is worth educational leaders thinking carefully about these principles and how they are upheld in their school or college. For leaders I would add one more principle to consider- “that an educational establishment should ensure an environment and culture that is conducive to the safe and effective development of it’s students” this is a far reaching and challenging tenet, but one that should be achieved through effective security, policy, key staff training, student awareness and a whole community commitment to it’s member being safe, well and successful.