Child Safeguarding Protocol

Save the Children staff Nikiwe, Deidre and Noma, are in the Eastern Cape visiting Umthatha Child Abuse Resource Centre (UCARC) for two days. UCARC actively promotes and advocates for the rights of children including the right to protection.

In the meeting, Deidre introduced and described the Child Safeguarding Protocol as the policies and procedures that Save the Children and its partners are required to apply and monitor to protect children. Non compliance with this protocol can have dire consequences including cancellation of contract with partners.


The protocol applies to a number of people and institutions including the following: Save the Children staff, partner organizations, representatives, donors, journalists. The protocol applies in the work place and at home.

The commitment to the protocol includes: ensuring awareness of the protocol by all affected, preventing risk to children, reporting steps where concerns arise regarding the abuse and exploitation of children and actions to be taken when responding. The protocol encourages the staff of Save the Children, partners and others affected by the protocol to understand the issues and be able to respond.

If partners can adopt the protocol and encourage staff to commit to it, this will strengthen the organizations in addressing problems when they come up.