Mustard Seed Global

Child Protection Policy

Mustard Seed Global (MG) employees and affiliates behave in ways that protect children and adult beneficiaries, prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, and prevent any other intentional or unintentional harm to the people MG serves or works amongst.

Rules of behaviour are based on local and culturally appropriate interactions (provided these meet or exceed the minimum protocols below) with children, members of the opposite sex, and other vulnerable adults. All MG employees and affiliates abide by these protocols in their activities with MG, for all children anywhere and for all adult beneficiaries of MG activities.

Acceptable Behaviour – MG employees and affiliates:

  1. Create and maintain an environment which prevents sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adult beneficiaries;
  2. Are careful about perception and appearance in their language, actions and relationships with children and vulnerable beneficiaries. Their behaviour—including in person and on digital platforms, both online and offline—demonstrates a respect for children and adult beneficiaries and their rights;
  3. Ensure that all physical and online contact with children and beneficiaries is appropriate in the local culture;
  4. Use positive, non-violent methods to manage children’s behaviour;
  5. Accept responsibility for personal behaviour and actions as a representative of MG;
  6. Are always accountable for their response to a child’s behaviour, even if a child behaves in a sexually inappropriate manner; adults avoid being placed in a compromising or vulnerable position with children;
  7. Where possible and practical, follow the ‘two-adult’ rule while conducting MG work, wherein two or more adults supervise all activities that involve children, and are visible and present at all times;
  8. Comply with any related investigations (internal and external) and make available any documentary or other information necessary for the completion of the investigation;
  9. Comply with applicable data privacy laws when handling any personal data about individual children or adult beneficiaries, noting in general that collecting or using such data must be limited to the minimum necessary, and that such data must be maintained and transferred in a secure, confidential manner;
  10. Immediately report through established reporting mechanisms any known or suspected incident or breach of this Policy by a MG employee or affiliate.

Unacceptable Behaviour – MG employees and affiliates do not:

  1. ) Behave in an inappropriate physical manner, or develop a sexual relationship with a child (under 18 years old), regardless of the country specific legal age of consent or age of majority. This also includes consenting or condoning the above behaviour (including fostering or condoning child marriage (under 18 years old);
  2. ) Develop or seek a sexual relationship with any beneficiary of any age; such relationships are not acceptable and will not be tolerated since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics. Such relationships undermine the credibility and integrity of MG’s work;
  3. ) Sexually exploit or abuse any beneficiaries (adult or child); such behaviour constitutes an act of gross misconduct;
  4. ) Exchange money, employment, goods, or services for sex (including sexual favours, other forms of humiliating, degrading, or exploitative behaviour, or hiring sex workers) or other exploitative demands is strictly prohibited. This includes exchange of assistance that is already due to beneficiaries;
  5. ) Fondle, hold, kiss, hug or touch children or adult beneficiaries in an inappropriate or culturally insensitive way;
  6. ) Use language, make suggestions or offer advice to a child or adult beneficiary which is inappropriate or abusive, including language that causes shame or humiliation, or is belittling or degrading;
  7. ) Spend excessive or unnecessary time alone with a child or adult beneficiary, away from others or behind closed doors or in a secluded area;
  8. ) Condone or participate in behaviour with children or adult beneficiaries which is illegal, unsafe or abusive; including harmful traditional practices, spiritual or ritualistic abuse;
  9. ) Hire children in any form of child labour (including as “house help”) unless it is within the best interest of the child and in alignment with local law and international standards (‘Child labour’ is work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children, or that interferes with their schooling. ‘Child work’ in contrast may be beneficial if permitted by International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and puts the child’s interests ahead of any benefits gained by adults.);
  10. ) Hit or use other corporal punishment against a child while the child is in MG care or the MG employee or affiliate is conducting MG work;
  11. ) Take a child alone in a vehicle for MG work, unless it is absolutely necessary, and with parental/guardian and managerial consent;
  12. ) Misuse or be careless with personal data about individual children or adult beneficiaries;
  13. ) Communicate with a child in MG’s program areas via digital platforms (e.g. Facebook, Twitter), via mobile technology (e.g. texting, Whatsapp, Skype), or online without consent and knowledge of his/her parents. Further, MG employees or affiliates never communicate on mobile, digital or online platforms with children or adult beneficiaries in ways that are inappropriate or sexual;
  14. ) Stay silent, cover up, or enable any known or suspected safeguarding incident or breach of MG’s Child Protection

Policy by a MG employee or affiliate. Any MG affiliate not required to sign the full policy must at minimum acknowledge in writing the receipt and understanding of these policies and their behavioural requirements. Failure to follow any part of the MG Safeguarding Policy, other inappropriate behaviour toward children or adult beneficiaries, or failing to report a known or suspected safeguarding incident committed by a MG employee or affiliate, is grounds for discipline, up to and including termination of the employment or other affiliation with MG. 3.0 Recruitment 3.1 Screening: MG takes diligent measures to screen out all people who might seek