Safeguarding Policy

01Our Commitment to Safeguarding

Heal & Revive is committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment for everyone we work with, particularly children and young people participating in the Heal & Revive Youth Initiative (HRYI). Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and we take all concerns seriously, treating them with urgency, care, and confidentiality.

02Who This Policy Protects

This policy applies to the protection of children (under 18, or the age of majority in their jurisdiction if lower) and vulnerable adults who engage with Heal & Revive's programs, services, and community — including HRYI members, mentees, event attendees, and anyone interacting with our staff, volunteers, or mentors.

03Definitions

For the purposes of this policy: a child is any person under the age of 18, or the age of majority in their jurisdiction if different. A vulnerable adult is any person who, due to their circumstances, may be less able to protect themselves from harm or exploitation. Harm includes physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including online/digital harm.

04Safer Recruitment

Everyone working directly with children or young people through Heal & Revive — including staff, volunteers, mentors, ambassadors, and facilitators — is subject to a screening process appropriate to their role, which may include identity verification, reference checks, and, where legally available and appropriate to the jurisdiction, criminal background checks. All such individuals must agree to this Safeguarding Policy and our Code of Ethics before beginning their role.

05Codes of Conduct for Staff, Volunteers & Mentors

Anyone interacting with children or young people on behalf of Heal & Revive must:

• Communicate only through approved, appropriate, and where possible monitored channels — never through personal, private, or unofficial channels
• Avoid one-on-one, unsupervised interactions with minors outside of approved program structures
• Never request or share personal contact information, gifts, or favors outside official Heal & Revive channels
• Maintain appropriate physical and emotional boundaries at all times
• Immediately report any concern, disclosure, or suspicion of harm, following the process in Section 7
• Never attempt to independently investigate or resolve a safeguarding concern themselves

06Recognizing Signs of Harm

Staff, volunteers, and mentors receive guidance on recognizing potential indicators of harm, which may include unexplained changes in behavior, withdrawal, signs of physical harm, disclosures made directly or indirectly, or signs of exploitation. Anyone with a safeguarding concern — even if uncertain — should report it rather than wait for certainty.

07Reporting a Concern

If you have a safeguarding concern involving a child or vulnerable adult connected to Heal & Revive, please report it as soon as possible using the contact details in Section 10, marking your message as a safeguarding concern. If there is immediate danger to a child or vulnerable adult, contact local emergency services first, then inform us.

All Heal & Revive staff, volunteers, and mentors are required to report any safeguarding concern they become aware of, regardless of how it arises.

08Our Response Process

Every safeguarding concern is reviewed promptly by a designated safeguarding lead [role/name to be assigned by Heal & Revive]. Depending on the nature of the concern, this may involve: an internal review, temporary suspension of the individual concerned from further contact with children or vulnerable adults pending investigation, referral to local child protection or law enforcement authorities as required by law, and follow-up support for anyone affected.

09Confidentiality & Information Sharing

Safeguarding concerns are handled with strict confidentiality, shared only with those who need to know in order to respond appropriately, or as required by law. Confidentiality is never used as a reason to avoid reporting or acting on a safeguarding concern, consistent with the limits of confidentiality described in our Privacy Policy and Counselling Terms.