Safeguarding Policy

Adopted and last reviewed 14 October 2026. This is ETCO Kenya's ("ETCO") safeguarding policy. We review it at least once a year, and sooner if a concern raised through this policy shows it needs to change.

Our commitment

ETCO works alongside children, young people, and vulnerable adults in Kibera through our community care, learning, environmental, and wellbeing programmes. The safety of everyone who takes part in that work comes first. This policy sets out how we work to prevent harm, and what happens if a concern is raised, guided by Kenya's Children Act, 2022 and widely used international safeguarding practice. By "vulnerable adult" we mean anyone whose age, health, disability, or circumstances may make it harder for them to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.

Who this applies to

This policy applies to ETCO staff, volunteers, and anyone representing ETCO's leadership, programmes, or partner organisations, including visitors taking part in ETCO-led activities.

Our principles

A child or vulnerable adult's welfare is always the first consideration. Everyone has the right to be protected from harm regardless of age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. Concerns are taken seriously, recorded, and acted on promptly, and anyone raising a concern in good faith is supported, not penalised.

Expected conduct

Everyone covered by this policy is expected to treat children, young people, and vulnerable adults with respect and dignity, and to avoid any form of physical, verbal, or emotional conduct that could be seen as inappropriate. In ETCO activities, adults avoid being alone with a child out of sight of others; where one-to-one time is genuinely needed — tutoring, for example — it happens somewhere visible and another team member knows about it. No one covered by this policy may engage in any sexual activity with a person under 18, or offer money, aid, preferential treatment, or any other favour in exchange for sexual contact, with anyone. Before working with children, staff and regular volunteers are asked for references and, where practical, a police clearance certificate, and everyone reads this policy and agrees to this code of conduct before starting.

Photos and filming

Photography or filming of a child for ETCO's own reporting and communications only happens with the written consent of a parent or guardian and the child's own agreement, and never in circumstances that could compromise a child's safety or dignity. We do not publish a child's full name alongside their photo or exact location. More on how we handle this is in our Privacy Policy.

If a child is in immediate danger

Contact the police first, on 999 or 112, or call Childline Kenya, free, on 116 — don't wait to contact ETCO before doing that. ETCO will also report the concern to the police and the local Children's Officer (Department of Children's Services).

Raising a concern

Anyone who has a safeguarding concern about a child or vulnerable adult connected to ETCO's work — including a concern about the behaviour of a staff member, volunteer, or partner — should raise it as soon as possible with ETCO's Safeguarding Lead, by calling or messaging +254 718 783 190, by emailing hello@etco-kenya.org, or in person with any ETCO staff member, who will pass it on. If your concern is about the Safeguarding Lead or ETCO's leadership, you can instead raise it with any other member of ETCO's leadership team, or with a partner organisation you trust to pass it on.

What happens after you raise a concern

We will acknowledge your concern and tell you what happens next. It is written down and stored securely, and shared only with those who need to know to act on it. ETCO's Safeguarding Lead decides whether it needs to be referred to the police or Children's Services, and any ETCO staff member or volunteer the concern is about is stood down from work with children or vulnerable adults while it is looked into. Where the concern involves a child, we listen to that child's own views. We will keep a concern as confidential as possible, but we cannot promise confidentiality where a child or vulnerable adult is at risk.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to hello@etco-kenya.org.