Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

"bee Charity" Verein (“BeeCharity”) works with and around children and vulnerable people through the projects we support. This policy sets out our commitment to keeping them safe from harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

It defines the standards everyone connected to us must follow, the roles responsible for safeguarding, and how concerns are raised and handled. Like our other policies, it has been formally adopted by the board.

We operate as a Swiss association and align our practice with Swiss child- and adult-protection law, including the relevant provisions of the Swiss Civil Code and Criminal Code, and with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Where projects are delivered in other countries, we also respect the applicable local laws and, where they are higher, apply the stronger standard. We expect our partners to meet these standards as a condition of working with us.

This policy applies to everyone acting for or on behalf of BeeCharity, including:

• Board members and anyone in a governance role.
• Staff, contractors and consultants.
• Volunteers, including one-off and event volunteers.
• Delivery partners and their personnel working on our projects.
• Visitors, donors or supporters attending our activities or events.

For the purposes of this policy:

• “Child” means any person under the age of 18.
• “Vulnerable person” means an adult who, due to age, disability, illness or circumstance, may be less able to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.
• “Safeguarding” means protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
• “Abuse” includes physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• “Safeguarding concern” means any worry about the safety or welfare of a child or vulnerable person, whether or not it is confirmed.

Everyone connected to BeeCharity shares responsibility for safeguarding and must report concerns promptly. Specific responsibilities sit at defined levels of the organisation.

Because we operate with joint signing authority, decisions that formally commit the association — such as adopting this policy or entering safeguarding-related agreements — require two authorised representatives acting together.

• The board holds overall responsibility for safeguarding and for approving this policy.
• A designated Safeguarding Lead (to be formally appointed) is the first point of contact for concerns and coordinates our response.
• Project and event leads are responsible for applying this policy in their activities.
• All volunteers and partners must follow this policy and report concerns without delay.

Before an activity, project or event that involves children or vulnerable people, we carry out a proportionate risk assessment. This identifies foreseeable risks and the measures needed to reduce them.

Risk assessments are documented, shared with those responsible for the activity, and reviewed if circumstances change. Activities do not proceed until identified risks are adequately controlled.

We apply proportionate checks before volunteers or partner personnel take on roles involving contact with children or vulnerable people.

Depending on the role, screening may include identity verification, references, a criminal record check (where lawful and available), a clear role description, and an induction covering this policy. Higher-contact roles receive more thorough checks.

Images and video of children and vulnerable people are only taken and used under strict conditions:

• Informed consent is obtained from the individual and, for children, from a parent or guardian before photography.
• Images are only used for the purpose consented to and are never shared in ways that could identify a child’s location or put them at risk.
• We avoid publishing full names alongside images and do not publish personal contact details.
• Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and images are stored securely with restricted access.

At events and activities involving children, we ensure adequate and appropriate adult supervision at all times, with clear ratios agreed in advance as part of the risk assessment.

Adults do not spend time alone and unobserved with a child. Registration, collection and clear boundaries are used so responsibility for each child is always known.

For activities involving children or vulnerable people, we plan for medical emergencies in advance, including access to first aid and a means of contacting emergency services.

We collect only the health and emergency-contact information necessary to keep participants safe, store it securely, and use it strictly for that purpose. In an emergency, the priority is always the person’s immediate safety.

Anyone with a safeguarding concern must report it as soon as possible — you do not need to be certain, and you should never investigate on your own.

Concerns should be raised with the Safeguarding Lead at beecharity1@gmail.com. If a child or vulnerable person is in immediate danger, contact the local emergency services first, then notify us. Our confidential reporting form is also available on our Safeguarding page.

We encourage anyone to speak up in good faith about wrongdoing, including safeguarding failures, without fear of retaliation.

Reports made in good faith will be taken seriously and handled confidentially so far as possible. We will not tolerate any victimisation of a person who raises a genuine concern, even if it later proves unfounded.

Safeguarding information is sensitive and is shared only on a strict need-to-know basis with those who must act on it.

We handle such information in line with our Privacy Policy and Swiss data-protection law, balancing confidentiality with the overriding duty to protect people from harm. Where safety requires it, information will be shared with the appropriate authorities.

Everyone in a role involving children or vulnerable people receives safeguarding awareness appropriate to their responsibilities, starting at induction.

The Safeguarding Lead and those in higher-contact roles receive more detailed training. We refresh training periodically and whenever this policy changes materially.

We monitor how this policy is working in practice, including recording and reviewing any safeguarding concerns and the actions taken.

Lessons learned are used to improve our procedures, risk assessments and training. Serious incidents are reported to the board.

This policy was formally adopted by the board and is reviewed at least annually or sooner if law, guidance or our activities change.

Questions about this policy can be sent to beecharity1@gmail.com. The current status and version of this document are shown at the top of this page.