Introduction:
Boat Refugee Foundation (BRF) is an independent and impartial aid organisation whose organisational ideals are in line with humanitarian standards, focussing on people on the move (internally displaced, asylum seekers, refugees, and undocumented people), located near Europe’s borders.
BRF is committed to the safeguarding of those we work for and with. Many of the people we work with experience increased vulnerability. It is therefore vital that BRF staff members work with people respectfully and in a way which maintains their safety, dignity and security and are committed to the following principles:
BRF is committed to transparency and accountability in all its activities. Moreover, BRF is committed to a high standard of work and has developed the following policies as guidelines for the standards of our work:
Safeguarding Handbook - Safeguarding is a set of organisational policies, procedures and practices designed to ensure that no harm comes to people as a result of contact with an organisation’s programmes, operations or staff members. This policy describes the responsibility of BRF’s staff on preventing, reporting and responding to harm.
Whistleblowing Policy - This policy exists to enable anyone to report any (suspected) activity by people within the organisation that could be illegal, dishonest, fraudulent, unethical or in violation of the policies of the organisation, while ensuring to provide all relevant facts. Any intentional action to cover up a report about a serious concern is a serious disciplinary offence.
Code of Conduct - The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to outline and guard the professional behaviour of BRF staff members. The policy outlines BRF’s principles and standards that all BRF staff members, regardless of the countries and locations in which BRF operates, must follow. The code of conduct is in line with BRF’s mission and values.
Reporting
We strongly encourage anyone to report behaviour which could be violating BRF's policies as soon as possible.
Step 1 - A (suspected) violation can be reported by filling in this (online) Incident Reporting Form.
Step 2 - If you or other people have questions about reporting or need support with filling out the (online) report please contact:
For Safeguarding: the the local Safeguarding Focal Point or the Safeguarding Officer safeguarding@boatrefugee.com
For whistleblowing: The Human Resources department (hr@bootvluchteling.nl)
For a breach of Code of Conduct of a BRF paid staff member: The Human Resources department (hr@bootvluchteling.nl)
For breach of Code of Conduct of a BRF volunteer professional: The Volunteer Coordinator NL (volunteers@boatrefugee.com)
For breach of Code of Conduct of a community staff member: The Area Manager on Lesvos (am-aeagean@boatrefugee.com)
We aim to ensure that:
● any complaints are investigated promptly and thoroughly at the appropriate level in the organisation,
● people know their complaint will be dealt with fairly
● the issues leading to the complaint are resolved wherever possible
● lessons are learned
The information in this form is confidential and will only be shared with the appropriate individuals:
● For Safeguarding with the Safeguarding Officer
● For Whistleblowing with the Human Resources department
● For Code of Conduct with the Human Resources department or Volunteer Coordinator NL
when appropriate, this will also be shared with the Line Manager or Head of the team. This form will be held in a safe and secure place.
If you are worried about being identified as the person making the report, then you can make a disclosure anonymously. BRF will treat anonymous reports as seriously as those made openly but be aware that it might be difficult to properly investigate if certain details in the report are missing. .
Try and complete the whole form, only leaving blanks if you have no knowledge. Clearly state if the information reported has been personally observed (first hand information) or has been told to you by a third party (hearsay information). If you are not able to fill out this form, please reach out to a BRF staff member or contact the Safeguarding Officer by email; safeguarding@boatrefugee.com.
