FSD AFRICA PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN

This 2022 guide outlines FSD Africa's procedures for handling safeguarding concerns involving its personnel, partners, or the public. It establishes a workflow from the initial report to the Designated Safeguarding Officer through to risk assessment, potential investigation by a senior staff member, and referral to statutory authorities for criminal activity. The process is guided by principles of confidentiality, transparency, protection, and objectivity, emphasizing a survivor-led approach to support and a duty of care for all affected parties.

• FSD Africa's safeguarding procedures apply to all 'FSD Africa Personnel', which includes employees of FSD Africa and FSD Africa Investments, as well as interns, short-term contractors, and personnel seconded or contracted on behalf of the organisation.
• The response to safeguarding concerns is governed by four core principles: confidentiality (sharing information only on a need-to-know basis), transparency (maintaining a clear audit trail), protection (taking actions to protect those involved), and independence and objectivity (assessing potential conflicts of interest).
• The Designated Safeguarding Officer is responsible for documenting reports using an Incident Report Form, which must capture the names of the reporter, alleged victims, and alleged perpetrators, as well as a description of the incident and its date, time, and location.
• FSD Africa mandates that all suspected criminal activity be reported to statutory authorities (police), with such reporting conducted through the Human Resources Director. The organisation also notes obligations to inform funding organisations, such as DFID, at the earliest possible opportunity.
• Victims or survivors of safeguarding incidents are provided support as a duty of care regardless of whether the report has been investigated. This support, which must be led by the victim/survivor, may include medical assistance, psychosocial care or counselling, and protection or security assistance such as relocation to a safe location.

APA

FSD Africa (2022). FSD AFRICA PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FSD-Africa-Safe-Guarding-Procedures.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. FSD AFRICA PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN. 2022. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FSD-Africa-Safe-Guarding-Procedures.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=FSD AFRICA PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN |date=May 2022 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FSD-Africa-Safe-Guarding-Procedures.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2022fsd, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{FSD AFRICA PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/FSD-Africa-Safe-Guarding-Procedures.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }