Safeguarding Policy

Our commitment

Vantage Foundation Uganda Limited is committed to creating a safe environment for children, young people, and vulnerable adults who come into contact with our organisation through our programmes, events, and online presence. We believe that every person has the right to live free from abuse, exploitation, and harm.

This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, partners, and anyone representing Vantage Foundation Uganda in any capacity.

Principles

• The safety and wellbeing of the people we serve is our highest priority.
• Every person has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
• We take a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, exploitation, and neglect.
• We listen to and act on concerns raised by children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• We work in partnership with families, communities, and authorities to promote safety.

Who we protect

Children (under 18): We take special care to protect children in all our programmes, including medical camps, mentorship sessions, and humanitarian aid distribution.

Young people (18-30): Many of our programmes engage young people as beneficiaries and volunteers. We ensure they are protected from exploitation and harm.

Vulnerable adults: We recognise that some adults may be vulnerable due to disability, illness, age, or social circumstances. We treat them with dignity and protect them from abuse.

Code of conduct

All staff and volunteers must:

• Treat all children, young people, and vulnerable adults with respect and dignity.
• Never engage in any form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
• Never develop a sexual relationship with a beneficiary of our programmes.
• Never use language or behaviour that is inappropriate, harassing, or degrading.
• Never spend time alone with a child away from others.
• Never take or share photographs of children without verified consent (see our Privacy Policy and Accessibility Statement).
• Report any concern about the safety of a child or vulnerable person immediately.

Photography and media

We follow strict guidelines for photographing and publishing images of children and vulnerable adults:

• Photographs are taken only with informed consent from the individual and/or their parent/guardian.
• Children are never identified by full name, location, or other identifying details in published content.
• Images must be dignified and not place the subject at risk of identification, exploitation, or harm.
• All EXIF metadata (including GPS coordinates) is stripped from photos before publishing.
• Anyone featured in our media can request removal at any time.

For the full technical and editorial details, see our Reports & Accountability page.

Reporting concerns

If you have a safeguarding concern or believe someone is at risk of harm, please report it immediately. You do not need proof — reporting a concern allows us to investigate and take appropriate action.

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone/WhatsApp: +256 786 585 216

All reports are treated confidentially and handled by designated safeguarding personnel within our organisation. We cooperate fully with Ugandan authorities, including the Uganda Police Force and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, in any investigation.

Recruitment and training

All staff and volunteers who work with children or vulnerable adults undergo:

• Background checks and reference verification before appointment.
• Safeguarding induction training before working with beneficiaries.
• Regular refresher training on safeguarding policies and procedures.

Policy review

This policy is reviewed annually and updated as needed. The date below indicates when it was last revised.