Practical Action SAFEGUARDING POLICY Big change starts small

Sexual activity with children (persons under the age of 18) is prohibited regardless of the local age of consent or local/national laws of the relevant country; ignorance or mistaken belief in the age of the child is not a defence. [...] Awareness and training: Create and maintain mechanisms to systematically make Practical Action employees, trustees, volunteers, consultants, partners, others acting on our behalf and the communities we serve aware of measures to prevent and respond to harm, sexual exploitation and abuse. [...] Welfare: The immediate physical and psychological safety of the survivor and the person reporting the concern will be of paramount importance and reasonable steps will be taken to maintain their safety. [...] Photographers and story gatherers will, whenever possible, explain to the beneficiary or child and the parent/guardian of the child, who will be taking a photograph and the kind of purposes it might be used for. [...] Child/Children Children are defined by the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child as being someone under the age of 18 years of age, regardless of the local age of majority/consent.