Safeguarding policies as lived practice

In conversation with Prof. Mechthild Wolff, Landshut University of Applied Sciences

Let’s assume an association claims it doesn’t need a safeguarding policy because its members already looked out for each other. How would you react?

Unfortunately, I so often find that people are initially resistant to the idea that adults, be they education professionals or volunteer youth group leaders, could abuse their power over children or young people or resort to violence. Experience sadly shows that the importance of a preventive safeguarding policy only becomes clear after a serious incident has occurred. So it’s vital to keep the lines of communication open even with sceptical stakeholders and highlight the added value of safeguarding policies. New perspectives open up as soon as associations or institutions engage with the question “Could this happen to us?” At that stage, they begin to understand that it might be a good idea to carry out a risk assessment.

What are the key factors that motivate cultural education providers and associations to develop a safeguarding policy and embed it long term?

It is crucially important to highlight the benefits of a safeguarding policy, for example, if there are no existing structures such as designated contacts or external reporting options. Any existing gaps can be a catalyst that encourages providers to address the issue of reporting. A fundamentally open-minded attitude towards the issue has an impact on the development of safeguarding policies, keeping discussions interesting and professional can help break down resistance and inspire people to reflect on the issue. Legal developments can be motivating factors, too. Safeguarding policies have become mandatory in many areas, However, it’s not just about legal requirements but about the professional attitude of those in the field. How do they deal with the risk that violence in its various forms can be a fact of life for many children and young people? Many associations have implemented safeguarding policies not because they were obliged to do so but because of their professional ethos. Ultimately, the development of a safeguarding policy is a responsibility that concerns everyone who works with children and young people.

Safeguarding policies should be a recurrent theme without posing major obstacles and without slipping into banality – that is the real art of it.

Prof. Mechthild Wolff

What challenges and specific conditions do you see in the implementation of safeguarding policies in cultural education organisations?

Institutions and providers must manage to integrate the measures – and there need not be that many – into everyday life in a way that makes sure they don’t lose their significance by simply being points that are ticked off on a to-do-list. Instead, they should be the obvious choice that needs to be incorporated into everyday life and existing structures. I refer to this as “natural mindfulness” and to achieve it, everyone has to be made aware of the issue. Everyone also has to be well informed about what they themselves can do to help when it comes to implementing the safeguarding policy. There are additional challenges in peer-oriented structures, such as youth associations where young adults run groups or serve on the board, because roles can become blurred. This is a potential risk factor that has to be taken into consideration.

Dealing with the issues of prevention and protection from sexualised violence can be intimidating. Safeguarding policies should be a recurrent theme without posing major obstacles and without slipping into banality – that is the real art of it.

New perspectives open up as soon as associations or institutions engage with the question “Could this happen to us?”

Prof. Mechthild Wolff

How can this succeed?

Providers should make their safeguarding policy clearly visible, for example, by providing information on their website or in the entrance to their premises. It must also be a recurring item on the agenda of general or team meetings. The preventive measures outlined in the safeguarding policy must be regularly reviewed through brief surveys, and together everyone should think about what their experiences of the measures are. That alone goes a long way.

You adopt a participatory approach in your research projects, for example, the ”SchutzJu” project. How can children and young people be involved in developing a safeguarding policy in an age-appropriate manner?

Our participatory approach is also based on the results of a survey that we conducted in collaboration with the University of Hildesheim. We surveyed numerous youth associations to ascertain to what extent young people had actually been included in the development of safeguarding policies to date. The results were sobering. In the vast majority of cases there was hardly any participation. This is exactly where our “SchutzJu” project comes in. Safeguarding policies must not just be there for young people but also have to be developed together with them. In this context, we created the PaCoPro tool kit, which is a digital set of methods and resources designed to help young people to actively draft a safeguarding policy for their group themselves. The tool kit contains posters, checklists, simple games and two sets of cards that are meant to inspire discussions in the group: Who is a trusted adult? What should we do if something happens? What rights does everyone in the group have and how can they be upheld?  

What does successful participation of children and young people look like?

It’s not just about participation, it’s about self-determination. Young people are at the heart of safeguarding policies. Ideally, they should explore the issue independently, discuss it with each other, develop their own ideas and take on joint responsibility for each other. These things can be collectively agreed through play and on an equal footing within the peer group. But this does not relieve adults from their responsibility.

Is there also an incorrect or inappropriate way of involving children and young people in the development of a safeguarding policy?

A safeguarding policy that was developed solely by adults sitting at a desk is not going to work. The main role of adults and professionals is to stay in the background and not dictate what’s right or wrong. Nonetheless, it is their job to create a safe framework, in other words, provide a safe space, establish relevant structures and offer support where needed.

The right approach is to take young people seriously as experts of their own lives, let them have a say in decisions and enable them to shape their own protection.

Interview: Rebecca Kisch; Text (german): Nina Hennecken; Translation (english): Alex Emerson