Learn how to implement effective safeguarding measures in different programmatic contexts.
1,027 enrolled on this course
Duration
6 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Implementing Safeguarding in the International Aid Sector
Improve the safeguarding standards in your international aid organisation
Safeguarding is vital for protecting the children and vulnerable individuals that international aid organisations work with, as well as their staff and personnel from all forms of harm. This has also been identified as an area that needs strengthening in the international aid sector.
This six-week course will help you consolidate your understanding of the causes of harm, abuse, and exploitation and learn how to implement improvements in your organisation’s safeguarding measures in different programmatic contexts.
Ultimately, the course will equip you with the skills and tools you need to effectively prevent, report, respond, and learn from implementing safeguarding in your work.
Understand the risks posed to safeguarding in the international aid sector
On the course, you’ll have the chance to examine the risks to safeguarding people that are commonly found in different areas of international aid work.
You’ll also get to evaluate the prevention mechanisms used to minimise these risks and consider how these processes could be strengthened.
Develop effective safeguarding procedures and learn improvements for reporting and responding to exploitation and abuse
The course covers appropriate responses to disclosures and survivor-centred referrals, complaints and whistleblower mechanisms, safe marketing and accountability.
Access safeguarding training from the experts at The Open University.
This course was co-created by senior academic safeguarding specialists from The Open University and an international human rights and safeguarding expert who has worked with several international aid and humanitarian agencies.
The course material was developed with advice from BOND, CHS Alliance, and the learner community and reviewed by Safeguarding Leads in international agencies.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction
Introduction to the course
This introduction provides a brief orientation to the course and its learning outcomes, introduces the authors and the educators and offers some important guidance on how to keep yourself safe as you study this course.
Getting ready to engage with others!
This section introduces the idea of social learning, whereby you learn from and share experiences with your peers. It also explores your reasons for studying this course and considers what you already know about safeguarding.
What is safeguarding?
This part of the course unpacks in more detail what you know about safeguarding, particularly international standards and their application.
The safeguarding cycle
An introduction to the safeguarding cycle which is based on the project cycle. This will help you incorporate safeguarding principles into the work that you do during the implementation of your projects and activities.
Implementing safeguarding
Apply your learning to a case study scenario. The setting is a refugee camp, and you are asked what you would do. You are also encouraged to check your knowledge and understanding of the learning from the week.
Week 2
Identification
Identifying safeguarding risks and vulnerable people
The ability to understand the factors that influence people's vulnerability, and how they can be identified, is a key element of safeguarding that will be explored in this section.
The role of gender in safeguarding
Gender plays a significant role in safeguarding, with differing groups in differing contexts having an important impact on identifying risks. We explore the role of gender and the considerations that need to be accounted for.
Safeguarding in research
Organisations working in the international aid sector often undertake research. This section covers how principles governing research and data collection can be applied with a focus on safeguarding.
Assessing risk
We have covered a number of different factors that affect ‘risk’ and how it is perceived. This section will discuss the methodologies that can be used effectively to conduct a formal assessment of these risks.
Lessons learnt
This section considers the lessons to be learnt, and what else you should think about when incorporating safeguarding measures.
Week 3
Prevention
Introduction
This week of the course looks at how to implement safeguarding procedures to prevent harm from occurring. This is important and requires planning and implementation across all aspects of programmes and operations.
The nature of power
Power is a vitally important concept in safeguarding. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes it can be subtle and hidden. We explain the different forms that power can take and explore ways that challenge it to enhance prevention.
Safeguarding people with disabilities
We look at the importance of safeguarding children and adults with disabilities, and explore the importance of including them and their carers when developing safeguarding measures to prevent harm.
Safe recruitment
We outline an important theory about the perpetrators of sexual abuse and explore how safe recruitment policies and practice is a key preventative step.
Code of conduct
This section focuses on the important contribution that codes of conduct can make to prevention in safeguarding.
Digital safeguarding
Safeguarding in the digital and online worlds has become a serious source of concern. This section considers the scale of the problem, some of the major risks, and how we might mitigate against them.
Review what you have learnt
Review your learning this week by taking the week 3 quiz.
Week 4
Report and respond
Introduction
This week we look in more detail at issues around reporting and responding, including barriers and making reporting more accessible.
Barriers to reporting
This section explores the important issue of how a range of attitudes and beliefs around gender can be a major barrier to reporting.
Disclosure, reporting and supporting survivors
How disclosures are handled is crucially important if safeguarding reporting is to be effective. This section is an opportunity to explore and discuss good practice.
Whistleblowing and a ‘survivor-centred approach‘
Whistleblowers are an important source of reporting, and this section will consider how agencies should ensure they are protected. Once we have received a report it is important that our responses are survivor centred.
Mapping and a response checklist
This section provides guidance on ensuring we have a clear response mechanism and promotes discussion on how we know what services are available to survivors.
Duty of care and the importance of safeguarding staff
The whole process of reporting and responding is difficult and may be traumatic. In this final section we consider the issue of the duty of care to staff that arises from this.
Review what you have learnt
Test your knowledge from your work this week by taking the quiz.
Week 5
Improving accountability in safeguarding
Introduction
This week looks at accountability and how to build it into safeguarding policies, processes and practices across your organisation.
Accountability is at the heart of safeguarding
We are accountable to the communities we work with and serve, to those who represent us, to our donors, partners, regulatory bodies, and national and international agencies.
Accountability to affected people
Accountability to affected people is important in order to tackle SEAH in the aid sector. Where harm is caused by staff, affected people should know how to hold the organisation to account.
Guide the development of accountability processes and tools
Developing an accountability strategy in organisations is important for building an accountability culture and creating the necessary accountability processes and tools.
Strengthen knowledge and information in the people we serve
Community views should inform the development of safeguarding policies, processes and mechanisms across organisations. In this way a 'speak-up' culture can be promoted.
Mainstreaming safeguarding through all communications
Safeguarding should be mainstreamed through all organisational communications. This promotes ownership of a safeguarding agenda across all departments of an organisation, as well as all the organisations we engage with.
Review what you have learnt
Review your learning this week by taking the week 5 quiz.
Week 6
Learning and organisational culture
Introduction
This week’s learning supports you on how to strengthen organisational culture and learning.
How to develop a positive safeguarding culture
Organisational responsibility to foster a safe and positive environment.
Useful tools to reflect on safeguarding values
Tools to support organisations strengthen their organisational culture.
Monitoring, learning and good supervision
Organisational responsibility to support staff to learn and reflect on current practice.
Review what you have learnt
Review your learning this week by taking the week 6 quiz.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Mitigate and prevent against safeguarding risks associated with programmatic and organisational practice.
- Adapt existing tools using a safeguarding lens to implement activities that minimise harm to those who have direct and indirect contact with your organisation.
- Respond to challenges of safeguarding concerns using a survivor-centred and ‘do no harm’ approach.
- Support greater accountability and an organisational culture where safeguarding concerns are always reported and responded to appropriately.
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for all staff in development and humanitarian agencies. It will strengthen current individual and organisational knowledge and practice of safeguarding and support the career pathways for those aid workers who are looking to become safeguarding specialists.
This course is intended for those who are aged 18 years and above only.
This online course has been funded by UK aid from the UK government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
Who will you learn with?
An international human rights lawyer and expert in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, gender and sexual violence, and human rights and IHL in the international aid sector.
Jan Webb is the Associate Head of School for Nursing and Health Professions at the Open University. She has extensive experience of teaching and developing safeguarding and child protection courses.
Andy Rixon is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Wellbeing and Social Care at The Open University, specialising in children, young people, and families. Andy has a background as a social worker
Susan is an Open University tutor and a seasoned development researcher. She works extensively with international development organisations to deliver training and author teaching materials.
Simon is currently the Transition Officer & Global Safeguarding Lead at an INGO. He has led projects and operations in India, East Africa and Latin America over the past 12 years.
Vicky currently holds the role of Global Safeguarding Lead at an INGO. She has 15 years' experience in international development and supporting children and young people in a range of settings
Philippa Ramsden is an international development professional. She specialises in safeguarding and organisational effectiveness and has worked globally in education with a focus on inclusion.
Who developed the course?
Established
1969Location
Milton Keynes, UKWorld ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 20 Mar 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 20 Mar 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in Politics & Society