Keeping people safe at Oxfam — safeguarding

Ensuring survivors can report abuse in confidence – and that they get the support they need – is paramount. We want survivors, past and present, to continue to come forward and report allegations and we know this can be painful and traumatic. We’ve endeavoured to make the process more accessible and to be survivor-centred in our approach and will continue to seek improvements.

Specialist safeguarding staff are also working on the ground where they are most needed – for example, Oxfam has two safeguarding specialist humanitarian support personnel who, when travel is not restricted, are deployed into countries to provide additional safeguarding support. We also have at least one dedicated safeguarding focal point in place in every country where Oxfam works.

We have improved our understanding and management of the risks posed by our work, to ensure that all those affected by our humanitarian and development programmes can participate more safely. The approach, known as Safe Programming, includes training and toolkits for staff and partners as well as conducting research within communities so that we are more accountable.

COVID necessitated an urgent review of our existing plans. The risks related to sexual exploitation and abuse were heightened in the face of stress, fear, economic uncertainty, and chaotic environments. At the same time, the barriers to reporting and challenges also increased. Oxfam acted swiftly to adapt to this new context. In response to COVID restrictions, we created online safeguarding training tools to ensure that staff, volunteers, and partners were provided with effective support and training during this period.  We continue to provide flexible working arrangements to account for any outbreaks that may require our staff to work remotely, maintaining their access to be able to complete important Safeguarding training and workshops.

Oxfam has established a Global Safeguarding Shared Service with all Oxfam affiliates – networking safeguarding specialists from across the Oxfam confederation. Oxfam Australia’s Safeguarding Manager is an active member of this shared service.

Oxfam has introduced a new electronic record-keeping system for all cases. This secure central database is used by all Oxfam affiliates to build information and evidence of potential crimes. We’re also working together to ensure everyone follows the same procedures.

Our policies in reporting potential crimes to police and local authorities are clearer and have been developed with guidance from survivors.

We are working with the wider aid sector to stop perpetrators from moving on unchecked to other roles and organisations. Oxfam is leading work with other agencies to better share information about offenders. Here at Oxfam Australia, we work within a referencing system that ensures only approved managers can provide job references for people leaving the organisation.

We know that tackling abuse and exploitation in our programs is not enough. We must live our values throughout the organisation by examining our own attitudes and behaviours and by changing power structures to prevent the abuse of power which is often at the heart of sexual exploitation and abuse cases.

As part of our commitment to improve our culture and ensure that all staff understand and share our values, we have safe recruitment practices in place that include integrity clauses in our job ads and position descriptions, we conduct criminal history checks, have mandatory safeguarding interview and reference check questions and all staff and associated personnel are required to sign the relevant behaviour based Code of Conduct and the Child Safeguarding Code of Conduct. 

Safeguarding training is mandatory for Oxfam staff around the world.