Like other charities, we have been asked by DFID to provide assurances about our safeguarding and disciplinary policies and procedures. We have responded giving those assurances.
We have been clear that anyone working for ±«Óãtv Media Action must behave to the highest standards and respect beneficiaries, partners and colleagues.
Values of trust and respect are central to ±«Óãtv Media Action’s ethos and we expect everyone to demonstrate them in all they do. We will – and do - take action through our well-established disciplinary processes if staff behave inappropriately.
The overwhelming majority of our staff deliver their work every day across 14 countries with the utmost integrity. Equally we have to be open and honest if anything does go wrong.
We have now reviewed all cases in the last ten years involving or potentially involving sexual misconduct. All were investigated at the time and we are not aware of any child protection issues.
Formal disciplinary action was taken in five cases: two people were dismissed for sexual harassment; four for watching pornography on work computers; and one person was given a final warning for sexual misconduct and subsequently resigned.
In a further five cases, alleged sexual misconduct was investigated but did not result in disciplinary action.
Four of these cases – which trustees did not consider reportable at the time - have now been referred to the Charity Commission in the interests of full transparency.
Our staff have been reminded of our safeguarding, child protection and whistle-blowing policies and procedures, and their responsibility to follow our Code of Conduct.
We will continue to examine our policies and processes around safeguarding and whistleblowing - and take action to strengthen them further wherever necessary.
We want to foster a culture where everyone working at ±«Óãtv Media Action can recognise abuse, knows what they can do to help prevent it, and where anyone with an allegation is heard.
We are committed to working with our local partners in developing countries to ensure they take these issues as seriously as we do, and with the wider international development sector to pursue a set of actions designed to collectively achieve the highest standards of safeguarding.
Updated 6 March 2018
