Our Commitment

We are committed to protecting the dignity and rights of every person. Safeguarding is our top priority in everything we do and we believe that it is always unacceptable for children, young people and adults to experience abuse of any kind.

We are committed to the safeguarding and protection of everyone we work with, including beneficiaries, volunteers, staff and the staff of partner organisations.

We seek to understand and model best practice in global standards for safeguarding and whistleblowing. Our policies – safeguarding policy, anti-bullying and anti-harassment policy, whistleblowing policy, and code of conduct - are reviewed regularly and were last re-approved by our Board of Trustees in April 2021.

Safeguarding at The Leprosy Mssion

We have a zero-tolerance approach to serious misconduct.

We will not tolerate any form of violence, abuse, harassment or exploitation from our staff or any representatives associated with our work or partners.

Our staff and representatives must ensure that their behaviour allows children, young people and adults to live free from harm, abuse, harassment, bullying or exploitation.

They are required to understand the importance of safeguarding by:

• upholding the dignity and respect of every person
• taking preventative steps to ensure a safe environment for all who come into contact with The Leprosy Mission
• responding quickly and appropriately to concerns raised

Reporting a concern

Any safeguarding allegation or concern must be treated seriously and reported as soon as possible. A concern can arise when abusive behaviour is observed or suspected, when an allegation is made or disclosed, or where there are signs and symptoms of suspected abuse.

Whether you are a member of staff, a beneficiary, or a member of the public, you can report any concerns about the behaviour of Leprosy Mission England and Wales staff or representatives by:

• Emailing directly to safeguarding@tlmew.org.uk
• Using our 24/7 Safecall service and telephoning 0800 915 1571 (UK calls only). All calls and reports to Safecall are treated in complete confidence by an independent team. They will not disclose your name without your permission and you can choose to remain anonymous. All concerns raised or reported with Safecall will be shared with The Leprosy Mission International at a senior executive level and will be investigated thoroughly. Action will be taken in line with our policies.

If you are calling from overseas you can find your local Safecall number below:

Bangladesh +44 191 516 7764

Ethiopia +44 191 516 7764

India 000 800 440 1256

Mozambique +44 191 516 7764

Myanmar +44 191 516 7761

Nepal +44 191 516 7761

Niger +44 191 516 7764

Nigeria +44 191 516 7764

Sri Lanka 242 3109

Our safeguarding policy is available for you to read.

Whistleblowing

We are committed to conducting all activities with honesty and integrity and expect all staff to maintain high standards of conduct. However, all organisations face the risk of things going wrong from time to time, or of unknowingly harbouring illegal or unethical conduct. A culture of openness and accountability is essential in order to prevent such situations occurring and to address them when they do occur.

Our full whistleblowing policy is available to read here.