KCS Invites Non-Member Organisations to Help Design Its New Training and Consultancy Service

The Keeping Children Safe Coalition (KCS) is pleased to invite non-member organisations to participate in a one-day real time strategy workshop to help us create a world-class child protection Training and Consultancy Service for organisations engaged in all aspects of international development and/or relief, whether delivering aid, engaged in development or as donors.

By sharing your expertise and knowledge, you will help ensure that KCS’s Training and Consulting Service will make a major contribution toward creating a world in which children globally are safeguarded and protected from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation.

The workshop will be held on June 2 from 9a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Keeping Children Safe Coalition, CAN Mezzanine, 49-51 East Road, Old Street, London N1 6AH. Please reply by May 19 to ensure a place. Contact Alex Dressler, Consultancy Manager, alex.dressler@kcs-coalition.com.

Promoting International Child Protection Standards
KCS was formed in 2001 by some of the leading international development agencies in response to reports of sexual violence against refugee and internally displaced people in West Africa, and sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable populations (mainly women and girls) at the hands of humanitarian workers. KCS members developed a set of standards for child protection, as well as a toolkit and resources to help develop and implement child protection policies.

The standards are based on the Coalition members’ own experience and draw upon the principles outlined in international and regional child rights instruments and commitments. They are meant to be implemented by organisations working with or for children, whether from the business, civil society or governmental sectors.

Praise for KCS’s Toolkit
The KCS toolkit, according to Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, The Independent Expert for the UN Study on Violence Against Children: “offers an excellent opportunity not only for the improvement of the quality and professionalism of those working with children, but most importantly, it will help to achieve a greater impact for children.”
The toolkit is available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic, with translations due in Portuguese and Albanian.

KCS Child Protection Standards Adapted by DFID and ECHO

Since it was published in 2003, the KCS toolkit has been adapted by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO).

KCS Launches Its New Training and Consultancy Service

In response to increasing demand for high quality support to organisations in relation to implementing child protection measures, KCS is will launch its Training and Consultancy Service this summer.

The Service will provide:

--Direct support to individual organisations (training, advice, support and guidance on all aspects of implementing KCS standards),

--Stand alone training courses and workshops on a range of topics – introduction to the KCS standards and toolkit, getting started on implementation, developing a child protection policy, child protecton in recruitment and selection, child protection training for managers, management and investigation of child protection incidents, etc. (some courses may be developed as e-learning or distance learning tools, and,

--Audit/evaluation services to organisations (a service that may be of particular interest to donors that may make child protection a condition of grant funding)

An Opportunity to Network

In addition to helping to shape the strategic direction of KCS’s Training and Consultancy Service, this will be a good opportunity for you to network with people who share a commitment to child protection within the international development and relief sectors.