From The Chairman:

Our duty to safeguard the most vulnerable

Our duty to safeguard the most vulnerable

Like so many people, we’ve been saddened and shocked to learn that some ex-employees of Oxfam abused their positions of trust while responding to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This behaviour can never be tolerated and must be reported whenever it occurs. We work in the humanitarian sector to help and safeguard the most vulnerable, not take advantage of their circumstances. At Habitat for Humanity, we uphold the highest standards of respect for the human rights of all people. We are committed to supporting and safeguarding a safe, ethical workplace and good stewardship of our donations, funds and resources.

As part of that commitment, Habitat for Humanity International’s ethics policy protects the people and communities it serves from exploitation and abuse, and condemns any activities that violate these standards.

Habitat for Humanity International also provides staff, volunteers, vendors, donors and the public-at-large a platform to confidentially and anonymously file a notification when they suspect or identify unethical activity. In accordance with its global whistle-blower policy, Habitat for Humanity International expressly prohibits any form of retaliation against whistle-blowers who, in good faith, raise concerns related to improper conduct.

While Habitat has a federated structure, which means that local Habitat organizations have a high degree of autonomy, each entity is required to adopt its own ethics policy that incorporates provisions of Habitat for Humanity International’s policy. Upon employment with Habitat for Humanity Great Britain, all staff agree to abide by our policies, which include a Child Protection Policy and our Code of Conduct. These clearly outline the ethical behaviour and standards we expect, toward both minors and vulnerable adults in the communities we serve.

We are committed to addressing all ethical concerns in a timely and expedient manner, and to maintaining an environment where good stewardship, ethics and compliance are among our highest priorities.

Ian Whitehead
Chairman, Habitat for Humanity Great Britain

Ian Whitehead Chairman Habitat for Humanity - safeguard image

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions about how we safeguard our employees, volunteers and beneficiaries please contact us at hello@habitatforhumanity.org.uk

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