Code of Conduct

I. INTRODUCTION

This Code of Conduct sets out how everyone involved in the activities of Asociația Convey must behave towards participants under 18, and what each of us is responsible for. Its aim is simple: every child and young person who takes part in our activities should feel safe, respected and supported, both physically and emotionally.

I.1. Policy Statement

Asociația Convey is committed to offering a safe and caring environment to everyone who takes part in our activities, including minors. We accept our duty of care and act early to prevent harm, neglect, abuse and exploitation. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility in our organisation, and we expect everyone who represents us to meet the highest standards of protection.

I.2. Understanding Harm

Safeguarding means making sure that our team, our volunteers and our activities never put minors at risk. We take every reasonable step to keep them safe, to uphold their rights and to prevent mistreatment of any kind. The main forms of harm we guard against are:

- Physical abuse: hurting a child or putting them at risk of injury, including by causing or inventing an illness.

- Sexual abuse: involving a child in any form of sexual activity, whether through force, pressure or persuasion.

- Sexual exploitation: manipulating or forcing a child into sexual activity in exchange for money, gifts or other benefits.

- Neglect: repeatedly failing to meet a child's basic needs, such as supervision, food, safety or emotional care.

- Emotional abuse: persistent behaviour that damages a child's emotional wellbeing, such as bullying, humiliation or threats.

- Commercial exploitation: using a child for work or profit in ways that harm their development or rights.

I.3. Who This Code Applies To

This Code applies to everyone who represents or works with Asociația Convey and has any contact with minors:

- Staff: all team members, permanent or temporary.

- Volunteers: everyone who gives their time to our projects.

- Contractors: external service providers working on our behalf.

- Partners: the organisations we cooperate with in joint projects.

It applies during all our programmes, events and contacts with minors, in person and online, in every country where we work, and also outside working hours whenever there is contact linked to our activities.

II. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The principles below are the foundation of how we protect minors and create a safe, inclusive and supportive environment in all our activities.

II.1. Best Interests of the Child

The best interests of every minor come first. Each young person is unique, and our decisions, activities and interactions are designed to support their wellbeing, development and happiness. That means listening to their needs and acting in their interest at all times.

II.2. Non-Discrimination

Everyone gets the same opportunities. We do not accept discrimination based on age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, ability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic. Every participant is treated fairly and is equally protected by our safeguarding measures.

II.3. Empowerment

Young people should have a say in the decisions that affect them. By listening to their views, encouraging them to take part and respecting their opinions, we help them build confidence and independence and feel that the activity belongs to them too. This also builds trust and keeps our work relevant to their real needs.

II.4. Safety

Safety is one of our core values. We want every participant to feel safe physically, emotionally and psychologically. We identify risks in advance, reduce them, and keep clear procedures to prevent harm, so that minors can take part freely and with confidence.

II.5. Professional Behaviour

Our team, volunteers and partners always act professionally, honestly and respectfully. In practice, this means:

- Keeping physical contact to what is appropriate and necessary for a participant's wellbeing, and asking for consent whenever possible.

- Respecting privacy, confidentiality, personal boundaries and private spaces.

- Speaking kindly, respectfully and inclusively, and never using offensive, discriminatory or inappropriate language.

- Communicating with minors through official, transparent channels, such as group chats that include other leaders, rather than private one-to-one messages.

II.6. Communication

We keep communication open, honest and transparent between participants, parents or guardians and partners. We share the information people need about activities, expectations and concerns, while protecting confidentiality and taking care in all communication, online and offline.

III. SAFETY MEASURES FOR MINORS

To protect minors in our activities, we follow a clear set of measures before, during and after each project. They help us prevent risks, respond quickly to any concern and give everyone a safe and positive experience. Our Risk and Prevention Checklist sets out the practical steps in more detail.

III.1. Before the Activity

Planning around participants: activities are designed for the age, abilities and needs of the participants, and we ask young people for their input whenever possible.

Risk assessment: before every activity, we identify possible hazards and decide how to prevent them. Participants are told about the relevant risks and safety rules, and a trained first aid person is appointed for each project. At registration, we ask for relevant health information, allergies and dietary needs.

Training: all team members and volunteers are trained in safeguarding, appropriate behaviour and how to work with minors, so that everyone understands their responsibilities and acts consistently.

Info pack: before each project, participants receive an info pack covering travel, accommodation, the local area and weather, what to pack, meals, the programme, safety rules, emergency contacts and a few useful phrases in the local language.

Parents and guardians: we hold preparation meetings with parents or guardians to explain the activity and answer their questions, and we collect emergency contacts and medical information for each minor. Written consent from a parent or guardian is required. It covers participation, the safety measures, permission for medical treatment if needed, and the use of photos and videos for project communication.

Supervision: qualified group leaders accompany and support minors throughout the project, and each leader signs a declaration confirming they understand their safeguarding duties. Parents and guardians are told who the leaders are and that their children stay under their supervision during all activities and travel.

Transport and insurance: we use only licensed transport providers and help participants plan their journeys when needed. Valid travel and health insurance is required for every participant, and we recommend a policy that also covers lost luggage and damage to third parties.

III.2. During the Activity

Introduction session: every activity starts with a session that covers practical details and safety procedures and identifies possible risks together with the participants, who are invited to suggest how to prevent them.

Group rules: a code of behaviour for the activity is agreed at the start and applies to everyone, setting out expectations for behaviour, communication and respect.

Supervision: minors are always supervised by experienced, responsible group leaders, with a gender balance among leaders so that every participant has someone appropriate to turn to.

Minors and adults together: when an activity includes both minors and adults, adults are expected to set a good example and avoid behaviour that is unsuitable around minors, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or using inappropriate language.

A safe environment:

- Activity spaces are checked regularly for hazards.

- Equipment and materials are checked for safety and age-suitability.

- Respectful and caring behaviour between participants is encouraged throughout.

Emergencies: each activity has an emergency plan suited to its specific risks, and the whole team knows what to do in case of an accident. The first aid person stays in contact with local emergency services and coordinates the response. Parents or guardians are informed straight away if their child is involved in an emergency.

Evaluation: short daily evaluations help us check how activities are going and adjust them, and three longer evaluation sessions at the start, middle and end of each project make sure participants' voices are heard.

III.3. After the Activity

- The team holds a debriefing to reflect on the results, note lessons learned and deal with any safeguarding issues.

- Any incident or concern recorded during the activity is documented and followed up.

- Participants are supported after they return home, so they can settle back in and use what they have learned.

- Participant feedback is collected and used to improve future projects.

IV. RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

Everyone who works or volunteers with minors in our activities is carefully selected, checked and trained, so that they understand their responsibilities and can help keep the environment safe and respectful.

IV.1. Recruitment

Every staff member, volunteer or contractor who will work with minors goes through a screening process that includes:

- Background check: a valid criminal record certificate (cazier judiciar) and, as required by Romanian law for work with children, a certificate of behavioural integrity (certificat de integritate comportamentală).

- References: professional or personal references confirming that the person is trustworthy and suitable to work with minors.

- Signed commitment: a signed declaration that they have read, understood and will follow this Code of Conduct and our safeguarding policies.

IV.2. Training

Before taking part in any activity, everyone who works with minors completes safeguarding training covering:

- The principles of child safeguarding and our own policies.

- How to recognise the signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

- Appropriate, professional ways of working with minors.

- How and when to report a concern.

Refresher training is offered regularly, so the team stays up to date with good practice, policy changes and legal requirements.

IV.3. Ongoing Learning

We support our team and volunteers to keep learning through workshops, peer learning and sharing experiences, so they keep improving how they safeguard and communicate with minors.

V. REPORTING CONCERNS

We handle every safeguarding concern seriously, sensitively and transparently. Responding quickly and appropriately is essential to protecting minors.

V.1. How to Report

Anyone involved in our activities, including staff, volunteers, participants, parents and partners, can and should report any suspicion, incident or concern about a minor's safety or wellbeing. This includes:

- Abuse, neglect or exploitation that has been seen or is suspected.

- Inappropriate behaviour or crossed boundaries by staff, volunteers or participants.

- Unsafe situations or places that could put minors at risk.

Concerns can be reported in person or in writing to the project's designated safeguarding person or to the project coordinator. Their contact details are included in the info pack and displayed at every activity venue. Concerns can also be sent to matei@asociatiaconvey.eu.

In an emergency, always call 112. In Romania, concerns about a child's welfare can also be reported to the local child protection service (DGASPC) or to the Child Helpline (Telefonul Copilului) at 116 111.

V.2. Confidentiality

Reports are treated in strict confidence and shared only with the people directly responsible for dealing with them. The privacy of the person reporting and of everyone involved is respected, in line with data protection law (GDPR). Anyone who raises a concern in good faith is protected and supported, and any form of retaliation against them is forbidden.

V.3. What Happens Next

When we receive a report, we:

1. Acknowledge it and make sure any participant at risk is safe straight away.

2. Look into it promptly and thoroughly, following our internal procedure.

3. Take appropriate action, including informing the authorities or partner organisations when the law or our policies require it.

4. Support the young people affected and, where appropriate, their families.

Every case is documented, and what we learn is used to strengthen our safeguarding practice.

VI. MONITORING AND REVIEW

We regularly check that our safeguarding measures work in practice and stay in line with good practice.

VI.1. Ongoing Monitoring

All activities involving minors are monitored and evaluated as they happen. Team members and coordinators are encouraged to share feedback on how well our safeguarding measures work during and after each project, and every incident or difficulty is recorded and reviewed.

VI.2. Yearly Review

This Code of Conduct is reviewed once a year to keep it in line with national and international standards and with the needs of our programmes. Each review takes into account:

- Feedback from participants, parents or guardians, staff and volunteers.

- Input from partners and outside experts where useful.

- Lessons from incident reports and evaluations.

- Changes in Romanian and EU law and in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps guidance.

VI.3. Updates

After each review, changes are approved by the association's leadership and shared with staff, volunteers and partners, so everyone always works with the current version.

VII. LEGAL COMPLIANCE

Asociația Convey follows all local, national and international laws and standards on protecting minors. We recognise both our legal and our moral duty to protect every child from harm and to promote their rights and wellbeing.

VII.1. Legal Framework

This Code is guided by, among others:

- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which sets out every child's right to protection, care and participation.

- Article 24 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, on the rights of the child.

- Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.

- Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims.

- Directive 2012/29/EU on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime.

- The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, which protects minors' personal data.

- Romanian Law No. 272/2004 on the protection and promotion of the rights of the child.

VII.2. Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Rules

We also follow the safeguarding and child protection requirements of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes, which set clear expectations for organisations working with young people and minors in EU-funded projects.

VII.3. Accountability

Every team member, volunteer, contractor and partner shares responsibility for following these laws and policies. Breaking our safeguarding rules or procedures may lead to disciplinary measures and, where applicable, legal consequences.

Last updated: October 2026