Child Safeguarding
Policy
CertifiD works directly with schools, teachers, and students across India. Protecting the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of every child in our programs is a non-negotiable condition of how we operate, not an afterthought to it.
01 Purpose and Scope
This policy applies to all CertifiD staff, trainers, Master Trainers, Implementation Leads, Innovation Fellows, volunteers, and any individual engaging with students under 18 through a CertifiD Program, whether in person or online. It works alongside, and does not replace, the child protection policies of any partner Institution.
02 Guiding Principles
- The best interests and safety of the child take priority over any program outcome, partner relationship, or institutional convenience.
- Every concern raised in good faith will be taken seriously and acted upon, regardless of who is implicated.
- CertifiD maintains zero tolerance for any form of abuse, harassment, exploitation, or neglect of a child by anyone associated with our programs.
03 Code of Conduct
All personnel interacting with students must:
- Avoid unsupervised one-on-one contact with a student wherever possible; where unavoidable, ensure it occurs in view of others
- Never request or share personal contact details (phone number, personal email, personal social media) with a student
- Never photograph, film, or record a student without prior consent obtained through the enrolling Institution, as outlined in our Privacy Policy
- Never communicate with a student outside official CertifiD or Institution-sanctioned channels
- Maintain professional, respectful conduct at all times, with no physical contact beyond what is contextually appropriate and necessary
- Immediately report any concerning behaviour observed in a colleague, partner representative, or Institution staff member
04 Personnel Screening
CertifiD requires reference verification for all staff, trainers, and Master Trainers engaging directly with students. Where feasible and applicable, CertifiD will request a police clearance certificate or equivalent background verification prior to deployment in student-facing roles.
05 Training
All personnel in student-facing roles undergo mandatory safeguarding orientation before their first engagement with students, covering this policy, reporting procedures, and appropriate conduct standards.
06 Digital and Online Safety
Where Programs involve digital tools or online interaction with students, CertifiD personnel must use only Institution-approved or CertifiD-approved platforms, avoid direct messaging with individual students, and collect only the data necessary for the Program, in line with our Privacy Policy.
07 Reporting a Concern
Anyone, including students, parents, teachers, or CertifiD personnel, can report a safeguarding concern by writing to us directly at bala@certifi-d.com
Reports can be made confidentially. CertifiD will not disclose the identity of the person raising a concern beyond what is necessary for investigation or legal compliance.
08 Response and Mandatory Reporting
On receiving a concern, CertifiD will take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the child involved, which may include suspending the individual concerned from student-facing duties pending investigation. Where a concern involves suspected sexual abuse of a child, CertifiD will comply with its mandatory reporting obligations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, including reporting to the appropriate police authority or Special Juvenile Police Unit, and will cooperate fully with any resulting investigation.
09 Confidentiality
Information related to a safeguarding concern is shared only on a need-to-know basis, except where disclosure is legally required, including under mandatory reporting obligations described above.
10 Policy Review
This policy is reviewed annually, or sooner if required by a safeguarding incident or change in applicable law.