Policy Title: Safeguarding and Children Protection Policy
Policy Area: University-Wide Policies
Owner: Policy Office
Approved by: UM6P President
Effective Date: 29-03– 2024
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Safeguarding Procedures; Safeguarding Incident Report Form; Articles 9,40, 346 of the labor code, Article 34 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 32 of the Moroccan Constitution, La création par loi N° 78-14 relatif au Conseil Consultatif de la Famille et de l’Enfance, Articles 299, 408, 409, 410,411, 430,431, 446, 467-2, 484,485, 486 of the penal code.
SECTION 1 POLICY STATEMENT
1.1. University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) is committed to treat everyone with respect, providing a safe and secure learning and working environments for all students including children (under 18 years old), professors, staff, and visitors.
1.2. UM6P is committed to taking all possible measures to combat discriminatory behaviors, harassment, and sexism.
1.3. The present policy reflects the university’s dedication to promoting the well-being, safety, and protection of individuals, especially those who may be vulnerable (children) or at risk.
1.4. The present policy sets out UM6P’s proactive approach to provide a safe environment through continued good practice, transparent processes, and regular communication.
SECTION 2 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY
2.1. The policy, along with associated guidance and procedures, applies to staff and faculty, students, visitors and third parties, volunteers, participants in executive trainings, and the university’s community engaging in university activities, including interaction with students under the age of 18 years old, in all UM6P campuses and activities, whether on campus or off-campus, including online or in social media.
SECTION 3 PURPOSE
3.1. Ensuring that every proactive effort is made to prevent abuse, harassment, and discrimination by means of sensibilization and education, to raise students, professors, and staff awareness about the university’s safeguarding expectations and to promote values of equity, inclusion, and tolerance among members of UM6P community.
3.2. Ensuring that the UM6P’s internal policies and procedures promote an environment free from harassment and discrimination, including by seeking to recognize, prevent and eliminate systemic and structural forms of harassment and discrimination.
3.3. Ensuring that staff, students, supporting programs and activities working with children have defined responsibilities.
3.4. Ensuring that Safeguarding Referents, competent to carry out their safeguarding responsibilities, are designated.
3.5. Ensuring that processes are in place to address reports of abuse, harassment, and discrimination and to take appropriate measures.
SECTION 4 DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply to this policy document:
4.1. Student: refer to those individuals enrolled or participating in an academic program within UM6P.
4.2. Staff and faculty: all employees (full and part time) of the university including but not limited to lecturers, heads of departments, any other staff involved directly or indirectly in research or related activities including technical, clerical, clinical and administrative staff.
4.3. Visitor and Third parties: refer to individuals who are not part of the university’s regular student or staff community but may enter the university premises for various purposes. Third parties typically refer to organizations or individuals who are not directly affiliated with the university but may have interactions or partnerships with the university. This can include external service providers (contractors), volunteers, researchers, or any entity that collaborates with the university in some capacity.
4.4. Volunteers: include associated persons volunteering to lead or support university-led activities for which they are not paid.
4.5. Child: references to “child” or “children” in this policy means anyone under the age of 18 years old.
4.6. Safeguarding: actions taken to promote the wellbeing of university’s adults and children, support needs and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding applies if a member of the university is experiencing or at risk of abuse and neglect.
4.7. Abuse: is a violation of a person’s human and civil rights by any other person. It is where someone does something to another person, or to themselves, which puts them at risk of harm and impacts on their health and wellbeing. Abuse may occur face-to-face, on or off campus, including via digital or online methods (email, social media, cyber bullying…)
4.8. Harassment: is any vexatious behavior by a member of the university community towards another member of the university community in the form of hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions, or gestures, that affect the dignity or psychological or physical integrity of a member of the university community and that result in a harmful environment for such an individual.
4.9. Discrimination: is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as ethnic or national origin, civil status, pregnancy, social condition, gender, disability, language, age [except as provided by law], religion affiliation, political or philosophical convictions or any other relevant characteristic.
4.10. Underrepresented groups: refer to communities or individuals who have limited representation and voice in society, including in education, politics, and other decision-making bodies.
SECTION 5 PREVENTION
5.1. At the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), the concept of Safe Space is part of its DNA and regroups several elements including the ability to provide a safe, secure, and non-discriminating learning and working environments for all students, professors, staff, and visitors.
5.2. UM6P strongly believes that an educational institution is a privileged place to support the learning of inclusive social behaviors of diversity and tolerance and that students, professors, staff, and visitors of the university have the fundamental right to learn and work in a positive environment that is free from harm and all forms of prejudice, harassment, discrimination, and bullying.
5.3. As part of the Health Center approach to mental health, the victim may be taken into psychological care by the full-time psychologists of the Wellbeing Cell of UM6P (one per student campus). The Wellbeing Cell role is there to create compassionate communities of students and staff where people feel empowered to disclose mental health difficulties, free from stigma and ensure that people experiencing difficulties are identified early and taken care appropriately.
5.4. The following measures are taken by the UM6P to avoid incidents:
5.4.1. Regularly informing the community about this policy and UM6P’s processes related to this policy and specially how to report abuse, harassment and discrimination concerns or incidents.
5.4.2. A platform entitled “Speak Up” launched by the Corporate Communication Department within its strategy on Community Engagement, allows community members to share their concerns and be accompanied by the members of the committee.
5.4.3. Raising awareness on abuse, harassment and discrimination through regular communication campaign organized as part of the “UM6P Engaged” initiative.
5.4.4. Ensuring that safe internal communication is a topic regularly addressed with the students at various levels.
5.4.5. Establish HR procedures to maintain equality in recruitment and promotion. HR decisions will be made without discrimination. UM6P will take all necessary measures during recruitment to ensure alignment with the UM6P’s values.
5.4.6. The UM6P values respect, tolerance, and inclusion. This policy sets out the organization’s position on equal opportunity in all aspects of employment (EEO).
5.4.7. Taking all measures to ensure that any UM6P managerial and academic decision will be free from discrimination; Sourcing new students is based on the sole criteria of excellence.
5.4.8. If the incident involves a child or an individual below 18 years old, contact must be made with their legal guardian to ensure appropriate support and intervention.
5.4.9. Notwithstanding this policy, any person who believes that a Child has been or is likely to be abused, harassed (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually) or who has concerns about the wellbeing of a child, may report the matter (See Safeguarding Incident Report procedures).
5.4.10.Individuals participating in a university activity involving children must ensure that another adult is always present when working with or near children.
SECTION 6 ROLES AND RESPONSABILITIES
6.1.UM6P has appointed a Safeguarding Lead who plays mainly a coordination role and has responsibility for the university’s safeguarding arrangements and maintaining confidential records of relevant cases and action taken. The Safeguarding Lead is currently the University Registrar.
6.2. Dedicated designated Safeguarding Referents act as the main contact within the university for safeguarding causes of concern and incidents.
6.3. A Safeguarding Communication Lead ensure the promotion of this policy in the objective that all UM6P students, professors, staff, and visitors are provided with sufficient information on this matter before commencing any program, event, visit or other activity.
6.4. Gathered in Safeguarding Committee, they all oversee the prevention initiatives and are charged with the independent and impartial oversight and resolution of all reports filed under this policy.
6.5. The ombudsperson issues recommendations to improve practices related to safeguarding within the university community. His mandate includes collecting and investigating grievances, serving as a last resort for community members, and listening to parties involved in disputes. He analyzes information to recommend fair and mutually acceptable solutions, with a strong emphasis on promoting mediation and encouraging amicable settlement of disputes. it is important to note that the ombudsperson can only be contacted after internal remedies have been exhausted.
6.6. Nevertheless, each member of UM6P community shares responsibility for respecting the dignity and safe-fair treatment of all members of the university community. Each person is responsible for promoting and maintaining an environment free from abuse, harassment, and discrimination.
6.7. University staff, students who interact with children as part of their work-related duties or academic programs, are responsible for the control and supervision of children in different ways:
6.7.1. Engage in appropriate conduct when working with children.
6.7.2Remove a child from a dangerous or ambiguous situation immediately.
6.7.3.Report inappropriate conduct to the responsible official who approved the activity/program.
SECTION 7 INCIDENT REPORTING PROCESS
7.1. To report any incident please see (Safeguarding Incident Report procedures).
SECTION 8 REVIEW AND MONITORING STATEMENT
8.1. This policy document is reviewed once every four (4) years, or more frequently when requested by the president or subsequent to published changes to governing regulations or accreditation requirements.