Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Paragraph: 68
It is important that the international aid sector recognises the risks that the covid-19 pandemic...
Conclusion
It is important that the international aid sector recognises the risks that the covid-19 pandemic and measures taken to contain it pose to women. Any reduction in aid supplies will make them more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and should be avoided. This comes at the same time that safe spaces and confidential services for women are becoming more difficult to access. International aid organisations should work with local, community-based organisations in-country to continue to provide gender-based support and access to services throughout the covid-19 pandemic. This should be taken as an opportunity to consider how these services can be more locally led in future too.
Paragraph Reference:
68
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government is fully committed to ensuring that aid organisations have access to the information they need to make informed recruitment decisions and safeguard the vulnerable. We do not assess though that there is a gap in the system, but rather a need to help organisations make best use of the system. For example, frontline aid work per se is not excluded from the definition of regulated activity: the definition of regulated activity in relation to work with children or vulnerable adults applies to aid workers as it does to workers in other sectors. So where the nature of the role meets the definition of regulated activity set out in legislation (for example roles involving the provision of health or personal care or unsupervised teaching, training or caring for children), and the employment decision is made in the UK, an enhanced criminal record certificate with a barred list check can be sought. Where the employment decision is made outside the UK and the work involves regular contact with children, an 8 Seventh Special Report of Session 2019–21 International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) can be sought from the ACRO Criminal Records Office. The ICPC confirms whether an individual has a criminal history and provides details, including relevant conviction and non-conviction data. So while we disagree with the recommendation as written, in light of the concerns expressed by witnesses to the Committee and by the IDC, the FCDO has established a working group of officials from its Safeguarding Unit, the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service, Charity Commission and ACRO. The group will work with safeguarding professionals from the UK aid sector to explore the issues faced by organisations in checking criminal histories of potential employees, what can be done within the existing framework, and also where there may be gaps or issues that need addressing. To complement the checks available from the DBS and ACRO and to further support safer recruitment across the aid sector, FCDO is championing the employment cycle initiatives referred to in the response to Recommendations 2 and 3. The United Nations (UN)