Child protection by design
Programs involving minors, including St. Martin De Porres School, Chipukizi FC and the hockey team, operate with supervision, conduct and reporting standards.
Ethics & Safeguarding
Safety, dignity and wellbeing are non-negotiable.
Because CYEF works closely with children and young people, often from vulnerable circumstances, safeguarding is treated as a foundational responsibility, not an afterthought.
Public commitment
Protection is built into every program, platform and partnership.
Vetted and trained
Every coach, mentor, volunteer and staff member working with children holds a Police Clearance Certificate that is renewed annually. All of them sign the Code of Conduct before first contact.
Clear reporting channels
Young people, parents, staff, volunteers and partners can raise concerns through accessible official channels.
Transparency and accountability
CYEF is accountable to donors, partners and communities through honest reporting, sound governance and responsible use of resources.
Dignity in storytelling
Names, photos and personal stories are used with consent and care, never reducing a young person to a statistic or spectacle.
Partner accountability
Partners, vendors, coaches, mentors, media teams and visitors are expected to follow CYEF conduct expectations during activities.
Minimum standards
What safeguarding looks like in practice.
- Before activities: brief staff, volunteers, coaches, media and partners on conduct, consent, emergency contacts and participant boundaries.
- During activities: maintain supervision, avoid one-on-one isolated access, monitor risks and make reporting channels visible.
- After activities: store media responsibly, respond to concerns, collect feedback and document lessons for future safety improvements.
The standard we work to
Measured against the International Safeguards for Children in Sport.
CYEF works to the eight International Safeguards, the framework expected of any organization delivering sport to children. The safeguarding policy sets out, safeguard by safeguard, where each one is met.
| Safeguard | Where CYEF addresses it |
|---|---|
| 1. Developing your policy | Child Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy |
| 2. Responding to concerns | Incident Reporting and Escalation Procedure |
| 3. Advice and support | Named focal person, published contact route, extra support for children at raised risk |
| 4. Minimising risks | Risk Management and Event Safety Policy, plus the pre-activity checklist |
| 5. Guidelines for behaviour | Code of Conduct, signed by every adult before first contact |
| 6. Recruiting and training | Police Clearance Certificates renewed annually, references, induction and annual refresher training |
| 7. Working with partners | Partner and Vendor Safeguarding Expectations, issued before joint activity begins |
| 8. Monitoring and evaluation | Board reporting twice a year, annual self-audit, participant feedback |
Report a concern
If you are worried about a child, tell us.
You do not need to be certain and you do not need proof. Deciding whether something happened is the job of the authorities. Passing on the concern is what matters.
If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 or 112 first or Childline Kenya on 116, which is free and answered 24 hours. Tell CYEF once the child is safe. Never wait for us before protecting a child.
| Route | Contact | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| CYEF Safeguarding Focal Person | CYEF Safeguarding Focal Person | Any concern about a child at a CYEF activity or about the conduct of anyone connected to CYEF |
| CYEF office | +254 748 390 908 | If you would rather speak to someone than write |
| Childline Kenya | 116 | Advice or reporting, including anonymously. Use it too where the concern involves CYEF itself |
| Police | 999 or 112 | Immediate danger or where a criminal offence may have been committed |
| Sub-County Children Officer | Machakos County, through the Department of Children Services | Statutory child protection response and case management |
What happens after you report
| Acknowledgement | Within one working day. Immediate where a child may be at risk |
|---|---|
| Assessment | The Safeguarding Focal Person decides the route within one working day and records the reasoning |
| External referral | Made without delay where a child may be at risk of significant harm and never held back pending an internal view |
| Protective action | Anyone an allegation concerns is removed from contact with children while it is assessed. That is a protective step, not a finding of guilt |
| Confidentiality | Shared strictly on a need-to-know basis. Records are held separately from programme files under the Data Protection Act, 2019 |
| If you report in good faith | You are protected. Nobody is penalised for raising a concern, including where it turns out to be unfounded |