CODE OF CONDUCT TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND/OR PARTICIPANTS

Introduction

Maccabi Canada has developed the following Code of Conduct to Protect Children and/or Participants (“Code of Conduct”) to guide our contractors, employees and volunteers in their interactions with children and/or participants. The safety, rights and well-being of all our participants (child or adult) are at the core of our daily operations. We nurture supportive relationships with children and our participants while balancing and encouraging appropriate boundaries.
Why a Code of Conduct to Protect Children and our Participants?

Maccabi Canada is committed to ensuring all persons are protected and safe. This Code of Conduct is an important part of creating a safe environment. The safety, rights and well-being of all our participants participating in our programs is a priority in our daily operations.

The intent of the Code of Conduct is to aid our contractors, employees and volunteers in developing healthy relationships with all our participants and to maintain appropriate limits for children and others.

Prohibited Conduct

Maccabi Canada (MC) will not tolerate any abusive behaviour by anyone including but not limited to physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse. This Code of Conduct applies to all independent contractors, employees and volunteers of MC. This Code of Conduct outlines mandatory procedures which must be followed by all contractors, employees and volunteers of MC in the event that they are aware of any alleged, suspected or have witnessed abuse of a child at MC.

Failure by a contractor, employee or volunteer to comply with this Code of Conduct will result in discipline, up to and including termination of his or her relationship with MC.
Treating Children and Other Person’s With Dignity and Maintaining Boundaries

All contractors, volunteers and employees must:
  • Treat all participants with respect and dignity
  • Establish, respect, and maintain appropriate boundaries with all participants and their families
It is important to monitor your own behaviour towards children and others, and pay close attention to the behaviour of your peers to ensure that behaviour is appropriate and respectful, and will be perceived as such by others.

All of your interactions and activities with children and others should be designed to meet the participants needs, not your own needs.

Always consider the child’s or other person’s reaction to any activities, conversations, behaviour or other interactions. If at any time you are in doubt about the appropriateness of your own behaviour or the behaviour of others, you should discuss it with our executive director.

Below are some examples of unacceptable behaviour toward a child or participant:
  • Criticizing
  • Embarrassing
  • Shaming
  • Blaming
  • Humiliating
  • Intimidating or threatening actions or words
  • Making fun of anyone
  • Deliberately causing physical harm
  • Favouritism. Singling out an individual or certain participant and providing special privileges and attention (for example, paying a lot of attention to, giving personalized gifts, or allowing privileges that are excessive, unwarranted or inappropriate).
  • Engage in any communication that may make the individual uncomfortable or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
  • We recognize that contractors, employees and volunteers often become important people in a child’s or participant’s life. However, all persons are highly discouraged from maintaining contact on social media.
  • Engage in any sort of physical contact that may make the individual or a reasonable observer feel uncomfortable, or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries.
  • Physical abuse – Including the use of physical force by anyone that causes physical injury or pain. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to, beating, slapping, punching, kicking or otherwise harming another person, or the threat of such behaviour.
  • “Sexual abuse” consisting of but not limited to sexual activity or interactions where consent is not or cannot be given.
    • Sexual contact that is accomplished by force or threat of force, regardless of the age of the individuals involved;
    • All sexual contact between an adult and a child, regardless of whether there is deception or the child understands the sexual nature of the activity.
    • Telling sexual jokes, or making comments that are in any way suggestive or explicit.
    • Showing anyone material that is sexual in nature, including, signs, cartoons, graphic novels, calendars, literature, photographs, screen savers, or displaying such material in plain view of anyone, or making such material available to anyone.
Signs of Abuse

All contractors, employees and volunteers should be aware of the signs of abuse.

There are a number of “red flags” that suggest someone is being, or has been, physically, sexually or emotionally abused.

Possible physical indicators of physical abuse include, but are not limited to:
  • injuries (e.g. bruises, welts, cuts, burns, fractures) that are not consistent with the explanation offered;
  • repeated injuries over a period of time;
  • several different injuries at one time at varying degrees of healing;
  • injuries that form a shape or pattern (e.g. buckle, iron, cigarette); and
  • injuries not consistent with a child’s age or development.

Behavioural indicators of physical and emotional abuse include, but are not limited to:
  • fear of going home;
  • no recollection of how injuries occurred or inconsistent explanations;
  • flinching if touched unexpectedly;
  • extremely aggressive or withdrawn;
  • poor memory or concentration;
  • overly compliant or eager to please; and sadness or depression.
Physical indicators of sexual abuse include, but are not limited to:
  • sexually transmitted diseases;
  • difficulty walking or ambulating normally;
  • stained, bloody or torn undergarments;
  • genital pain or itching; and
  • physical injuries involving the external genitalia.

Behavioural indicators of sexual abuse include, but are not limited to:
  • fear or reluctance about being left alone with a particular person;
  • recoiling from being touched;
  • bundling oneself in excessive clothing, especially night clothes;
  • discomfort or apprehension when sex is referred to or discussed; and
  • nightmares or fear of night and/or darkness.
Maccabi Canada Reporting Procedure
 
All contractors, employees and volunteers who are aware of alleged or suspected abuse of any child or any participant in our programs (regardless of age) by another contractor, employee or volunteer of MC must immediately also report this information to Tali Dubrovsky 416-398-0515 x 202.

If the victim is an adult, the alleged, suspected or witnessed abuse will be reported by MC to police. If a victim is a child, MC will also report the alleged, suspected or witnessed abuse to the local CAS and police as outlined above.
 

Mandatory Reporting – Child Abuse

Any contractor, employee or volunteer who has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection must promptly report the suspicion and information upon which it is based to a Children’s Aid Society (“CAS”). This includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse of a child by anyone. “Reasonable grounds” refers to the information that an average person, using normal and honest judgement, would need in order to decide to report.

In Toronto, you may make a report to the CAS (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) by calling:

Children’s Aid Society of Toronto:                   (416) 924-4646
Catholic Children’s Aid Society:                      (416) 395-1500
Jewish Family & Child Services:                     (416) 638-7800
Native Child & Family Services of Toronto:     (416) 969-8510 

You may make a report of a child in need of protection to any of the above agencies, regardless of the child’s ethnicity or religion. 

MC will report all reasonable suspicions of a child in need of protection to the CAS and the appropriate law enforcement agency, without notifying the accused contractor, employee or volunteer.

You may not conduct your own investigation into allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal or inappropriate behaviour.
Investigation & Follow Up 

Maccabi Canada treats every allegation of abuse by a contractor, employee or volunteer very seriously. Once an allegation is reported, MC will promptly, thoroughly and impartially investigate the allegation to determine whether abuse has occurred. Our investigation may be undertaken by either an internal team or we may hire an independent third party to conduct the investigation. We will cooperate fully with any investigation conducted by law enforcement or other regulatory agencies. We may share the findings and outcome of our investigations to those agencies.

We will place any contractor or employee suspected of abuse on a suspension with pay pending our investigation. Volunteers suspected of abuse will also be suspended pending investigation.

To the fullest extent possible, but consistent with our legal obligation to report alleged, suspected or witnessed abuse to the appropriate authorities, we will endeavor to keep the identities of the alleged victims and those making the reports confidential.

If the investigation substantiates an allegation of abuse, this Policy provides for disciplinary penalties, including but not limited to termination of the services by the contractor, employee or volunteer to MC.

Retaliation Prohibited

Maccabi Canada prohibits any retaliation or reprisal against anyone (including a contractor, employee or volunteer, child or any other individual), who in good faith reports abuse or participates in an investigation.

Intentionally false or malicious accusations of abuse are prohibited.

Anyone who improperly retaliates against someone who has made a good faith report of abuse, or who intentionally provides false information to that effect, will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of services.

Question Title

* 1. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT  

I acknowledge that I have received and read the Code of Conduct and Abuse Policy immediately preceding my signature below. I understand the Code of Conduct, agree to comply with the Code of Conduct and accept the consequences of non-compliance with the Code of Conduct and all procedures outlined herein. 

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