Work with us: vulnerable people
Oxfam GB’s values make explicit the requirement for ensuring that staff, volunteers, consultants and partner organisations in all cases support our commitment to the protection of vulnerable groups. These include children and young people, elderly people, beneficiary groups in humanitarian situations, and people with serious mental and physical illnesses or disabilities.
Child protection
Oxfam works in a world where, regrettably, children and young people continue to be neglected and abused. Oxfam therefore takes very seriously its responsibilities to protect as well as to uphold the rights of children and young people in all its work and as an employer.
Code of Conduct
Oxfam's Code of Conduct outlines the standards of behaviour and practice expected of Oxfam GB staff across the world. It covers all areas of conduct including the protection of vulnerable people. The Code forms part of the Terms and Conditions of Employment.
A similar Code of Conduct applies to volunteers, consultants and contractors and forms part of their “contract” with Oxfam GB.
Recruitment
All applicants may be subject to extensive background checking during the recruitment process, particularly when the role for which the application is being submitted involves unsupervised access to children and vulnerable groups. This primarily encompasses nursery staff and programme and project staff directly managing programmes with access to vulnerable groups or individuals in their homes. This could involve the use of official registers (e.g. Criminal Records Bureau), reference taking, checking of qualifications, checking of employment gaps and appropriate interview questioning.
Reporting
Oxfam has established policies and procedures to help ensure that any concerns related to the protection of vulnerable people, whether as beneficiaries or as employees, can be rapidly, sensitively and effectively dealt with.
