Jan Folda
SOS Children's Villages International
Jan Folda studied geography and history at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. After graduating from the university, he worked as a teacher at a high school. In 2007, he moved to a non-governmental sector and started working for SOS Children's Villages Czech Republic as an advocacy advisor and programme director. Later, he moved to Innsbruck, Austria and joined SOS Children's Villages International. Since January 2014, Jan Folda works as child safeguarding advisor at the International Office of SOS Children's Villages International.
In his current position, Jan Folda supports functions at the International Office and regional offices of SOS Children's Villages International in their efforts to ensure that all children and young people that are care for and supported through SOS Children's Villages programmes are safe and protected.
SOS Children's Villages is a child care organisation that works in 134 countries. Since establishing the very first SOS Children's Village in Imst, Austria in 1949, SOS Children's Villages provides care and support to children... [ view full abstract ]
SOS Children's Villages is a child care organisation that works in 134 countries. Since establishing the very first SOS Children's Village in Imst, Austria in 1949, SOS Children's Villages provides care and support to children who lost parental care and those who are at risk of losing it. This is done through direct care services, family strengthening programmes, educational and health programmes, and emergency response programmes.
SOS Children's Villages condemns all forms of abuse and neglect and we put in place different actions to mitigate such risks to children and young people supported by the organisation.
SOS Children's Villages launched its Child Protection Policy in 2008. The Policy is binding to all SOS Children's Villages' member associations. It provides a general framework for setting up a child safeguarding system in all SOS Children's Villages programmes.
Based on the Child Protection Policy, several documents defining child safeguarding reporting and responding system in member associations and child safeguarding investigations process have been rolled out.
It is required to organise regular trainings and open discussion with all staff members and also children and young people supported by SOS Children's Villages programmes. In all programmes, there are co-workers trained to deal with different child safeguarding issues arising in the programme. There are different channels for reporting child safeguarding concerns and incidents which allow also anonymous reports.
In case that the incident requires internal child safeguarding investigation, there is a group of well-trained co-workers able to lead such investigation process. Recently, SOS Children's Villages established a global pool of child safeguarding investigators able to support and lead child safeguarding investigations in any part of the organisation. Whenever possible, cooperation with external experts and authorities is strongly promoted.
Implementation of all procedures is regularly monitored through the child safeguarding annual survey.
