Immediate Action

Am I responsible for taking any action at the time of the Incident?
Ensuring the safety of everyone in CISV- staff, volunteers, parents and participants- is a shared responsibility. Once safety and wellbeing are ensured and the matter reported, any necessary follow-up becomes the responsibility of the relevant Risk Manager.
In what circumstances should parents/guardians be contacted?
In incidents involving child protection issues or a serious injury, it is our duty of care to contact the parent or guardian. The Camp/Programme Director in a programme setting is best suited to make this decision. Ideally, the Local Risk Manager in the parent or guardian’s Chapter, along with someone familiar with them, should communicate the information. For less serious incidents, it’s crucial for parents and Leaders to agree on what information they with to be informed about before travel. In some cases, parents may be contacted if additional information is needed to adequately support the participants physical or mental health. The decision is made by the Leader, in consultation with the Director, and the hosting and sending Risk Managers.
In what circumstances should police or local authorities be involved?
The host NAs Local Risk Manager is in the best position to determine if a report to the local authorities is required, and who else needs to be notified.
Who can complete and/or submit an Incident Report Form?
Although typically reported by a Programme/Camp Director, Staff or Leader, anyone can submit an IRF if they believe it’s necessary.
Do I need to submit separate incident forms for related incidents?
You don’t necessarily need to submit separate incident forms for related incidents. Often, reports cover multiple incidents that are part of a pattern of behaviour, providing clearer understanding of the situation. However, if each incident requires individual follow-up and they are distinct from each other, then separate forms should be submitted. If incidents are related, you can include additional sheets as needed to provide comprehensive details.
Can I submit an IRF anonymously?
Submitting an Incident Report Form (IRF) anonymously is not the preferred practice. It becomes challenging to address any follow-up queries effectively once the programme ends without knowing the reporters identity. Moreover, knowing the identity of the reporter often provides context crucial for understanding the report. Rest assured, IRFs are treated with the utmost confidentiality, and information is only shared with individuals who require it for follow-up purposes.
What details should be included in the IRF Description?
Include factual details in a logical order without comment, inference, opinions, or rumours. These details should add value, be relevant to the specific issues, and paint a clear picture of what happened. If criticism is included, ensure it is constructive and accompanied by possible solutions.

Submitting Reports and When

How do I know whether or not to report something?
Our guidelines state that the Incident Report Form (IRF) should be used for incidents occurring at CISV International Programmes and Events however not all incidents require full reporting. You should report: Those needing medical or psychological attention, Those involving criminal behaviour Those violating the CISV Positive Behaviour Policy (R-07) While most incidents are resolved well with proactive measures and early interventions, even well-handled incidents should be reported. If there is no satisfactory resolution during the programme, an IRF may still be filed to inform the relevant NA. There are of course circumstances where it may not be necessary for you to submit an IRF, including but not limited to: Where a participant misbehaves on one occasion however, they do not repeat the behaviour nor does the behaviour escalate For Programme admin errors such as questions about gender ratios
When should I report something?
You should submit the IRF as soon as possible. All serious incidents should be reported by submitting an IRF within 12 hours (please note: this timeframe is reflected in the Safeguarding e-learning, CISV Safeguarding Policy, R-07 and R-15). If you are reporting a child safeguarding or child protection concern refer to the procedure in CISV Safeguarding Policy.  These include but are not limited to: safeguarding and child protection concerns, forbidden behaviours, serious physical incidents and, mental health incidents Additionally, documenting near misses or chance incidents- situations where harm was narrowly avoided- provides valuable insight for improving training and procedures. All other incidents, should be reported within 48 hours.
Who should Incident Report Forms to Submitted to?
The Incident Report Forms should be sent in confidence to IRF@cisv.org or using the Digital IRF. If sent via email, you should copy in the Host Chapter Risk Manager. If you submit a Digital IRF, you will be given the opportunity to have your answers sent to you via email. Please ensure that when you do this, you also forward the email on to the Host Chapter Risk Manager. If it is not sent to the Host Chapter Risk Managers, the IO may forward the IRF in whole or in part, to the relevant sending Risk Manager(s) after initial triage. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable sending the IRF to the Risk Manager, please ensure you state in the body of the email that you have don’t this and why. If the Incident Report concerns someone who works in the International Office, the IRF can instead be submitted directly to the Secretary General.

Triage and Investigation

What happens when the Incident Report Form is received?
When an incident report is received by the International Office, Risk Management and Safeguarding team, the Incident is categorised and triaged. When triaged, a member of the Risk Management and Safeguarding Team will contact the Sending Risk Manager to provide advice and guidance as well as asking questions for clarification.