Social Development Direct are market leaders in providing safeguarding technical services.
We have experience working with diverse clients, from development finance institutions and private sector companies to UN agencies and NGOs, universities, and government bodies.
We are committed to helping organisations prevent and respond to exploitation, abuse, harassment and all forms of harm.
We are proud that the flagship Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub is part of our portfolio of work.
Uneven power dynamics - like those seen in the development and humanitarian aid sector, and in private sector supply chains – increase the risk of harm and exploitation. The more vulnerable staff and community members are, the more likely they are to be exploited, abused, harassed, or otherwise harmed. When organisations’ safeguarding measures fall short and misconduct occurs, projects, relationships and already made gains can be jeopardised and community tensions can be increased.
Our dedicated team of global safeguarding professionals ensure that you receive the highest level of technical advice and support. We start our work from wherever your organisation is on their safeguarding journey. We take the time to understand you and your organisation so we can provide support that is contextually relevant, responds to real needs and leads to success in safeguarding. We offer an explicitly intersectional feminist approach to safeguarding – in particular on the intersections of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE), and disability.
We can support you with:
Safeguarding policies, procedures, models and systems
Safeguarding knowledge building, including with tools, guidelines, training, and coaching on safeguarding. Research and learning on what works in different contexts and for different organisations
Incident case handling and investigation advice
Monitoring, evaluation and learning of safeguarding efforts
Safeguarding audits and self-assessment support. Click here to read more about our Safeguarding Framework for Organisations
Our thematic areas include:
Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (SEAH)
Child safeguarding
Bullying and (non-sexual) harassment
Safeguarding in humanitarian contexts
Integrating safeguarding into high-risk projects
Digital safeguarding
Case handling and investigations
Safe research, monitoring and evaluation
If you would like to hear more about our work on Safeguarding (SG), please reach out to Anna Gawn, Head of Safeguarding Portfolio, anna.gawn@sddirect.org.uk.
This report presents a review of what existing evidence tells us about Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harrassment (SEAH) in the aid sector, and aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the evidence gap.
A series of 5 free online training modules for non-safeguarding professionals. The modules use scenario-based learning and cover a full range of safeguarding topics.
Andrea is a Principal Consultant in the safeguarding team at SDDirect.
Alix Clark is a Senior Technical Specialist at SDDirect, specialising in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) aware monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) approaches. Alix sits within the Governance and Inclusive Societies Portfolio.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and CDC Group Plc jointly commissioned SDDirect to develop guidance for the private sector on addressing gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH). The Good Practice Note (GPN) provides the private sector with guidance on identifying, mitigating and remedying GBVH risks. It will serve as a comprehensive resource for two main audiences: investors and companies. The GPN provides practical guidance on how to better prevent and respond to GBVH.
The FCDO Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) was launched in 2012 as a 12-year commitment to reach the most marginalised girls in the world. Working across 41 projects delivered by over 30 implementing partners in 17 countries, the GEC is the largest global fund dedicated to girls’ education. The GEC has radically reformed its approach to safeguarding over the last three years, in line with the UK government’s new safeguarding policies, launched in 2018.
SDDirect and our partners support smaller, local civil society organisations (CSOs) in developing countries who deliver international aid to strengthen their safeguarding policy and practice against sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment (SEAH). The RSH ensures that CSOs delivering aid have access to the tools, guidance, support and training they need to ensure that they do no harm. The programme has a free online platform, user friendly and accessible to all.
