Guidebook for Being a Role Model Volunteer
Purpose
This guidebook provides Role Model Volunteers of Inspiring Girls Hong Kong (IGHK) with a reference to the background, objectives, and key features of IGHK. It also contains guidelines on the role and responsibility of a Role Model volunteer, Job Shadowing practice, and general information on any 1-1 interactions between youth and Role Models.
Inspiring Girls
Inspiring Girls is an international charity that operates in 40 countries, the Hong Kong chapter was launched in 2020. Information on our charity can be found here: www.inspiringgirlshongkong.com
Beneficiaries
The beneficiaries of Inspiring Girls Hong Kong are girls and boys aged between 10-18 years old who can be inspired by and learn from female and male role models, in order to collectively break down cultural barriers created by gender stereotypes and instill confidence in the next generation. Inspiring Girls Hong Kong seeks to achieve this outcome by:
Promoting the full variety of careers and life options open to girls and boys, and inspiring them to set the highest ambitions for themselves.
The guiding principle of Inspiring Girls Hong Kong is to provide the greatest possible support to our beneficiaries by ensuring that their views, experiences, and feedback are central to the work we do.
Inspiring Girls Hong Kong is part of a global network coordinated by Inspiring Girls International HQ (based in London) that coordinates efforts across all countries that participate in the campaign, providing global leadership and strategic direction. National organizations and female role models lead the implementation of country-specific campaigns, as local organizations have the greatest awareness, experience, and understanding of the challenges that girls face in each country.
We are proud that the campaign runs on a decentralized platform, and we value the knowledge, experience, and creativity of our diverse global network of teams. It is through this structure that we believe Inspiring Girls International can have the greatest impact on the lives of youth around the world.
Basic Characteristics of a Role Model
Genuine – share genuine stories with the students and answer their questions honestly
Sensitive – be careful with what you say and what you do; make sure that they serve to motivate and encourage the students
Respectful – respect the individual differences of each participant including fellow role models
Trustworthy –
do not disclose to others (not even parents and teachers) what the student has said to you without their prior consent.
however, you must break the confidentiality rule and report to appropriate parties if there is a need for immediate assistance or for the protection of the student, e.g. the student shows signs of suicidal tendency
Knowledgeable – be familiar with induction materials provided by IGHK and the roles and responsibilities of a Role Model
Accountable – be accountable to the school of the participating students and IGHK.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Role Model
Below are the roles of a role model volunteer:
Be devoted to the program
Guide the girls to share their thoughts
Develop mutual trust and respect
Maintain confidentiality
Try to share as many practical experiences with the girls
Provide career guidance and resources if possible
Help girls solve their problems by offering suggestions and options, rather than simply giving general direction
Please be aware that your role and responsibility do not include the following:
Be a counselor for students’ personal and emotional issues
Provide therapeutic intervention
Intervene in students’ personal/ family matters
Initiate or participate in the discussion of political controversies.
What we expect from you:
We are accountable for how we work and must ensure that we and others remain safe. This is achieved by maintaining a respectful, caring, and professional approach to those we encounter and by conducting ourselves in a manner that demonstrates integrity, maturity, and sound judgment.
To embody the Inspiring Girls values: inspiring, innovative, inclusive, and integrity. Be a good role model with the behavior and attitude that are in line with our values and ethos.
Take the time to periodically review your profile to ensure that you are presenting up-to-date information to schools making sure your job role, title, location, and contact information are correct.
Be friendly, courteous, and kind at all times, and communicate with others in an open and respectful way.
Treat everyone with dignity and respect in accordance with our Equality and Diversity Policy.
Respect other people's privacy and boundaries.
Be respectful and honor your commitment if you've committed to participating in an activity.
Respond to on-system invitations -even if it's to decline the activity.
When volunteering in a school, adhere to the school's policies, procedures, and rules. And be aware that we will ask you to give feedback on the school activities you've participated in.
Where possible, spread the word about the program and encourage your colleagues, friends, and family to sign up to share their career stories.
Not act fraudulently or dishonestly or do anything that brings, or is likely to bring, Inspiring Girls into disrepute
All volunteers must comply with this code and Inspiring Girls policies and procedures.
What to expect from us:
We will embody the Inspiring Girls values: inspiring, innovative, inclusive, and integrity. You will be a valued member of the Role Model community.
We offer you a flexible volunteering opportunity where you can develop your skills and share your unique career story.
An opportunity to connect with local schools and colleges via our online database. Regular training webinars provide useful information on being an inspiring Role Model volunteer and maximizing your impact.
Regular volunteer newsletters update you with news across the Inspiring Girls family and include updates from our volunteer community.
A host of guidance and resources which provide hints and tips to support you through your volunteer experience
Ongoing support from the Inspiring Girls team -we are available by phone or email if you ever have any questions big, or small.
Sharing with you the latest findings of our high-quality, robust research on education and employer engagement.
We will listen to your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve the volunteer experience.
We are committed to providing safe and supportive environments for everyone involved in our organization -a place where people want to work, individuals want to engage, and organizations want to do work with us to give young people the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential.
Gifts
Gifts can either be given to (or received from) third parties as cash, or cash equivalents (such as gift certificates, vouchers, or items). Compensation for bona fide services provided pursuant to a written agreement would not constitute a gift.
Avoiding the giving or receiving of gifts by Inspiring Girls Representatives will minimize corruption risks.
In the event that an Inspiring Girls Representative(s) believes that the giving of gifts will further the relevant Inspiring Girls campaign aim(s), via legitimate professional relationships, the relevant Inspiring Girls Representative needs to consider whether the proposed gift(s) are:
reasonable and proportionate;
for a legitimate purpose, such as maintaining Inspiring Girls' profile or establishing cordial professional relations;
not intended to influence a particular business decision by the recipient, or otherwise to gain a commercial advantage;
to be appropriately recorded in the company's register of gifts and hospitality, where the gift is given by an entity; and of a modest value, according to local norms and custom.
In the event that any gift(s) is made or received, Inspiring Girls International would expect that the gift{s), its value, the purpose, and the recipient/gift be recorded in a suitable register of gifts maintained by the Inspiring Girls Representative to ensure full transparency.
Consent
Any interactions between Role Model(s) and the beneficiaries outside the school campus and without the supervision from a school teacher, including but not limited to:
Job-Shadowing
In-person meetings with students outside the program
Online video conferencing with students outside the program
In-person/ Online 1-1 conversations must attain approval and consent from the participating beneficiaries, the school of the participating beneficiaries, and the parents of the participating beneficiaries.
You must also inform Inspiring Girls Hong Kong of the following for record-keeping purposes:
Date and time of interaction
Venue
Purpose of the interaction
Persons involved
A role model shouldnot involve themselves in any student's personal matters, or share their personal contact details with students without the knowledge or consent of the parents/ guardians or teachers, or take any other actions to develop a relationship with the children they interact with outside what has been agreed upon as part of the program or with the knowledge and request of the parents/guardians and the teachers.
Job Shadowing
Inspiring Girls Hong Kong offers the optional opportunity for students enrolled in the Inspiring Girls/ Inspiring Education program to shadow a Role Model online.
The purpose of Job Shadowing is to offer students the opportunity to observe the daily duties of a certain role in real-time and thus understand the cognitive and physical capacities required to fulfill the duty of a certain role. It is also for them to gain realistic knowledge and discard unrealistic expectations of a certain role or industry.
The reason why we are only offering this opportunity to show a Role Model online is to comply with Inspiring Girls International’s Safeguarding Policy to avoid potential risks that are involved in meeting face to face in person. Students are able to have hands-on experience in group Corporate Learning Experience.
Connecting with Youth
Inspiring Girls Hong Kong encourages beneficiaries to leverage speed-networking modules to build a personal and professional network, however, if the school policy of the participating beneficiaries states otherwise IGHK and Role Models should follow suit by not providing personal contact to the beneficiaries unless approval from the school is attained.
Appropriate one-on-one connections such as 1-1 online conferencing are not discouraged by Inspiring Girls Hong Kong, however, for child safeguarding reasons you must comply with the following:
Approval must be obtained from the school and parents of participating student
If the meeting is in-person, you must provide the date and venue to the parents of the student
You must conduct a personal data access request for criminal conviction data (a CNCD) with the Hong Kong police, or the equivalent with the police or relevant government body of any country you have resided in the past 5 years and have provided the results to Inspiring Girls Hong Kong or the participating school
We require a data access request for criminal conviction data (CNCD); we do not require a certificate of no criminal conviction. (CNCC) No letter from the consulate or government is required for this request, as it is simply the individual concerned asking the police to disclose the personal data if any, that they hold on her/ him If no criminal conviction data is held, only a verbal confirmation will be given. We normally request the individual show us the receipt for the fee as proof that the request has been made.
Safeguarding Policy
Inspiring Girls is a charity that works with schools and employers to provide young people with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone involved in our organization and the work we do. We believe that everyone, and specifically those who are in vulnerable circumstances and less able to protect themselves, has the right to be kept safe from harm, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.
This safeguarding policy outlines the controls, procedures, and measures in place to mitigate against safeguarding risks. It also addresses situations where third-party organizations are responsible for delivering services on behalf of the charity.
What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding is the action that is taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm.
Safeguarding means:
Protecting children from abuse and maltreatment
Preventing harm to children’s health or development
Ensuring children grow up with the provision of safe and effective care
Taking actions to enable all children and young people to have the best outcomes
Child protection is part of the safeguarding process. It focuses on protecting children identified as suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. This includes child protection procedures which detail how to respond to concerns about a child.
Right to be safe
Every person who volunteers works with, or comes into contact with the Inspiring Girls campaign should be treated with dignity and respect. Inspiring Girls campaigns will strive to create an environment where employees, volunteers, and beneficiaries feel safe and supported.
We stand against any form of abuse of trust and power, including bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, and victimization. Our working culture supports the reporting and resolution of allegations, suspicions, or concerns about any kind of inappropriate behavior.
All staff should be familiar with the definitions of abuse and the different types of abuse that children can be in danger of. The definitions of abuse, and signs that this may be happening, can be found in Appendix A.
These are the procedures and requirements around safeguarding within the charity. These apply to all staff members of the charity, both paid and voluntary and have been extended to corporate partners providing work experience placements.
Policy
The Inspiring Girls Hong Kong Safeguarding Policy (the “IG Safeguarding Policy”) takes all reasonable measures to protect children/young people under the age of 18 who take part in activities run by Inspiring Girls, irrespective of ability, ethnicity, faith, gender, sexual orientation, economic background or culture.
Our commitment is to ensure that:
All children have equal rights to protection from harm.
Everybody involved with delivering the campaign recognises their responsibility to support the protection of children.
There is a duty of care to children with whom we work, are in contact with, or who are affected by our work and operations.
We guide our partners to meet the minimum requirements on protection.
All actions on child safeguarding are taken in the best interests of the child, which are paramount.
Our safeguarding measures are integrated into:
The planning of campaign activities.
Our approach to campaign recruitment.
Communication of expectations around the behavior of everyone involved with the campaign.
Inspiring Girls works with a wide range of individuals and organisations, including role model volunteers, schools, teachers, parents and corporate partners. Our goal is to ensure that everyone involved in campaign delivery is aware of our safeguarding measures and the collective responsibility to ensure that activities take place in a safe environment that supports the protection of children.
With regard to campaign activities, Inspiring Girls will ensure that:
All children/young people, educators, volunteers, partners and other supporters involved with the campaign are treated with respect and dignity.
All in-person activities for children/young people take place with a teacher or parent/guardian present in the room to supervise interactions.
No personal contact details are shared between the children/young people and the volunteer role models.
Digital activities, for example online talks or workshops, are arranged with the aim of a teacher or parent/guardian present or close by. Where this is not possible a clear brief on the event purpose, the speaker, and any interactive elements of the activity will be made available to all supervising adults, along with contact details for any follow up questions.
With regard to corporate partners and role model volunteers, Inspiring Girls will ensure that:
Corporate partners, schools, role model volunteers and other campaign stakeholders are provided with a copy of the IG Safeguarding Policy.
Role model volunteers are provided with guidelines - as part of their pre-event briefing - on the appropriate scope and limitations of their interactions with children, and how to raise any concerns they may have about safeguarding during an event.
With regard to consent for photography, filming and data of children/young people, Inspiring Girls will ensure that:
Consent forms are sent to parents/guardians prior to events seeking permission to use photos, video recordings and data gathered in order to promote and advance the work of the Inspiring Girls campaign in print and digital media. Teams will work with teaching staff to ensure images are only used where consent has been explicitly granted.
The consent form includes guidance for parents/guardians on their rights in relation to the photos, footage and data gathered, and the steps to take if they no longer wish for their child’s image to be used in campaign materials.
Freelancers or volunteers working on event photography and filming have read the IG Safeguarding Policy and agree in writing to abide by our safeguarding measures.
With regard to Inspiring Girls HK staff and internal team volunteers, the below procedures will apply:
Controls and Procedures
Vetting and Screening: All staff and volunteers are subject to background checks, including (when required), criminal record checks and reference verification, which can consist of verifying an individual’s position and company online or in person in accordance with local laws and regulations.
Code of Conduct: This guidebook is provided to all staff and volunteers. This guide outlines expected behavior and ethical standards, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding.
Supervision and Monitoring: Regular supervision and monitoring of staff and volunteers are conducted to ensure compliance with safeguarding standards.
Third-party Organizations: When third parties are responsible for delivering services to beneficiaries, the charity ensures that they adhere to equivalent safeguarding standards. This is achieved through contractual obligations, regular audits, and joint training sessions.
Risk Assessment: The charity conducts periodic risk assessments to identify potential safeguarding risks and implement necessary controls.
Escalating and Managing Concerns
Reporting Mechanism: Any member of staff or volunteer who suspects or is made aware of a safeguarding concern is required to report it immediately to their supervisor or designated safeguarding officer.
Designated Safeguarding Officer: The charity appoints a designated safeguarding officer who is responsible for overseeing the implementation of safeguarding procedures, managing concerns, and liaising with relevant authorities.
Confidentiality and Whistleblowing: The charity maintains strict confidentiality in safeguarding matters. Staff and volunteers are encouraged to report concerns without fear of reprisal.
External Reporting: In cases where a concern involves criminal activity or immediate danger, the appropriate authorities will be notified promptly.
Complaints Procedure
Complaints Process: The charity has a clearly defined complaints procedure, which includes specific provisions for handling safeguarding-related complaints.
Record Keeping: All safeguarding concerns and complaints are documented, including the actions taken, outcomes, and any follow-up measures.
Review and Improvement: The charity conducts regular reviews of its safeguarding procedures and policies to ensure they remain effective and compliant with legal requirements.
Incident recording
Incidents should be recorded on a Safeguarding Children Incident Report Form
This should be sent securely to the named member of staff internally and the safeguarding office from Inspiring Girls HK, and followed up immediately with a telephone call to ensure that they access the information promptly.
As soon as the information has been confirmed as received, you should delete the file from your computer.
Confidentiality and information sharing
In a safeguarding situation, it is imperative that information is shared readily with relevant authorities for the safety and welfare of the child in question. If there is a consideration about whether a particular piece of information should be shared, the most important consideration is whether sharing information is likely to safeguard and protect a child. Any breach to this policy by any party will be considered a serious matter and may result in the placement being withdrawn.
Protecting yourself from accusation
• All online contact with students should be made via the approved online classroom platform or via the students' allocated temporary email address.
• All emails to the student should be sent using your corporate email address, not your personal email account.
• No contact should be made with a student outside of their agreed placement hours.
• No contact should be made with a student following the end of their placement. Any further correspondence should be with Inspiring Girls or their respective teacher contact.
• Any inappropriate contact from a student should be reported to Inspiring Girls immediately.
• You should not work alone with a student, either face-to-face or online, unless that has been agreed upon as part of their work placement experience prior to the student starting their work placement.
APPENDIX A
Definitions of abuse
There are four main types of abuse. It is important to know what they are and how to recognise them. It could be that more than one sign is there, however sometimes there are no signs at all. Please do not consider these lists to be exhaustive.
Most types of child abuse can take one or several of these forms, for example bullying and domestic violence are often both physical and emotional forms of abuse.
Physical abuse
This is when a child is hurt or injured by a child or an adult. Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. It also includes giving a child harmful drugs or alcohol. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes ill health to a child they are looking after. A person might do this because they enjoy or need the attention they get through having a sick child.
Signs may include:
• Any injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them.
• Injuries that occur to the body in places that are not normally exposed to falls or games.
• Unexplained bruising, marks or injuries on any part of the body.
• Bruises which reflect hand marks or fingertips (from slapping or pinching).
Emotional abuse
This is when adults deny children love or affection, or constantly threaten or humiliate them. Sarcasm, degrading punishments and ignoring a child are also forms of emotional abuse and undermine a child’s confidence and sense of self-worth. Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve serious bullying, causing children to feel frequently frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Signs may include:
• Sudden under-achievement or lack of concentration.
• Inappropriate relationships with peers and/or adults.
• Attention-seeking behaviour.
• Fear of making mistakes.
• Self-harm.
Sexual abuse
This is when a child is used sexually by an adult or young person. Sexual abuse can include kissing, touching the child’s genitals or breasts, vaginal or anal intercourse and oral sex. Encouraging a child to look at pornographic magazines or videos is also sexual abuse. Sexual abuse includes sexual exploitation, such as forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution. Boys and girls can be sexually abused by males and/or females, by adults and by other young people.
Signs may include:
• Sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour, eg becoming withdrawn or aggressive.
• Sexual knowledge which is beyond their age or developmental level.
• Sexual drawings or language.
• Eating problems such as over-eating or anorexia.
• Self-harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts.
• Saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about.
• Substance or drug abuse.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born it may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, failure to ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care givers) or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.
Signs may include:
• Constant hunger, sometimes stealing food.
• Constantly dirty or smelly.
• Loss of weight or being constantly underweight.
• Inappropriate dress for the conditions.
• Complaining of being tired all the time.
• Having few friends.
• Mentioning being left alone or unsupervised.
APPENDIX B
Guidance on how to respond to a person disclosing abuse
Do
Treat any and all allegations seriously and act at all times towards the child as if you believe what they are saying.
Tell the child they are right to tell you.
Reassure them that they are not to blame.
Tell the child what you are doing, when, and who you have to tell, and keep them up to date with what is happening.
Take further action – you may be the only person in a position to prevent future abuse – tell your nominated contact immediately.
Write down everything said and what was done in a timely fashion.
Don’t
Make promises you cannot keep.
Interrogate the child – it is not your job to carry out an investigation – this will be up to police officers or social workers, who have experience in this.
Cast doubt on what the child has told you, don’t interrupt them or change the subject.
Say anything that makes the child feel responsible for the abuse.
Just do nothing – make sure you tell your nominated Safeguarding officer contact immediately – they will know how to follow this up and where to contact for further advice.
If you are concerned that Inspiring Girls, or one of its representatives, is endangering the safety or wellbeing of others please contact our safeguarding officer: ines.gafsi@inspiring-girls.com.
If you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child you should call the school's representatives immediately. They will reach out to the relevant parties.
Inspiring Girls Hong Kong is committed to the highest standards of safeguarding. This policy will be reviewed annually to reflect any changes in legislation, best practices, or the charity's operations.