SDQA safeguarding policy

Why we have this policy

SDQA CIC (company number 16543744) funds water wells, masjids, homes and food for families in communities overseas. The people those projects serve, and the people our partners meet while delivering them, must be safe from harm, abuse and exploitation because of anything done in SDQA's name. When safety and a project's timetable pull in different directions, safety comes first.

Who it covers

• SDQA's founders, team and anyone acting for SDQA.
• Our delivery partners and their staff and volunteers on SDQA projects.
• Children and adults at risk in the communities where our projects are delivered, and anyone who appears in our photographs and videos.

Our safeguarding lead

Irfan Akram, co-founder, is SDQA's safeguarding lead. Every concern comes to him. Riaz, co-founder and delivery lead, makes sure our partners know and follow this policy.

Photographs and stories

• Partners ask adults before photographing them, and ask a parent or carer before photographing a child.
• If anyone says no, they are not photographed.
• We never publish a child's full name, or where a child or an adult at risk lives.

What we ask of every delivery partner

1. A written safeguarding policy, or an agreement to work to this one.
2. A code of conduct for staff and volunteers on site.
3. A named person on the ground who deals with concerns.
4. Telling SDQA about any concern linked to an SDQA project within 24 hours.
5. Following local law and referring concerns to the local authorities where that's needed.
6. Following our approach to photographs set out above.

We are adding these to every partner agreement, starting with our current partner.

Reporting a concern

Anyone can raise a concern by emailing support@sdqa.org.uk with "Safeguarding" in the subject line, or on WhatsApp on +44 7785 587 869. Reports can be made without giving a name. If someone is in immediate danger, contact the local emergency services first.

How we respond

• We acknowledge a concern within 1 working day.
• We keep it confidential, sharing it only with the people who need to know to keep someone safe.
• We look into it with the delivery partner and, where the law or someone's safety requires it, with the local authorities or police.
• While a serious concern is looked into, we can pause funding to that partner.
• We record every concern, what we did and the outcome, and tell the person who raised it what we can, while protecting the people involved.

Review

We review this policy every year, and after any serious concern.

Agreed by Irfan Akram and Riaz, co-founders, October 2026.