Social safety

Confidential Advisors

A confidential adviser is someone who is connected to @ease and with whom you can deal with privately regarding @ease. The confidential adviser guarantees privacy. They have the duty to report when criminal offenses come to light. You can review these questions to determine whether you are at the right address with the confidential adviser:

• Are you a young person visiting @ease, a close relative of a young person or a volunteer / employee of @ease?
• Would you like to discuss something that has to do with negligence, undesirable behavior, unprofessional behavior, nonconsensual or harassment in the workplace of @ease?

If you answer one of these questions with "yes", you can contact one of our confidential counsellors:

Thérèse van Amelsvoort, via Therese@ease.nl.

Rianne Klaassen, via Rianne@ease.nl.

For all other personal questions and concerns you can contact our branches at the normal opening hours. Even if you are worried about someone else, feel free to walk in with us.

Code of Conduct for Volunteers

Contact and relations between volunteers, staff and young people who visit @ease has very clear boundaries. Behavior that is aggressive, threatening and or sexual acts between staff and young people is absolutely not permitted. That is why @ease has drawn up a code of conduct for all employees. The Code of Conduct consists of two parts: rules that contribute to an open, transparent and safe environment for young people and volunteers. This also applies to the definition of sexually transgressive behavior as the starting point for the disciplinary and sanctions policy that is conducted by the organization. When you come to work with us, as a volunteer or as a paid employee; we ask that you to sign this code of conduct. Through this declaration, you state that you know the code and conduct yourself accordingly.

The Rules of Conduct for Volunteers and Employees

• The employee must provide an environment and an atmosphere in which the young person feels safe and respected.
• The employee refrains from treating the young person in a way that impacts the young person's dignity.
• The employee does not pry into the private life of the young person more than what is necessary.
• The employee refrains from any form of sexual advances and abuse against the young person. All sexual acts, contacts and relations between employee and visitors of @ease are not permitted under any circumstances and are considered as sexually transgressive behavior.
• The employee may not touch the young person in such a way that this contact is interpreted to be sexual or erotic in nature.
• During training days and on the work floor, the employee will be very cautious and respectful of young people and the spaces in which they find themselves.
• The employee is obliged to protect the young person against all forms of unequal treatment, threatening behavior and sexual transgressive behavior and will actively ensure that the code of conduct is observed by everyone involved with the young person.
• If the employee observes behavior within themselves or another person that does not comply with this code of conduct and with suspected cross-border behavior, they are obligated to report this to the designated confidential advisors.
• The employee will not receive or create material or imbalances in power.
• In those cases where the Code of Conduct does not indicate or identify the admissibility of certain behaviors; it is within the responsibility of the employees to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct. If necessary, they will need contact a confidential counselor

Policy and Sanctions on Sexual Boundary Crossing Behavior Concerning Minors

By breaching sexual boundaries with underage young people we mean: any form of sexual behavior or sexual approach, in verbal, nonverbal or physical sense, intentional or unintentional, which is experienced by the person undergoing it as undesirable or forced; and / or takes place within an unequal balance of power (adult-young person, care provider-client, etc.); and / or other acts or conduct that are punishable under the penal code. Behavior that, according to the aforementioned description, falls under sexually transgressive behavior with underage young people, can be sanctioned by a disciplinary procedure in which they can speak and be heard. The sanctions consist of excluding voluntary work with minors for a short or longer period by including personal data in a central register. Behavior where one breaches sexual boundaries with minors is subject to prosecution via the criminal code and will be reported to the police and judiciary.

The volunteer's contract is terminated immediately the moment that an employee does not comply with the code of conduct. When the offenses are committed, @ease will file a report.