Resolution 5 : The safety and security of humanitarian volunteers | Power of humanity: Red Cross Red Crescent

National Society

Name, position and email of the focal person3

Anna Foster, Movement Engagement Coordinator, afoster@redcross.org.au

1. What did your National Society do to provide volunteers with the best safety and security coverage?

Induction for volunteers covers all key topics, including work health safety and child protection. Australian Red Cross domestic volunteers are primarily insured by the Voluntary Workers Personal Accident insurance policy, which covers injuries sustained as a result of volunteering duties. However In addition to this, ARC also has General travel insurance which covers volunteers for travel that is in excess of 50km from their home. Volunteers are also covered by ARC public liability, professional indemnity insurance and under other arrangements such as property and motor vehicle insurance.

The following measures are provided for the safety and security of Australian Red Cross Delegates who deploy internationally:

Travel Insurance, Access to ISOS services and full medical completed prior to departure
Safety and Security Pre-departure Training,
Pre-departure and post-deployment briefings on Health, Safety and Security
Security Plans in Plans including a designated security focal point
Travel tracker information that provide us up to date information on Volunteers whereabouts and any safety/security risks for those areas

2. What measures has your National Society taken to review potential threats to the volunteers?
Ensuring that their plans and programmes include measures to reduce and mitigate these risks / - Veiller à ce que ses plans et programmes comprennent des mesures de réduction et d’atténuation des risques / - la garantía de que en los respectivos planes y programas se incluyen medidas para reducir y mitigar esos riesgos , Using for example Safer Access Framework and Stay Safe as tools to guide decision making process

Australian Red Cross has work, health safety and organisational risk assessment approach and tools in place for domestic volunteers. For international volunteers, Australian Red Cross has security frameworks and plans in place for countries in which we program, and obtains regular travel safety updates from DFAT, Safe traveller and the World Health Organisation which inform organisational decisions about locations where individuals should be deployed.

3. Public authorities

For international volunteers, Australian Red Cross provides pre departure training which includes training and information on security and safety.
Australian Red Cross continuously reviews potential threats to volunteers

Australian Red Cross ensures that all volunteers have adequate insurance;
Australian Red Cross shares best-practice and challenges with other components of the Movement, and strengthens partnerships with other stakeholders in promoting the safety and security of volunteers.
Australian Red Cross encourages government and other relevant stakeholders to develop and or maintain national systems for the collection and dissemination of comprehensive data, including sex and age disaggregated data, relevant to the safety and security of humanitarian volunteers, consistent with national laws.
Australian Red Cross is working with IFRC on a project to improve sex, age and disability disaggregated (SADD) data including testing out the global IFRC guidance note on ‘counting people’ and supporting three NS in Asia-Pacific to enhance the collection, analysis and use if SADD to inform programming

Other partners and stakeholders of influence

4. Does your National Society ensure that volunteers have adequate insurance or equivalent “safety net” assistance with regard to death, injury, sickness or trauma they may endure while carrying out their duties?
Yes

Please let us know what type of insurance or equivalent "safety-net" form you use

Australian Red Cross has a Personal Accident Voluntary Workers policy for all domestic volunteers. This policy covers all volunteers and members for any injuries sustained whilst undertaking duties on behalf of the Red Cross. We have tried to design the policy to be comparable to the benefits which employees receive under workers compensation in an effort to ensure fairness and adequate coverage. This policy covers items such as; physio, rehabilitation, income protection, repairing damaged eyewear, clothing, at home domestic help (if unable to perform household duties), capital benefits, weekly benefits, nursing help, surgery etc. Cover also extends to transport to and from volunteering duties and events.

Our volunteers and members are also covered under our public liability and under our general travel policy if travelling more than 50km from their residence to volunteering duties. Cover includes transportation injury getting to and from volunteering duties, loss of baggage, personal goods, curtailment, injury etc.

Out international volunteers are covered under international travel policies which can include general travel or delegates policy. This covers them for items similar to the above but also includes emergency evacuation and care whilst overseas. Additionally, international travellers are provided with access to ISOS services which provide 24×7 medical support for all international locations.

5. How can the RCRC movement better support you to enhance the safety and security of your volunteers?

Australian Red Cross is keen to see a continuation and strengthening of the joined up approach between Geneva and National Societies, including transparent information sharing and open communication to ensure that efforts to enhance the safety and security of volunteers is coordinated.

6. What support did you provide to other National Societies for increasing safety and security of volunteers?
Training, Develop standards and guidance on the topic, Provision of protective equipment

7. What activities have you undertaken to facilitate partnerships towards strengthening the safety and security of volunteers?

Australian Red Cross’ security, health and HR teams work closely with Geneva and National Societies in the region to ensure that information is shared and coordinated across and within the groups.

8. What measures did you take to ensure that volunteers have adequate insurance or equivalent “safety net” assistance with regard to death, injury, sickness or trauma they may endure while carrying out their duties?

Please see answer to question 4, above, on details of Australian Red Cross insurance policy for volunteers. The cover also specifically includes illness or disease that is a direct result of injury sustained during volunteering (or travelling to/from volunteering duties).

Every year the Australian Red Cross’ Risk and Insurance Manager undertakes a comprehensive insurance renewal and gap analysis with our insurance brokers to examine volunteer activities, numbers, geographic spread etc. We then review our existing policy terms and conditions to ensure current effectiveness and determine whether we could improve coverage or alter it to suit the needs and scope of Australian Red Cross volunteers.

The certificates of currency is made available to all volunteers and members, and Australian Red Cross has designed and disseminated volunteer FAQ’s and support tools for volunteers knowledge. We have also developed and disseminated an insurance notification form for volunteers to complete if they are holding a new event or activity, which has not been previously declared to the insurers in the annual renewal. This ensures that the event/volunteers/activity is covered with our insurers and also offers a chance for us to engage with the volunteers on risk management.

Attached files