Community-Based Complaints Mechanisms for SHEA and Safeguarding during COVID-19 - Guidance Note - June 2020

Sep 1, 2026

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Community-based complaints mechanisms for SHEA and safeguarding during COVID-19 guide how ActionAid and partners enable communities, including children and young people, to raise concerns about staff practices, feedback to agencies, and incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse. The guidance emphasizes ‘do no harm’ accountability, safe and confidential reporting, COVID-19 risk reduction, inclusivity for diverse groups, and culturally sensitive design. It outlines key considerations, principles, inclusive options, child-friendly mechanisms, and communication and training approaches so survivors are heard and supported with timely responses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatDOCX

Pages32

Reading Time11 min

AccessFree to download

Background on SHEA and Safeguarding complaints mechanisms and COVID-19

Key Messages

Types of Complaints Mechanisms

Principles for community-based complaints mechanisms

Inclusive Complaints Mechanisms

Key Stages in Developing Complaints Mechanisms

Developing child friendly complaints mechanisms

Complaints Mechanisms for Young People during COVID-19

Developing complaints mechanisms for communities for reporting sexual exploitation and abuse

Community Complaints Mechanisms as part of AA’s Humanitarian Response

Communicating about Community-based Complaints Mechanisms during COVID-19

Annex A: ActionAid Covid-19 complaints response mechanism guidance note

Annex B Further Reading

Community-Based Complaints Mechanisms for SHEA and Safeguarding during COVID-19 Developed by the Global SHEA and Safeguarding Team, June 2020 Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254388" 1. Background on SHEA and Safeguarding complaints mechanisms and COVID-19 PAGEREF _Toc42254388 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254389" 2. Key Messages PAGEREF _Toc42254389 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254391" 3. Types of Complaints Mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc42254391 \h 4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254392" 4. Principles for community-based complaints mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc42254392 \h 7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254394" 5. Inclusive Complaints Mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc42254394 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254395" 6. Key Stages in Developing Complaints Mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc42254395 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254397" 7. Developing child friendly complaints mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc42254397 \h 12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254399" 8. Complaints Mechanisms for Young People during COVID-19 PAGEREF _Toc42254399 \h 16 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254400" 9. Developing complaints mechanisms for communities for reporting sexual exploitation and abuse PAGEREF _Toc42254400 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254402" 10. Community Complaints Mechanisms as part of AA’s Humanitarian Response PAGEREF _Toc42254402 \h 19 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254403" 11. Communicating about Community-based Complaints Mechanisms during COVID- 19 PAGEREF _Toc42254403 \h 20 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254404" Annex A: ActionAid Covid-19 complaints response mechanism guidance note PAGEREF _Toc42254404 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc42254415" Annex B Further Reading PAGEREF _Toc42254415 \h 31 Note: Specific content relating to COVID 19 is highlighted in green in the text Background on SHEA and Safeguarding complaints mechanisms and COVID-19 One of the core principles of ActionAid’s response to COVID-19 is that staff/representatives do not carry out any form of sexual harassment, exploitation, or abuse – or any other kinds of harm- towards the rights-holders and communities we come into contact with during our COIVD-19 response. As part of our commitment to ‘Do No Harm’ ActionAid must put in place a variety of safer programming measures to ensure our processes do not cause harm and we are accountable to the communities we work with. One example of a safer programming activity is community-based complaints mechanisms. Community-based complaints mechanisms ensure that communities can raise concerns about ActionAid staff/processes. Communities can use community complaints mechanisms to raise concerns, give feedback to international agencies, and report incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse. They help to create a strong culture of accountability; enable us to improve the quality, impact and effectiveness of our programmes; and ensure our programmes are safe during COVID-19. During this time community-based complaints mechanisms will need to be established or modified to ensure that communities can raise concerns and are not put at risk of contracting COVID 19 while doing so. This document outlines key considerations when developing or modifying community based complaints mechanisms during COVID 19, with a focus on how to ensure children, young people and communities can raise concerns about sexual exploitation and abuse and wider child abuse. Key Messages Communities, including children and young people, must be involved in the creation and implementation of community-based complaints mechanisms It is best practice to have a range of options for people to report concerns (e.g an option to report anonymously through an SMS hotline, and a place to report to a designated individual). All complaints mechanisms must be established under the principle of ‘do no harm’. They must be safe and accessible to use, ensure confidentiality, and not put people at risk of harm. During COVID 19, this includes ensuring that complaints mechanisms do not

FAQs

Why are community-based complaints mechanisms important during COVID-19?

They enable communities to raise concerns about ActionAid staff and processes, provide feedback, and report incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse. They also strengthen accountability and help ensure programmes are safe while addressing COVID-19 risks.

What does ‘do no harm’ require when establishing complaints mechanisms?

Mechanisms must be safe and accessible, protect confidentiality, ensure people are not placed at risk of harm, and—during COVID-19—must not expose people to contracting COVID-19 while reporting.

How should complaints mechanisms be made inclusive and child-friendly?

Communities, including children and young people, should be involved in creation and implementation. The mechanisms should offer diverse reporting options, support safe access for different groups (including people with disabilities), and use child-friendly approaches aligned with relevant government directives.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by Liam