CHILD SAFEGUARDING AND WELLBEING SELF-REFLECTION TOOL | | Movimento Globale per i Diritti dell’Infanzia

This document presents the Child Safeguarding and Wellbeing Self-Reflection Tool, developed within the framework of the European project SAFE IN TOWN – Strengthening Integrated Child Protection in Selected European Municipalities through the Development and Activation of Comprehensive City Child Safeguarding Policies, funded by the European Union under the CERV-DAPHNE Programme.

The tool is available in English, Italian, Portuguese and Greek, in order to facilitate its use across the different national contexts involved in the project and support its dissemination and adaptation in other European settings.

SAFE IN TOWN is a transnational initiative coordinated by Defence for Children International Italia and implemented in partnership with organisations and municipalities in Italy, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. The project aims to strengthen integrated child protection systems at municipal level through the development, activation and progressive implementation of comprehensive City Child Safeguarding Policies. It promotes coordinated, multidisciplinary and child-rights-based approaches to safeguarding, while also developing tools, procedures and practices that can be adapted and replicated in other European contexts.

Within this framework, the Child Safeguarding and Wellbeing Self-Reflection Tool was developed as a practical resource to support municipalities, public authorities, organisations, services and professionals in reflecting on and strengthening their safeguarding systems, operational practices and organisational cultures. It provides a structured framework for self-reflection, supporting continuous learning, institutional development and greater professional accountability in relation to children’s safety, protection, participation and wellbeing.

The tool can be used across a wide range of settings, including municipalities, schools, youth and community services, sport and recreational contexts, health and social services, civil society organisations and other institutions working directly or indirectly with children. In line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the term “children” refers to all persons below the age of 18.

The self-reflection process is structured around eight interconnected safeguarding domains, aligned with the SAFE IN TOWN methodology and the City Child Safeguarding Policy framework. The tool may be completed individually or collectively by teams, departments, organisations or municipal stakeholders. It is intended to support the identification of strengths, gaps, risks, priorities and opportunities for improvement, while fostering dialogue, shared responsibility and the continuous strengthening of child safeguarding and wellbeing systems.