Working with People of Diverse Genders, Abilities and Ages

Elements expected for all roles

Example of statements or behaviours which indicate the need for further development

• Survivors as complex, dynamic beings with unique, multiple, overlapping and changing characteristics, attributes or identities, situations and realities, and facing different forms of discrimination and inequalities [MC 1.1]

• Different impacts, realities, needs, narratives and stigma for survivors of different ages, abilities, SOGIESC, and people with other identifying/intersectional characteristics, status or grouping [MC6.4]

• The four guiding principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that children are persons under the age of 18 years old, that identifying someone under 18 years old may require expert assistance, and that development stages and evolving capacities are not necessarily the same for individuals of the same age [MC 2.5]

• What ‘supported decision-making’ is, and when this might be needed [MC 2.4]

• The basics of the humanitarian architecture in place for a context and how to find existing mappings, vetting of services (where done), case management services and referral SOPs

• What ‘escalation protocols’ are (emergency planning) and how they should be used

• Different types of support that SCRSV survivors may need

• Basic timeframes for emergency medical responses for SCRSV

• Different types of context-specific barriers to support for different survivors including women, men, girls and boys, of different ages and development stages, different SOGIESC, different identities and social groups

• The objectives behind ‘universal design’ (designing or planning which considers and provides for access for a range of people with different abilities facing different barriers to access), and ‘reasonable accommodation’ (measures which can reduce barriers and allow access for persons with different abilities) and why they are important

• Talks in homogeneous terms about survivors and their needs 

• Cannot describe common barriers for different groups or non-recognition of barriers – equating presence of services with accessibility, including gender-blindness

• Thinks of ‘children’, ‘women’, ‘men’, etc. as homogenous groups

• Thinks of all persons between 16-18 years old as young adults without any assessment

• Thinks of all persons under 10 years old as unable to participate in decision-making

• Does not know about supported decision-making

• Cannot give examples of planning or preparation which will provide greater access to a wider range of people

• Considers support only in terms of psychological well-being or physical health

• Thinks one support service can fit all

Expected for all roles

Specific to programming (designing and delivering SCRV programming)

Specific to survivor interaction roles (direct interaction with survivor to gather information)

Examples of behaviour which indicate a need for further development:

• Be flexible and adapt activities based on individual survivor needs and realities [MC 5.2]

• Recognise when additional expertise is required [MC 7.5-7.6]

• Map available, accessible, safe, confidential services and referral system/process attuned to the needs of different survivor groups (at least for age, diverse SOGIESC, disabilities) [MC 5.6, 6.10, 7.7]

• Conduct a basic vetting to understand if a service is confidential, safe and accessible

• Undertake or find and use a ‘barriers to access’ analysis, disaggregated by age, gender, ability, and other intersectional factors

• Design, resource, deliver and evaluate flexible programming tailored to the needs and basic choices of different genders, ages and abilities [MC 5.2]

• Ensure your team has the right range of competencies and characteristics to allow for a tailored approach for survivors of different ages, SOGIESC and abilities [MC 7.3]

• Build mapping and vetting support services into work planning

• Design, plan, resource and brief/train personnel on an escalation/emergency response when acute needs arise before, during or after survivor interactions [MC 7.7]

Advanced skills

• Design and resource practical solutions for low resource or service scarce environments (e.g. rural, remote)

• Design, implement and monitor work in mindful ways that enhance universal access and build in reasonable accommodations to maximise access and inclusion

• Adjust approach for different individual survivors of varying age, ability or SOGIESC

• Respect and reflect a survivor’s own choice and expression of self-identity [MC 1.7]

• Engage the survivor in planning safe and individualised interactions, including asking the survivor [MC 1.3]

• Discuss available support, needs and barriers to accessing support with survivors

• Discuss informed consent for referral for support (see also Informed Consent)

• If consent, facilitate a confidential referral to safe, confidential support services attuned to the individual survivors

• See also Safe Communications and Interviews

• Inability to adapt approach or methodology to changing situation or individual needs or realities of a survivor. Applying same approaches, models and methodology for persons of different SOGIESC

• Interviewing persons under 18 years old without an assessment or having the necessary expertise, experience or support systems in place

• Infantilising persons under 18, assuming a lack of agency and capacity to make decisions. Failing to consult persons under 18 in decision-making about them

• Not taking the time to identify potential barriers and invisibility

• Offers or implies access to support services on condition of or in exchange for sharing information

• Considers and discusses support only after information sharing

• Does not obtain informed consent for referral

• Shares information with support services without consent or consideration of confidentiality

• Does not consider or discuss needs or available support with survivors because the survivor seemed okay

• Does not consider support needs in immediate aftermath of recounting events

Associated Values

Examples of attitudes or approaches which indicate need for further development

Core Values: Humility; Humanity, Dignity and Empathy

Other values: Inclusion and Non-discrimination

Approaches:

• Values and promotes the richness of diversity and builds it into teams, partnerships and methods of work

• Proactively opposes and challenges prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, stigma, inequality when possible

• Considers well-being of survivors and access to support as a fundamental component to safe and ethical information gathering

• Self-reflects on own biases

• Belief that one size fits all

• Insensitivity or blindness to individual realities and intersecting forms of discrimination

• Does not consider inclusivity or representative participation important

• Tolerating, minimising or justifying the use of discriminatory and stigmatising language, or failing to recognise it

• Unable to relate to people from different backgrounds

• Belief that they can do it all themselves regardless of expertise or experience with different ages, abilities, SOGIESC or survivor needs and choices

• Believes that support is not part of their mandate or responsibilities

• Thinks support is only necessary if a survivor is obviously retraumatised during the interview

• Does not recognise the long-term, sustained need for support