API at Cirkus in Beweging
Every youth organization must have an Integrity Contact Person (API). The Flemish government requests that all organizations working with children and young people designate such a contact person, following the Flemish Integrity Action Plan. Meanwhile, you can find a clear overview of the policy aspects on the department’s website.
What?
The Integrity Contact Person, or API for short, is the person you can contact in your organization if there is a case of an integrity violation. This includes any form of physical, sexual, moral, or psychological behavior that you feel crosses your boundaries or those of someone else.
Who can turn to the API?
Participants, volunteers, leaders, parents, former leaders—anyone involved with the organization in some way can contact the API. You do not need to be a victim or witness of a specific behavior. As soon as you have a suspicion or a bad feeling, you can reach out.
What does the API do?
The API works with the information you provide, and every report is taken seriously.
- First contact: the API is the first point of contact for reports. The API listens to your story and tries to assess the situation.
- Coordination + referral: afterwards, the API will work with the reporter to determine the best way to handle the situation and, if needed, refer to other organizations. The API tries to better understand the situation and may contact other involved parties or institutions. This is always done in consultation with the person making the report.
- Follow-up: the API follows up on the situation with the reporter until everything is resolved. Together they review how aftercare can best be handled.
What does the API not do?
- Support services: the API is not a support worker and will not start a personal guidance process. However, the API will follow up on each report as best as possible and ensure proper referral to support services if needed.
- Investigations: the API talks to those involved and tries to get a clear picture of the situation. Based on this, the API will provide the most appropriate follow-up. The API will, however, never investigate who exactly is guilty or why they are at fault.
- Public disclosure: the API does not have professional secrecy, but will never share a report with people who cannot help with the follow-up.
How does the API work?
The API always works very discreetly, but does not have professional secrecy. If the API receives a report that they consider threatening, they will contact the police or another authority. This is always done in consultation with the reporter. The API primarily has an advisory role. The focus of the API is on the well-being of the involved parties and on the proper functioning of the youth workgroups involved.