Erasmus Fun is committed to protecting the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of everyone who participates in our trips, events, and activities. We aim to provide positive, inclusive, and respectful experiences for participants and the communities we visit.

This policy sets out our approach to preventing and responding to abuse, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, and other behaviour that could put someone at risk.

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This policy applies to all staff, contractors, volunteers, coordinators, and trip leaders working with or on behalf of Erasmus Fun.

It covers trips, events, and activities organised or facilitated by Erasmus Fun, as well as interactions on the digital channels we manage.

Our activities are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We recognise that any adult may experience vulnerability, including because of language barriers, disability, illness, isolation, or the effects of alcohol or other substances.

2. OUR COMMITMENT

Erasmus Fun is committed to:

• Providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.

• Taking reasonable steps to prevent violence, abuse, harassment, and exploitation.

• Treating everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or beliefs.

• Taking all concerns and reports seriously and responding promptly and appropriately.

• Ensuring that people working on our behalf understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

• Not tolerating retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith or assists in reviewing it.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAFF AND TRIP LEADERS

Everyone representing Erasmus Fun must:

• Act professionally and maintain appropriate boundaries with participants.

• Refrain from abusive, intimidating, discriminatory, harassing, or exploitative behaviour.

• Respect each person’s consent and autonomy.

• Never use a position of trust or authority to pressure participants into personal, romantic, or sexual relationships, or to obtain favours or benefits.

• Promptly report concerns about a participant’s safety or wellbeing to the Erasmus Fun coordination team.

• Handle information discreetly, without promising absolute confidentiality where sharing information may be necessary to protect someone.

• Seek appropriate assistance in an emergency.

If a concern involves the trip leader, it should be reported directly to another member of the Erasmus Fun coordination team.

4. PARTICIPANT WELFARE

To support participants’ safety and wellbeing, Erasmus Fun is committed to:

• Selecting trip leaders with skills appropriate to the activities and briefing them on safety procedures.

• Communicating relevant emergency contacts and procedures before each activity or trip.

• Providing clear conduct rules and information about relevant risks.

• Maintaining accessible channels for raising concerns or requesting help.

• Considering safety when selecting accommodation, transport, and activity providers.

• Seeking to accommodate accessibility or support needs communicated in advance, within the arrangements available for each activity.

No one should be pressured to drink alcohol, participate in drinking games, or join optional activities. A decision not to participate must be respected.

5. CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PARTICIPANTS

All participants in Erasmus Fun activities are expected to:

• Treat other participants, staff, service providers, and local communities with respect.

• Refrain from violent, abusive, discriminatory, intimidating, or harassing behaviour.

• Respect other people’s personal boundaries, privacy, and consent, including when taking or sharing photographs or videos.

• Follow safety instructions given by activity leaders.

• Report concerns about their own safety or the safety of others.

• Comply with applicable laws and rules in the destinations visited.

• Avoid behaviour associated with alcohol or other substances that puts themselves or others at risk.

Where a participant’s behaviour puts others at risk, Erasmus Fun may take proportionate action, including removing the participant from an activity. Any financial consequences will be assessed in accordance with the booking terms and applicable law.

6. REPORTING CONCERNS

If you have a concern about your safety, another participant, or the conduct of someone representing Erasmus Fun, please report it as soon as possible:

• During a trip or activity: Contact your trip leader or another member of the team.

• If the concern involves your trip leader: Contact the Erasmus Fun coordination team directly.

• At any time: Email booking@erasmus.fun.

If someone is in immediate danger, contact the local emergency services and move to a safe place.

You do not need to gather evidence or be certain that misconduct has occurred to raise a concern in good faith.

Reports will be taken seriously and handled sensitively and promptly. Erasmus Fun will seek to listen to the affected person, assess the risk, and identify appropriate protective measures. Where possible and appropriate, we will explain the next steps to the person concerned.

7. CONFIDENTIALITY AND INFORMATION SHARING

Information about safeguarding concerns or incidents will be handled confidentially and made available only to those who need it to assess and respond to the situation.

We cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality. Information may need to be shared with emergency services, relevant authorities, or other appropriate organisations to protect someone or meet legal obligations.

Where possible and appropriate, we will explain to the affected person what information will be shared, with whom, and why. Personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection law and our Privacy Policy.

8. ONLINE SAFETY

This policy also applies to social media channels, messaging groups, and other digital platforms managed by Erasmus Fun.

Harassment, threats, discrimination, unauthorised disclosure of personal information, and sharing intimate content without consent will not be tolerated.

Erasmus Fun may remove content, restrict access, or exclude individuals from its channels where necessary to protect the community. Suspected criminal activity may be reported to the relevant authorities.

9. REVIEW OF THIS POLICY

This policy will be reviewed annually and whenever a significant incident, a change in our activities, or a change in applicable obligations makes a review necessary.

The updated version will be made available through Erasmus Fun’s official channels..