“Great education should be made safe for children. Service providers must have a Children’s Protection Policy.”
From the Manifesto for Better Children’s Rights via Education Reform
At Little U, our interactions are guided by our Little U Values of Trauma Informed Care, Child Safety, Secure Attachment and Interest Based Learning. Freedom of speech must be balanced with care for individuals and families in a safe and respectful learning community.
As far as possible, our Little U policies are…
1) co-created with the community, especially youths
2) transparently disseminated so that potential members may make an informed choice before joining Little U
Little U Child Safeguarding Policy
About this Document This 14-page document was first co-created by 14-year-old Cara Lee with Little U founder and director Dawn Fung at the Little U Teen Groups in September 2023. A draft of this document was also shown privately to individuals in the Little U community and some of our partners for feedback. Little U’s Child Safeguarding Policy will undergo annual evaluation and will be updated as necessary to remain relevant and efficient, in line with the latest practices and regulations of Singapore for child safety in educational contexts.
Guiding Statement We at Little U aim to quell abuse, neglect, and exploitation to create a safe and welcoming environment. We are dedicated to ensuring the well-being of all children participating in our programs, activities, and events, to enable each child to reach their full potential in a secure and affirming environment. Little U takes the responsibility for safeguarding children in its care to the highest standards, and we promote a culture of respect and accountability across our organisation. We will collaborate with stakeholders, including children, their families, and external partners, to create and guarantee a safe and nurturing space for our children and their wellbeing. For our children to grow and thrive, we take responsibility to ensure they know their rights to keep themselves safe.
Scope Our Policy extends to all teachers, staff, volunteers, and any individual associated with Little U who has contact with the children during the course of their work or role.
Little U Trauma Informed Care Guidelines
About this Document This 14-page document was created by Little U founder and director Dawn Fung in 2023. The Policy will undergo annual evaluation and will be updated as necessary to remain relevant and efficient, in line with the latest practices and regulations of Singapore for family and child safety in educational contexts.
Introduction Welcome to the community of Little U that runs 8 programs from preschool to professional educators. As a microschool consultancy, our full strength in The Learnery (name of our microschool) will be to host a community of 150 families, with 10% of the membership to families and youths facing adversity. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, we are intentional about offering a culture built upon trauma informed care. The mental health crisis in youths and young adults reflect the importance of trauma informed care in the national conversation about education in Singapore.
We hope our Trauma Informed Care Guidelines will enable your family to make wiser decisions at Little U, or before joining us. This document is intended to guide interactions within the Little U community for trauma informed care. It is not an exhaustive list, nor is it a therapy manual. We advise families who are already working with therapists to continue that partnership and to use this document only as social handles within the Little U community.
Little U Discord Server Policy of Engagement
About this Document This 5-page document was first created by Little U Teen Groups member Trinity for the Little U Discord Server. The Policy will undergo occasional evaluation and will be updated as necessary to remain relevant and efficient, in line with the latest practices and regulations of Singapore for media safety for families in educational contexts.