How to prevent and address safeguarding concerns in global health research programmes: practice, process and positionality in marginalised spaces

Aktar, Bachera, Alam, Wafa, Ali, Samiha, Awal, Abdul, Bayoh, Margaret, Chumo, Ivy, Contay, Yirah, Conteh, Abu, Dean, Laura ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-9707, Dobson, Skye, Edstrom, Jerker, Elsey, Helen, Farnaz, Nadia, Garimella, Surekha, Gray, Linsay, Gupte, Jaideep, Hawkins, Kate, Hollihead, Beth, Josyula, Kunhi Lakshmi, Kabaria, Caroline, Karuga, Robinson, Kimani, Joseph, Leyland, Alastair, Lintelo, Dolf te, Mansaray, Bintu, Macarthy, Joseph, Macgregor, Hayley, Mberu, Blessing, Muturi, Nelly, Okoth, Linet, Otiso, Lilian, Ozano, Kim, Parray, Ateeb, Phillips-Howard, Penelope ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1018-116X, Rao, Vinodkumar, Rashid, Sabina, Raven, Joanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4112-6959, Refell, Francis, Saidu, Samuel, Sobhan, Shafinaz, Subramanya Saligram, Prasanna, Sesay, Samira, Theobald, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9053-211X, Tolhurst, Rachel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-6641, Tubb, Philippa, Waldman, Linda, Waritu, Jane, Whittaker, Lana ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4133-3827 and Wurie, Haja Ramatulai (2020) 'How to prevent and address safeguarding concerns in global health research programmes: practice, process and positionality in marginalised spaces'. BMJ Global Health, Vol 5, Issue 5, e002253.

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Abstract

Safeguarding is rapidly rising up the international development agenda, yet literature on safeguarding in related research is limited. This paper shares processes and practice relating to safeguarding within an international research consortium (the ARISE hub, known as ARISE). ARISE aims to enhance accountability and improve the health and well-being of marginalised people living and working in informal urban spaces in low-income and middle-income countries (Bangladesh, India, Kenya and Sierra Leone). Our manuscript is divided into three key sections. We start by discussing the importance of safeguarding in global health research and consider how thinking about vulnerability as a relational concept (shaped by unequal power relations and structural violence) can help locate fluid and context specific safeguarding risks within broader social systems. We then discuss the different steps undertaken in ARISE to develop a shared approach to safeguarding: sharing institutional guidelines and practice; facilitating a participatory process to agree a working definition of safeguarding and joint understandings of vulnerabilities, risks and mitigation strategies and share experiences; developing action plans for safeguarding. This is followed by reflection on our key learnings including how safeguarding, ethics and health and safety concerns overlap; the challenges of referral and support for safeguarding concerns within frequently underserved informal urban spaces; and the importance of reflective practice and critical thinking about power, judgement and positionality and the ownership of the global narrative surrounding safeguarding. We finish by situating our learning within debates on decolonising science and argue for the importance of an iterative, ongoing learning journey that is critical, reflective and inclusive of vulnerable people.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > WA 100 General works WA Public Health > WA 20.5 Research (General) WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department Clinical Sciences & International Health > Well Travelled Clinic (WTC)
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002253
Depositing User:	Rachel Dominguez
Date Deposited:	14 May 2020 10:53
Last Modified:	08 Sep 2020 10:07
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/14459

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