Save the Children and the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður sign an agreement for continued cooperation
The City of Hafnarfjörður and Barnaheill – Save the Children in Iceland have entered into a new partnership agreement concerning services and training for staff in the City of Hafnarfjörður's nursery and primary schools, which is valid until the end of the 2023/2024 school year. The focus is on the well-being of all children in a child-friendly municipality.
Hafnarfjörður Municipality and Barnaheill – Save the Children in Iceland have entered into a new partnership agreement concerning services and training for staff in Hafnarfjörður's nursery and primary schools, which is valid until the end of the 2023/2024 academic year.
Awareness, prevention and professional training
The core of the collaboration is the prevention course. Child Protectors which increases the ability of the town's staff to identify the signs of abuse and to work on prevention of, for example, sexual abuse of children and young people, as well as providing education on their own boundaries in interactions with children and young people. Over 1,000 employees of the City of Hafnarfjörður have received the training since 2009, when the formal collaboration on this important prevention project began. The success of this collaboration over the years is reflected most notably in the increased confidence of staff and their ability to respond appropriately when questions arise and issues occur that require advice and assistance for families in Hafnarfjörður.
Emphasis on the well-being of all children in a child-friendly local authority.
During the period, a special emphasis will be placed on educating school managers, department heads and special education coordinators in the nursery schools of the City of Hafnarfjörður. The training will be available to new staff at the primary schools in August as part of the induction programme and preparation for the new school year. A simplified and shorter version of the training will also be available during the period for staff at sports centres, coaches in the sports movement, and the boards of sports clubs. The training aims for participants to learn and practise how to prevent, recognise and respond to all forms of violence, including sexual violence, with determination and responsibility.
In the picture are Linda Hrönn Þórisdóttir, leader of Save the Children's domestic projects; Berglind Sigmarsdóttir, Executive Director of Save the Children; and Fanney Dóróthe Halldórsdóttir, Director of the Education and Public Health Department for the City of Hafnarfjörður.
Barnaheill – Save the Children in Iceland is part of the international organisation Save the Children, which works for the rights and welfare of children worldwide, guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Global Goals. The main focus is on protecting children from violence, and the Protecting Children project is one of the largest initiatives of Save the Children. The City of Hafnarfjörður emphasises the well-being of all children and is working to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in all its municipal activities. Through strong collaboration with a wide range of professionals and the wider school community, the City of Hafnarfjörður contributes to a more aware and safer environment and a more child-friendly municipality.