Implementation of mandatory Protection
Code HGKM on the BES islands
09-08-2023
Commissioned by the Department of Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Regioplan will support the public entities on the three BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) in implementing the mandatory Protection Code for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (HGKM). By working with this code, professionals at organizations in the care, welfare, justice and education sectors are better able to prevent domestic violence and child abuse, identify them in time and better protect (possible) victims.
The HGKM Protection Code is the BES variant of the HGKM Reporting Code, as it applies to professionals in the aforementioned sectors in the Netherlands. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, we contributed to the implementation of the improved Reporting Code in the Netherlands by organizing training courses throughout the country for professionals in the professional groups subject to the Reporting Code.
Intended results
We will take this experience with us to the BES islands, where we will work towards the following intended results until the end of December 2024:
• all organizations on the three BES islands that are subject to the Protection Code and professionals are familiar with the Protection Code;
• all organizations on the three BES islands that are subject to the Protection Code are able to structurally add this code to their core activities and then facilitate and support their employees to act in accordance with the Protection Code if the situation requires it;
• the employees of the organizations subject to the Protection Code (approximately 2,000 professionals) are able to act in accordance with the Protection Code in practice and can learn from their experiences to improve acting in accordance with the Protection Code where necessary;
• the inhabitants of the three BES islands who use the services of the organizations subject to the Protection Code have been able to familiarize themselves with the Protection Code, understand this code, see its added value, and accept that the code will be applied in practice if that is the case is needed.
Want to know more?
For more information about this project, please contact Hanna Harthoorn, Frank Kriek of Romy van den Dungen.