Our Guiding Principles and Organisation Structure

Guiding Principles and Organisation Structure

 We recognise our aims are ambitious and we do not apologise for this.

Our Guiding Principles and Organisation Structure


Guiding Principles

We recognise our aims are ambitious and we do not apologise for this. Our plan is to contribute to the needs of the people in Ukraine by raising funds for hospital medical equipment and online mental health services. Both goals are equally important, but as a startup charity without seed capital, we must ensure we only spend when ‘money is in the bank’. 

We are going to be a ‘volunteer-based’ charity. We believe Stefania can only achieve this by rewarding our volunteers not with money, but with the satisfaction and pride that comes from contributing to objectives that directly improve the lives of people in Ukraine. This principle applies to every volunteer, whether they assist with administration or take on a senior leadership role.

Our organisational model is centred on local communities, with only a very small number of people at higher levels, such as headquarters.

We aim to base the majority of our activities in 3,000 ‘local communities’ to be set up across the United Kingdom. Our operational structure is designed to function virtually, meaning that over 90% of roles can be performed from anywhere in the UK. Most roles will require volunteers to have access to a computer and the internet. We expect that over 80% of roles will focus on supporting local communities and will be carried out by people living within those communities. The volunteer opportunities will be open to all and advertised on the Stefania Dashboard or website. 

When we say ‘local community’, we mean postal districts – of which there are 3,000 in the UK. A postal district is the first part of a postcode. For example, in the postcode HP5 2QP, the postal district is HP5.

Defining a ‘common purpose’ is the most important requirement for Stefania, as it is key to attracting and retaining volunteers. This purpose, which is central to our mission, was defined and approved by the Charity Commission during our registration process. The exact wording is as follows:

  1. To relieve sickness and to preserve the physical and mental health of the people in Ukraine AND to preserve and protect the mental health of refugees and their dependents living in the UK. HOW? By providing or assisting in the provision of equipment, facilities, support and services.
  2. To advance the education and training of the people in Ukraine and refugees and their dependents in need so as to advance them in life and assist in their rehabilitation.

We believe that everyone will judge these statements to justify wanting to be part of Stefania.

Our vision for Stefania Volunteers is to offer the opportunity to:

  • Develop new skills and gain valuable work experience
  • Make new friends
  • Experience a deep sense of personal satisfaction and pride
  • Make a meaningful and worthwhile contribution to people in Ukraine
  • Enjoy ongoing activities that will build and boost confidence levels
  • Develop connections with other people in the community
  • Show a commitment to the Ukrainian people

These benefits will be available to all Stefania Volunteers, no matter what their role or level of responsibility. Our aim is to create a non-hierarchical organisation where everyone has an equal voice and the opportunity to contribute.

Our volunteers include both British supporters and Ukrainian refugees - two nations coming together to work toward a shared purpose.

We plan to introduce a regular ‘Attitude Survey’ to gauge how effectively we are achieving our objectives.

In 2025, we plan to connect with Ukrainian refugee communities across mainland Europe, where approximately 6 million people are spread over 30 countries. We will invite them to join Stefania and support them in establishing the Stefania organisational model within their own countries. These communities will then commit to becoming Stefania Support Partners or Individual Supporters, pledging a monthly donation starting from just £3.75—the cost of a coffee. (See below for details.)

Organisation Structure

Our ‘local communities’ will bring together people from a range of institutions, including churches, schools, Ukrainian Guests (refugees), local businesses, support groups, hospitals, universities, colleges, and more. They will also welcome individuals from the community who are not affiliated with any formal institution.

There will be around 3,000 ‘local communities’ across the United Kingdom, each based on a postal district. To put it simply, the UK is divided into about 3,000 postal districts. These districts are grouped into 92 counties – 48 in England and 44 across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. On average, each County contains about 30 postal districts. 

Will Stefania be launched across 3,000 postal districts at once?

No, we will do it in phases. We are starting with five counties in England: Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Berkshire. This will be the Pilot Phase, which we aim to keep as short as possible given the urgency of the situation in Ukraine. Once we have made the necessary improvements to our policies and procedures, as well as enhanced the website and Dashboard, we will move into a series of phases to expand across the entire United Kingdom.

The first phase after the pilot will cover the remaining counties in the South East region and will be followed by the remaining counties in the East of England region. Timings will be announced on our website.

There may be some churches or schools from postal Districts which are not in the Pilot group or in the South East or East of England regions, and would prefer not to have to wait ‘for their turn’ but would like to start now! What are their options?

This option is definitely possible but requires the following:

The church(s) or school(s) will need to be prepared to gain the support of many other institutions within their District. They will then follow the same process as for the Pilot group. It would be preferable if they are willing to contact as many Districts as possible within their County and generate interest. If this is you and would to discuss this option further, please write to the Executive Chairman, [email protected] for a discussion.

How will the Pilot Counties be set up?

We will begin by sending emails to about 2,100 schools and 1,500 churches across the five Pilot counties, inviting them to become Support Partners. If they agree, they will commit to sharing information about Stefania with their school parents or church members. Each organisation will also nominate an Ambassador. The names of schools and churches that become Support Partners will be featured on the Dashboard, a section of the Stefania website.

The first Ambassadors will come together and identify all the Ukrainian Guests (refugees) in their District and invite them to become Individual Supporters. They will also identify any churches and schools which were missed in our initial email and create a list of local businesses and other institutions within their District. 

Each Support Partner organisation will invite church members, school parents, employees, and others to register on the website as Individual Supporters and commit to a monthly donation of at least £3.75 – the price of a cup of coffee. We recognise that there may be an occasion when they are unable to donate. The total number of Individual Supporters (not named) will be tracked and displayed in real-time on the Dashboard of the Stefania website. The goal is to reach out to all institutions within the District and encourage their members to contribute monthly donations.

What else will the Ambassadors do?

Each District will elect one of its Ambassadors to become its District Coordinator. These individuals will oversee the appointment of the District Safeguarding Volunteer, whose name will be added to the Stefania Dashboard. They will also appoint a Data Administrator Volunteer and a volunteer to write news items from the District, including successful initiatives, to share on the News & Ideas Digital Board within the Dashboard. In addition, these groups of District Ambassadors will brainstorm ways to engage residents who are not currently affiliated with any local institution. 

Do the Ambassadors have any other important responsibilities?

Two of the most important Ambassador responsibilities are:

  • To make their District a ‘Beacon of Compassion, Hope and Love’ to the people in Ukraine. How these are expressed will be developed within the Districts and added to the News & Ideas Digital Board. Our IT colleagues will be working on our website to make it accessible in most countries, especially in Ukraine and the mainland European countries hosting Ukrainian refugees. This will 
  • To update their organisation regularly on developments and news from the District and Stefania as a whole. The District Coordinator will prepare a brief monthly report using a template provided by Stefania HQ. This will be shared with all the District Coordinators in their County.


Role of District Coordinator

The average number of districts in a County is about 30. The 30 District Coordinators will hold regular Zoom meetings to discuss various issues and agree on improvements and new ideas. Each month, they will complete a short form (provided by Stefania HQ) covering learning points, new ideas, and key performance indicators. From each County group of District Coordinators, three people will be chosen to serve as County Coordinators.

Role of the County Coordinators

The three County Coordinators will meet monthly to review reports from the Districts and discuss various topics using a format provided by Stefania HQ. They will also agree on a plan to make contact with medium-sized companies within their County (which have not been contacted at the District level and invite them to become Support Partners. Additionally, they will identify other institutions and associations, such as trade unions and business groups, that may not have been engaged at the District level and invite them to join as Support Partners. The County will also complete a brief County Report, using a template supplied by Stefania HQ, and submit it to their Regional Director.


Role of the Regional Directors

Ten Regional Directors will be appointed, each responsible for leading a group of counties from across the UK. Their role will evolve as we gain more experience, but initially, they will focus on the following key responsibilities:

  • Support the County Coordinators
  • Review key performance indicators
  • Contact large corporate organisations and associations, and invite them to become Support Partners
  • Contact charitable trusts, high-net-worth individuals, and major influencers to present opportunities for funding and involvement
  • They will also develop a plan to contact large organisations and discuss opportunities for joint marketing opportunities that will result in growing the number of Individual Supporters  
  • Represent the organisation in media interviews within their Region
  • Take responsibility for major strategic projects (outside their Region,) assigned to them. This may include becoming involved in transferring the UK based ‘business model’ to countries in mainland Europe, managing major projects, developing marketing strategies and much more (as we develop). 


Regional Directors will report to Stefania’s Executive Chairman.

All these roles – Ambassadors, County Coordinators, District Coordinators, and Regional Directors – will be filled by volunteers, although Stefania may on occasion decide to appoint a senior executive that will be offered a financial remuneration. The Roles will be open to both Ukrainian and British candidates. 


Our main Partners

NHS Supply Chain

The National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom is one of the largest healthcare systems in the world, featuring a centralised procurement system known as the NHS Supply Chain. This system includes an online catalogue of 600,000 items. We believe Stefania is the first charity to partner with NHS Supply Chain.

The NHS has undertaken to:

  • Charge Stefania the same prices as those offered to UK hospitals and the British Army
  • Set no limit on the volume of equipment Stefania can purchase

Once the project for Ukrainian hospitals is fully implemented, the hospitals will be able to place their own orders from the catalogue directly (but without making a payment!), selecting the items they need to save lives. No ‘purchase tax’ will be added to these orders.

On behalf of the Ukrainian hospitals, we would like to thank NHS Supply Chain for agreeing to our partnership and for their amazing commitment to the Ukrainian people.

Ukraine based NGO (name is being withheld)

We are proud to have as one of our key partners this highly respected Ukrainian charity, led by Natalia. Olga, from the NGO will be responsible for the transportation of the medical equipment each month, to the individual hospitals.


ALS Customs Services

We are pleased to partner with ALS, which will manage the customs and transport of medical equipment from the United Kingdom to Ukraine on our behalf. Trusted by the British Government, ALS brings extensive experience in delivering essential equipment to Ukraine, including fire engines.


British Sales Organization

We are very grateful to this small company in the south of England and the USA. When they heard about our need for IT services, they didn’t hesitate. Knowing it would benefit the people of Ukraine, they agreed to charge special rates to develop our website and the software behind the Stefania Dashboard. They will continue supporting us with future projects.


The Stefania Dashboard

Stefania is committed to full transparency, providing open access to information for visitors from around the world. The Dashboard on our website will be the ‘engine under the hood’, offering relevant, real-time updates wherever possible. Sharing this information is essential for earning the trust, confidence, and loyalty of our donors.

The Dashboard will show how we are doing in generating regular income to support hospitals and the other two humanitarian projects we will launch later. It will also provide data on other areas of our work (for example, displaying job opportunities identified at District, County and other levels) and will be enhanced continuously.

How Stefania will communicate with Support Partners, Individual Supporters, volunteers, sponsors, and other organisations and individuals that support its objectives

We will communicate with individuals and organisations in the following ways:

  • Through the Stefania Dashboard on our website
  • Through our digital News & Ideas Digital Board which will cover all regions in the UK, along with additional boards for mainland Europe. This platform will expand as we build connections with the 6 million Ukrainian refugees living across 30 countries. Its purpose is to capture and share positive news, ideas and innovations from across the UK and other countries in the world that are part of the Stefania family.
  • The charity will establish the principle of setting up Ukraine Oversight Groups for the various humanitarian aid projects. This will be made up of senior Ukrainian individuals who will bring expertise and experience to ensure that Stefania is implementing projects which will meet the needs of Ukraine. The first Ukraine Oversight Group will be for the Medical Equipment project and will be made up primarily of leading surgeons from various hospitals across Ukraine and the two project managers from Stefania. 
  • All website content will be available in both English and Ukrainian (with the help of AI!). In addition, all communications will be open and available for anyone to view (with some exceptions), and we will use technology to increase visibility and engagement from audiences in Ukraine.


Financial Contributions to Stefania

The easiest way to contribute to Stefania is by using the ‘Donate Now’, button on the Stefania website. Stefania uses the same secure payment technology trusted by Amazon and many other large global companies.

Stefania’s humanitarian goals rely heavily on building a huge community of Individual Supporters who commit to a regular donation of a minimum of £3.75 each month – just the price of a cup of coffee. Regular contributions like this not only sustain our work but also foster a sense of shared purpose within the donor community, helping to build loyalty. It also creates regular and consistent level of revenue that results in building confidence with our beneficiaries, knowing they can expect a regular flow of products/services.

We would like our donor community to consist of: 

  • Ukrainian refugee communities, comprising 6 million people across approximately 30 countries in mainland Europe and the UK
  • Citizens from over 30 countries in the UK and mainland Europe 
  • The Ukrainian diaspora across the world, which numbers around 28 million people
  • Individuals, institutions and associations from the UK and other parts of the world, such as the USA, that wish to support Stefania’s vital humanitarian aid projects

All Donor categories will be able to use the Stefania ‘Donate Now’ button and donate the price of a cup of coffee or more (£3.75 minimum) each month. 

Why are we asking for regular rather than occasional payments?

Stefania is dedicated to supporting surgeons and nurses working in operating theatres across all types of hospitals in each of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts. Once this programme is established, we aim to provide online mental health services to people throughout Ukraine, with a particular focus on disadvantaged and impoverished communities. According to a recent report in the Lancet (medical journal), it is estimated that 54% of the Ukraine population, including the 6 million refugees in Europe, have been affected by Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): BBC News “A study published in the medical journal The Lancet, estimates that 54% of Ukrainians (including the Ukrainian refugees in Europe,) have PTSD. Severe anxiety is prevalent among 21%, and high levels of stress among 18%” (20 September 2024). 

The third programme we will explore is to partner with a major provider of online courses for schools and colleges, and secure an agreement to allow Stefania to translate the courses into the Ukraine language. “The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted education for more than five million children, UNICEF warned today, calling for increased international support to ensure children do not fall further behind”.

It is critically important that the amount of money available each month is predictable and grows steadily. This will help build confidence among the hospitals we support - and later, among the people relying on us for mental health support services. When we provide humanitarian aid, we don’t want it to feel like a rollercoaster with different amounts coming in each month as this will create uncertainty. Stefania believes that those needing surgery and the professionals caring for them deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. We want Stefania to be a ‘Beacon of Compassion, Hope, and Love’. They deserve nothing less.

To achieve this, we need to establish a steady rhythm within Stefania that is regular, reliable, and capable of growing. This can only happen through the commitment of a large number of donors giving the equivalent of the cost of a cup of coffee each month.

Can I give Stefania an occasional ‘gift’, for example in memory of a relative?

While our main approach is to ask donors for regular small contributions, we also offer this option. You can find more details in the ‘Giving Financially’ section at the ‘foot’ of our website. 


Gift Aid

If donors live in the United Kingdom, are UK taxpayers, and the tax they pay is more than the amount of their donations, they can claim Gift Aid. This means that, in addition to the donation itself, the UK government will pay Stefania 25% of the amount donated each month – so a donation of £10 becomes worth £12.50. This does not affect the financial or tax position of the donor. To find out more about the value of Gift Aid, go to the Giving Financially section of the Stefania website. 

STEFANIA FOUNDATION

Privacy policy

Stefania Foundation is a charitable organisation, and one of our most valuable assets is the trust of our donors, partners and other stakeholders in our charitable effort. In this spirit, we lay out below our straightforward commitment to treat any personal information provided to us with the utmost care and respect for individual privacy.

1. We take individual privacy and data security seriously.
We understand that the world around us is evolving quickly, and cyber security and online privacy are matters best addressed preventatively. We have taken the initiative upon ourselves to develop policies and procedures to protect the information we are provided by people with whom we engage in the pursuit of Stefania Foundation stated objectives.

2. We add new personal details to our mailing list and communication systems when they have been willingly provided to us.
Some donors and supporters provide us with their contact information when making donations via the Stripe payment system or when they reach out to us via our website or attend one of our events virtually or in person. At the same time, other donors and supporters choose to donate and/or participate anonymously. We respect everyone’s right to decide how much information to disclose to us and whether or not, to receive further communication from Stefania Foundation

3. We do not share or sell any personal information we have obtained while fundraising and project implementation.
Information we collect is used solely to maintain communication with our donors regarding Stefania Foundation events and activities. To this end, we use highly reputable mailing list software with its own stringent data protection requirements, and we make sure to limit our mailing list communication to a reasonable level.

4. We immediately and automatically process any requests to no longer receive communication from Stefania Foundation .
Each of our emails contains a link to unsubscribe from our mailing list, and the removal from the list is automated to take place immediately. In the event of technical difficulties, we would also seek to quickly process any data removal requests submitted via the Contact Us page on this website.

5. We strive to adhere to relevant privacy protection laws and regulations.
While we are limited in volunteer staff and resources, we strive to stay up to date on such important legal matters, and we are doing our best to implement guidance of the Charity Commission and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) with regards to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related UK laws. If you believe there are ways we can do this better, please let us know!


Stefania Foundation


GDPR Policy to enable compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations


The Stefania Foundation collects, processes, stores and uses information about identifiable individuals as a fundamental aspect of the delivery of its charitable purposes and intends to comply fully with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

1.    What is personal data?

Stefania Foundation  collects information relating to its volunteers and beneficiaries who are natural persons (“data subjects”) who:


  • can be identified or who are identifiable, directly from the information in question; or
  • who can be indirectly identified from that information in combination with other information.

Thus, although Stefania Foundation policy is to know the name and address and other contact details of all its data subjects, the lack of a name for an individual will not avoid the need to comply with GDPR: requirement of a location at which its charitable activities will be provided negates this possibility.

2.    What is data processing?

Put simply, data processing is the collection, processing, storing, using and destruction of personal data. Thus, the noting of an individual’s name and address on a piece of paper by a BCB volunteer and the transfer of that data to the data controller is data processing. 

3.    Data controller

Stefania Foundation (SF) is a data controller under, and has prime responsibility to comply with, GDPR. Although SF  is a corporate body, its Trustees recognise that they can become liable for an offence under GDPR if it is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of or to be attributable to neglect on the part of—

(i)    a director, manager, secretary or similar officer of the body corporate, or

(ii)     a person who was purporting to act in such a capacity.

All SF employees and volunteers who collect or have access to data will be made aware of their responsibilities. 

We will not share any data with third parties.

4.    Privacy notices

We provide all data subjects with all the following privacy information:

  • The name and contact details of our organisation
  • The purposes of the processing
  • The lawful basis for the processing
  • The categories of personal data obtained (if the personal data is not obtained from the individual it relates to)
  • The retention periods for the personal data
  • The rights available to data subjects in respect of the processing, namely:
  • access to personal data
  • rectification of personal data, and
  • erasure of personal data or the restriction of its processing
  • The right to withdraw consent
  • The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
  • The source of the personal data (if the personal data is not obtained from the individual it relates to)

We provide data subjects with privacy information at the time we collect their personal data from them. If we obtain personal data from a source other than the individual it relates to, we provide them with privacy information:

  • within a reasonable period of obtaining the personal data and no later than one month;
  • if we plan to communicate with the individual, at the latest, when the first communication takes place; or
  • if we plan to disclose the data to someone else, at the latest, when the data is disclosed.

We provide the information in a way that is:

  • concise;
  • transparent;
  • intelligible;
  • easily accessible; and
  • uses clear and plain language.

We regularly review and, where necessary, update our privacy information. If we plan to use personal data for a new purpose, we update our privacy information and communicate the changes to individuals before starting any new processing.

We will undertake an information audit every  xxx to find out what personal data we hold and what we do with it. We put ourselves in the position of the people we’re collecting information about. 

5.    The GDPR principles 

The six data protection principles are set out in the Appendix.  We comply with the principles in the following way:

  • by collecting and processing personal data only for the lawful purposes of SF, i.e. to manage employees and volunteers and to provide charitable services to our beneficiaries
  • by only handling people’s data in ways they would reasonably expect, or we can explain why any unexpected processing is justified
  • by not deceiving or misleading people when we collect their personal data
  • by being open and honest, and complying with the transparency obligations of the right to be informed
  • by recording our purposes as part of our documentation obligations and specifying them in our privacy information for individuals
  • by ensuring the personal data we are processing is:
  • adequate – sufficient to properly fulfil your stated purpose;
  • relevant – has a rational link to that purpose; and
  • limited to what is necessary

The processing of personal data must be lawful and fair. The processing of personal data is lawful only if and to the extent that it is based on law and either—

(a)    the data subject has given consent to the processing for that purpose, or

(b)    the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for that purpose by a competent authority.

Condition (b) does not apply to SF so all our data processing proceeds on the consent of every data subject. 

The definition of consent reads: 

“any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement”

We include on all our data collection forms, both electronic and physical, an invitation to the data subject to give their consent to BCB processing their data.

6.    The data collected

We will collect from our employees and volunteers the following information:

  • name, address and contact details
  • Skills and interested areas to help
  • References/DBS

The only data we collect from our beneficiaries is their:

  • name, address and contact details.
7.    Security

We comply with GDPR by:

  • storing and destroying all personal data securely
  • by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data
  • by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and 
  • by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data. 

All personal data is kept on central IT systems and is not stored or transported on portable electronic devices.

We undertake an analysis of the risks presented by our processing, and use this to assess the appropriate level of security we need to put in place. When deciding what measures to implement, we take account of the state of the art and costs of implementation. We understand the requirements of confidentiality, integrity and availability for the personal data we process.

We make sure that we regularly review our information security policies and measures and, where necessary, improve them.

8.    Data processors

We use only those data processors who provide guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures that are sufficient to secure that the processing will comply with GDPR and ensure the protection of the rights of the data subject.

No processor used by SF may engage another processor without SF’s prior written authorisation.

APPENDIX 1 - Personal data
APPENDIX 2 - Privacy Notice
APPENDIX 3 - Website privacy notice




APPENDIX 1

Personal data shall be:

  1. processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject;
  2. collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes; further processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes shall, in accordance with Article 89(1), not be considered to be incompatible with the initial purposes (‘purpose limitation’);
  3. adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed (‘data minimisation’);
  4. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay (‘accuracy’);
  5. kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed; personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by this Regulation in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the data subject (‘storage limitation’);
  6. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures (‘integrity and confidentiality’).

The controller shall be responsible for, and be able to demonstrate compliance with, paragraph 1 (‘accountability’).



APPENDIX 2 - Privacy Notice

Stefania Foundation Privacy Notice

Our contact details 

Charitable Incorporated Organisation:  Stefania Foundation  

Contact name:  Constantine Johnson

Address:  6 Poles Hill, Chesham HP5 2QP, United Kingdom

E-mail:  [email protected]

What type of information we have 

We currently collect and process the following information:

  • Name, address, email and mobile number

How we get the information and why we have it

All the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

  • for the purposes of responding to your enquiry
  • to provide you with one or more of our charitable services

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are: 

(a)    your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting  xx as shown above

(b)    we need it to perform a public task.

(c)    we have a legitimate interest.

What we do with the information we have

We use the information that you have given us in order to:

  • provide you with one or more of our charitable services
  • to update you on our current and future activities and services

We do not share this information with any other person or organisation.

How we store your information 

Your information is securely stored electronically. 

We keep your name, address and contact details for up to one year after we have provided a service to you. We will then dispose of your information by deleting all electronic records.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

  • your right of access - you have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information
  • your right to rectification - you have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete
  • your right to erasure - you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances
  • your right to restriction of processing - you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances
  • your right to object to processing - you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
  • your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
  • you are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at  xxx if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.  The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office













APPENDIX 3 - Website privacy notice

Stefania Foundation Website Privacy Notice

At Stefania Foundation we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data.  This “privacy notice” explains what we do with your personal data, why we want to use it, how we protect it, and what rights you have to control our use of it.

It applies not just to use of our website, but also personal data that we process through other interactions with individuals in the course of running our organisation and delivering our services. Our website and services are not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children.

Please read it carefully. We may change this policy. We will post any changes on this page, so please check back frequently.

Information about us

This privacy notice is for the Stefania Foundation  (referred to as “Stefania Foundation “ “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).  We collect, use and are responsible for certain personal data about you. When we do so we are regulated under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which applies across the European Union (including the United Kingdom) and we are responsible as “data controller” of that personal information for the purposes of the law.

By using our website, you’re agreeing to the conditions outlined in this policy. If you want to contact us about any of the points on this notice, or just generally about how we protect your privacy, please email us at [email protected] 

Your personal data

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

We use personal data from different categories of individual for several different purposes and each with its own lawful basis. This section describes these in detail and, although it’s technical, we’re required by law to explain this to you.

If you visit our website

We use various methods to help us personalise our website for you, remember your preferences, understand how users are using our websites, and help customise our marketing offerings including cookies, referrers’ IP addresses, how you interact with our website and environment variables. We do this on the basis that it is necessary for our legitimate interests in monitoring and improving our website. By visiting our website, you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies for the purposes described in this Statement.

If you fill in a contact form

We will store the data you enter (name and contact details) for the purposes of responding to your enquiry. We do this on the basis that it is necessary for our legitimate interests in promoting our charity to interested parties. We store your data for as long as we need to interact with you for these purposes.  In all cases if you would like us to update or delete your information, please send us an email (see “How to contact us” below) or use the unsubscribe links on marketing emails.

Our use of website cookies

We may also store information about you using cookies, which we can access when you visit our site in future. Cookies are small files, which are sent by us to your computer or other access device, that track, save and store information about your interactions and usage of our website.  Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better service by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not.

How to control cookie settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences, however if you limit the ability of websites to set cookies, you may impact your overall user experience. Below you can learn about how to control cookie settings on popular web browsers:

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What type of information we have 

We currently collect and process the following information:

  • Name, address and contact details 

How we get the information and why we have it

All of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

  • for the purposes of responding to your enquiry
  • to provide you with one or more of our charitable services

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are: 

(a)    your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting your District Data Administrator 

(b)    we need it to perform a public task.

(c)    we have a legitimate interest.

What we do with the information we have

We use the information that you have given us in order to:

  • provide you with one or more of our charitable services
  • to update you on our current and future activities and services

We do not share this information with any other person or organisation.

How we store your information 

Your information is securely stored electronically. We keep your name, address and contact details for up to one year after we have provided a service to you. We will then dispose of your information by deleting all electronic records.

Data processors

We currently do not use service providers (acting as ‘data processors’). Your personal data is not stored by any other organisation unless in the normal way when an online card payment is made. 

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

  • your right of access - you have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information
  • your right to rectification - you have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete
  • your right to erasure - you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances
  • your right to restriction of processing - you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances
  • your right to object to processing - you have the the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
  • your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
  • you are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at  xxxx if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.  The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire  SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

https://ico.org.uk/concerns/


How to contact us

If you have any questions, concerns or just want some more information about our privacy management, drop us a line at [email protected]

Changes to this privacy notice

We may change this privacy notice from time to time by amending this page.   

This privacy notice was last updated on 25th November 2024

Stefania Foundation is a registered member of Thirtyone:eight (number 17493)

Stefania Foundation places great importance to be a safe environment for volunteers and other associated personnel. We have selected Thirtyone:eight, independent experts in Safeguarding. They are a Registered Charity (No: 1004490) and will provide us with all the necessary support services in safeguarding.  https://thirtyoneeight.org/ 

STEFANIA FOUNDATION 

SAFEGUARDING POLICY 


1. INTRODUCTION  

The purpose of this policy is to make clear to all what is required concerning the protection of  children (under 18s) and adults, including the frail elderly, at risk from harm or abuse. The policy  will help to maintain a safe and positive environment for children, adults at risk from harm or  abuse (all adults).  

The purpose of this policy is to outline the duty and responsibility of staff/volunteers/Trustees  working on behalf of the Stefania Foundation concerning Safeguarding all adults and  children at risk.  

All children and adults have the right to be safe from harm and must be able to live free from fear  of abuse, neglect and exploitation.  

2. POLICY COVERAGE  

This policy applies to all employees, volunteers and Trustees of the  Stefania Foundation

This policy is to be used in conjunction with all other existing and future Policies 

3. POLICY PRINCIPLES  

The Stefania Foundation is a charity organisation committed to providing a safe  environment for all.  

The welfare of children and adults at risk of harm or abuse is paramount.  All children and adults  have an equal right to protection from abuse.  

Everybody at Stefania Foundation  has a responsibility to support the care and protection of children and the frail  elderly.  

4. POLICY STATEMENT  

Stefania Foundation is committed to taking all reasonable precautions to safeguard the welfare of children and  adults at risk from harm or abuse that use its services and promotes a safeguarding culture and  environment. 

Objectives  

• Everyone who participates with Stefania Foundation is entitled to do so in a safe and enjoyable  environment.  

• The Stefania Foundation is committed to helping everyone to safeguard children and adults at risk from harm  and abuse.  

• All suspicions and allegations of abuse and poor practice will be taken seriously and  responded to swiftly and appropriately.  

• Staff, Trustees and volunteers working with children and adults have a responsibility to  report concerns to a Trustee or their Line Manager.  

5. PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS 

Everybody shares responsibility for safeguarding children and adults that may be at risk of harm or  abuse, who may need protection services by identifying children or adults who may be at risk and  alerting the appropriate service(s).  

• All employees, volunteers and Trustees must ensure that they are familiar with the child and  or Adult protection procedures for their setting.  

• Advice should be sought in the first instance from their Safeguarding lead or Trustee. However, this  should not preclude a direct referral to Children's Social Care particularly if there is an element  of immediate risk. 

• Referrals must always be made to Children's Social Care if there are signs that a child under the  age of 18 years, or an unborn baby:  

• Is suffering or has suffered abuse or neglect.  

• Is likely to suffer abuse or neglect.  

• With the agreement of a person with parental responsibility, would be likely to benefit  from family support services.  

• The timing of referrals must reflect the perceived risk and should typically be within one  working day of recognition. If, for any reason, you cannot contact the responsible Trustee  or Chair of Trustees you should go ahead and contact Children's Social Care or Adult Social  Care.  

• When a referral is made to Social Care, you must agree with them what the child or adult and  parents/carers will be told, by whom and when. Do not just leave messages.  

• Always speak to someone. You must confirm verbal and telephone referrals in writing, within  48 hours. Children's Social Care should acknowledge your written referral within one working  day of receiving it. Should you not have had a response within three working days, contact  them again. 

• Under no circumstances should you speak to, or confront, the abuser. Do not share suspicions  or information with any other person other than your responsible Safeguarding Lead or trustee , Social Care and the  Police. Information given to Social Care or the Police will be taken seriously, handled  sensitively and shared only on a 'need to know' basis, wholly to protect the child. However, to  ensure that children are safeguarded based on proper evidence, the source of the  referral cannot be kept anonymous. 

• If you have any concerns about an adult's behaviour towards children, young people or the  frail elderly or adults at risk of harm or abuse (who is not an employee or volunteer working  for the agency):- 

• Do not ignore it - the service will take any concerns very seriously.  

• You must discuss your concerns with the Chair of Trustees of Stefania Foundation who will support you in liaising with the statutory agencies should any  child protection matter arise.  

• Do not confront the adult but seek the advice of the Chair of Trustees. If they are not  available, seek advice from Children's Social Care. 

5.1 Definitions of Abuse:  

Abuse is any form of physical, emotion or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury  or harm. (Abuse is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by another person or  persons.)  

Types of Abuse taken from the Care Act 2014  

• Modern Slavery – encompasses slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and domestic  servitude. Traffickers and slave masters use whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce,  deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment. In Stefania, you  may notice that a participant in a team has been missing from their normal activities and is not  responding to reminders from team members or staff or Trustees.  

• Domestic Abuse – including psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse. It  also includes so-called 'honour' based violence. You may notice a power imbalance between someone and their family member. For example, a participant with Downs syndrome may be  looking quiet and withdrawn when their brother comes to collect them from sessions, in contrast  to their carer whom they greet with a smile.  

• Discriminatory – discrimination is abuse which centres on a difference or perceived difference, particularly concerning race, gender or disability or any of the protected characteristics of the  Equality Act 2010. This could be the harassing of a volunteer because they are or are perceived to  be transgender. 

• Organisational Abuse – including neglect and poor care practice within an institution. It can be  through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of the structure, policies, processes and  practices within an organisation. This could be training or activities without a necessary break.  

• Physical Abuse – includes hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint or  inappropriate sanctions. 

• Sexual Abuse – including rape, indecent exposure, sexual harassment, inappropriate looking or  touching, sexual teasing or innuendo, sexual photography, subjection to pornography or  witnessing sexual acts, indecent exposure and sexual assault, or sexual acts to which the adult has  not consented or was pressured into consenting. 

• Financial or Material Abuse – including theft, fraud, internet scamming, coercion in relation to  an adult’s financial affairs or arrangements, including in connection with wills, property,  inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of property, possessions or  benefits. 

• Neglect – including ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to provide access to  appropriate health social care or educational services, the withholding of the necessities of life,  such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.  

• Emotional or Psychological Abuse – this includes threats of harm or abandonment, deprivation  of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment, verbal abuse,  isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks. This could be threatening another  person with physical harm and persistently blaming them for poor performance.  

Not included in the Care Act 2014 but also relevant:  

• Cyber Bullying - cyberbullying occurs when someone repeatedly makes fun of another person  online or repeatedly picks on another person through emails or text messages, or uses online  forums with the intention of harming, damaging, humiliating or isolating another person. It can be  used to carry out many different types of bullying (such as racist bullying, homophobic bullying, or  bullying related to special educational needs and disabilities) but instead of the perpetrator  carrying out the bullying face-to-face, they use technology as a means to do it.  

• Forced Marriage - forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of  the parties are married without their consent or against their will. A forced marriage differs from  an arranged marriage, in which both parties consent to the assistance of a third party in  identifying a spouse. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 make it a criminal  offence to force someone to marry.  

• Mate Crime - a ‘mate crime’ as defined by the Safety Net Project is ‘when vulnerable people are  befriended by members of the community who go on to exploit and take advantage of them. It  may not be an illegal act but still has a negative effect on the individual.’  

• Radicalisation - the aim of radicalisation is to attract people to their reasoning, inspire new  recruits and embed their extreme views and persuade vulnerable individuals of the legitimacy of  their cause. This may be direct through a relationship, or through social media.  

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