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CWE-CWR-33 Compassion, Welfare & Environment Community Welfare & Relief CORE Excellence v2.9.7

Fostering 'Ukhuwwah' (Brotherhood/Sisterhood) & Mutual Support

Assesses if the organization actively promotes a culture and implements mechanisms for mutual support, solidarity, and a strong sense of community (ukhuwwah) among its staff, volunteers, and/or service users. Rooted in the Islamic principles of ta'awun (mutual cooperation) and rahmah (mercy), this reflects the Prophetic ideal of believers functioning as a single unified body. Note: Service-user mechanisms are required only where the organization has ongoing cohorts or a duty-of-care relationship.

Assessment Questions
  1. What formal and informal channels exist for staff, volunteers, or service users to seek and offer mutual support?
  2. How does the organization actively promote a sense of community and brotherhood/sisterhood ('ukhuwwah') in its communications and activities?
  3. Describe the mechanisms in place for financial assistance in times of hardship (e.g., hardship fund, 'Qard Hasan' program).
  4. How are interpersonal conflicts managed to ensure reconciliation ('Sulh') and the preservation of relationships?
  5. How does the organization measure the effectiveness of its 'ukhuwwah' initiatives and the overall sense of belonging among its people?
  6. Which stakeholder groups are in scope for this criterion (staff/volunteers/service users) and why?
  7. What is the documented lawful basis (Art 6 & 9) for processing welfare data, and is an Appropriate Policy Document (APD) in place?
  8. How are peer supporters selected, trained, supervised, and rotated?
  9. What reasonable adjustments/accessibility checklists ensure inclusive participation for events?
  10. What are the Terms of Reference for the workforce/volunteer forum, and how does the board act on its feedback?
  11. Have you completed a psychosocial/stress risk assessment (HSE standards)?
Evidence Requirements
  • Policy documents for staff/volunteer welfare, hardship funds, or benevolent loans.
  • Appropriate Policy Document (APD) and DPIA for special category welfare data.
  • Anonymized records or framework for a conflict resolution process ('Sulh').
  • Results and action plans from quarterly pulse surveys measuring belonging.
  • Budget allocation for social events, welfare programs, or community-building activities.
  • Peer support training packs, supervision logs (anonymized), and role descriptions.
  • Consent templates and logs for public acknowledgments.
  • Psychosocial/stress risk assessment (HSE Management Standards).
  • Serious Incident Reporting (SIR) log (anonymized) related to bullying/harassment.
  • Grievance and Whistleblowing policies with PIDA compliance.
  • Event accessibility checklists and feedback summaries.
  • Workforce/volunteer forum ToR, minutes, and board action logs.
  • Training completion records including competency checks for ukhuwwah/adab.
Scoring Guidelines
LevelRatingDescription
5 5/5 A deeply embedded culture of ukhuwwah with multiple, effective programs for mutual support
4 4/5 Several documented initiatives are in place and positively received
3 3/5 At least one formal initiative is in place
2 2/5 Culture is positive but relies on informal, ad-hoc efforts
1 1/5 No specific effort to foster a sense of community or mutual support.

Related Criteria

CWE-CWR-01 Weekly Dignified Food Support Service (Food Bank, Pantry, or Hot Meals) CWE-CWR-02 Hardship-grant / zakāt emergency fund CWE-CWR-03 Volunteer management: hours logging, safer recruitment & safeguarding CWE-CWR-04 Partnerships with local authorities and community organisations (NGOs/VCSE) CWE-CWR-05 User-impact survey results
Version
2.9.7 2025-11-05

Discussion (1)

Administrator 2026-03-07 11:08:04.328628

📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json

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