the Y
the Y
The Y (YMCA) in Australia is committed to ensuring that all children and young people can feel safe and be safe at the Y, in their families and in their communities.
To achieve this vision, we have been on an extensive journey in implementing a safeguarding framework that holds the Y to the highest possible standards in keeping children and young people safe. Our framework has children and young people at its core and incorporates the 10 National Child Safe Principles, child safety legislative requirements and international best practice.
We consistently work to embed contemporary and robust systems and procedures to enable children and young people to speak up if they feel unsafe or concerned and ensure they are taken seriously.
We actively encourage our staff, children, young people or their carers to be aware of any behaviours that make children or young people feel unsafe and to report any concern or behaviour through to their local Y. We also have an anonymous National Online Safeguarding Reporting System that can be accessed here.
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring children and young people are safe at the Y we are always improving the quality and agility of our safeguarding initiatives. Our ‘Stay Safe, Tell Someone’ program is a child-informed program that aims to empower children and young people to say something if they see something, hearing something or simply feel unsafe.
At the Y we will continue to do everything we can to support children and young people’s voices to be heard and to ensure they feel safe, are safe and receive support in all they do.
