Our Safeguarding Policy
The YMCA’s of Australia are committed to providing opportunities for all children and young people to grow in body mind and spirit and be protected from harm.
At the Y we believe in the power of inspired young people. For young people to be inspired, we know they need to feel safe and be safe. That is why the Y is independently reviewed by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) to ensure our services are safe for all children and young people.
The ACF ‘Independently Reviewed’ stamp is a sign of assurance that the Y is a safe place for your children and young people.
During September and October 2022, the Y WA participated in its biannual Safeguarding Licensing Standards Review with the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF). The Y WA was the first of the Ys around Australia to be reviewed under a new review framework and were awarded the highest overall assessment of Excellent.
We have established Y Safeguarding to drive our collective national approach to safeguarding Children and Young People and have developed our own Feel Safe, Be Safe Framework which aspires to ensure that all Children and Young People are safe and feel safe at the Y, in their Families and in their Communities. Our Feel Safe, Be Safe Framework aims to develop:
A safe culture nationally which empowers Children and Young People by promoting Children and Young Person focused leadership and governance;
- Safe environments at the Y and in Communities which empower Children and Young People to thrive; and
- Safe operations to ensure Y People have the right policies, processes, and practices to keep Children and Young People safe.
- We have an unwavering focus and commitment to safeguarding children first and foremost in everything we do. We are a Child Safe Organisation and have strong Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and Procedures. These frameworks are helping us to continually embed a child and young people safe culture into YMCA WA.
The 'Stay Safe, Tell Someone' program is specifically designed for children, young people, and adults, this program encourages everyone to #TellSomeone if they see, hear or feel something that makes them feel worried or unsafe.
The Y WA recognises that all children and young people have the right to develop and reach their potential in environments that are caring, nurturing and safe.
The Y WA considers any form of child/young person abuse, inclusive of emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect, as intolerable under any circumstances and that the protection, supervision and safety of children and young people is paramount.
The Y WA has a legal, moral and Mission-driven responsibility to protect children and young people from harm and to ensure that any incidents of suspected child abuse are promptly and appropriately managed.
A crucial aspect of Safeguarding Children and Young People is ensuring our staff understand the process for reporting any concerns they have about a child or young person’s wellbeing and that our staff also understand the YMCA WA's expectations in relation to their code of conduct around children and young people. Our Reporting procedure and Practice and Behaviour Guidelines are available here:
Programs and services that advocate for children and young people to air their concerns with our services, and be confident in offering feedback, is another important aspect of creating a culture where children and young people’s well-being is safeguarded.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss this very important topic with a Y WA staff member.
These posters communicate and strengthen our Safeguarding Children and Young People policy and are displayed prominently across YMCA WA sites. Our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy was endorsed by YMCA WA Board, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Management Team. Effective Date: 1/2/2016
This poster communicates our Safeguarding Children and Young People message in language that the audience can understand, and is displayed prominently across YMCA WA sites.
View YMCA Australia Safeguarding page for more information. View the New Royal Commission online resource to boost child safety.