At the Y NSW, the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults is our highest priority. The right to enjoy a safe environment free from threats, abuse, neglect, bullying or exploitation is our service commitment.
We work hard to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people is embedded in our culture and at the forefront of all we do. The Y knows safeguarding is not simply having the right policies and procedures, it is also about being proactive. As a child-safe organisation, we value and celebrate children and young people for who they are and the contributions they make.
Our National Safeguarding Framework aims to develop:
- A safe culture in which children and young people are empowered to influence leadership and governance on youth matters.
- Safe environments at the Y and in communities which support children and young people to thrive
- Safe operations to ensure Y staff have the right policies, processes and practices to keep children and young people safe at the Y.
Under the Safeguarding Children program, the Y participates in a voluntary review provided by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) highlighting the Y’s efforts to actively pursue the highest level of child safety in our organisation.