Safeguarding children, young people, families and staff

Safeguarding children, young people, families and staff

Every year we employ hundreds of staff to work with thousands of children, young people and their whānau across YMCA North programmes, services in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. The welfare of children and young people is paramount to our work and at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to lead the children’s workforce as a child-safe organisation. YMCA North has taken a proactive step in committing to child safety by becoming Aotearoa’s first and only Safeguarding Children Accredited organisation through the internationally-renowned Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF).

As an organisiation serving children, young people and their whānau, we believe it’s important to do our part to protect and support our staff and customers, particularly those who may be experiencing vulnerability.

We regard safeguarding as a shared responsibility for all. With our vision being Strong Kids, Strong Families and Strong Communities we care about everybody’s well-being but have a focus on empowering our youth and providing healthy living for all.

Safeguarding is a fundamental part of our culture and a culture we are proud to share with all of our staff, customers and members. To support this we have:

• Designated Safeguarding Staff
• Clear policies and protocols promoting safe and best practice for our customers and staff
• Mandatory safeguarding induction and training requirements for all staff

On this page you will find links to our policies, safeguarding code of conduct and other information that may be of interest to you.

The Safeguarding children and young people policy is our overarching policy, supported by a suite of policies and protocols. You can download a copy from this webpage or request a hard copy from any YMCA reception or by emailing the Safeguarding Manager.