Child safety is at the heart of everything we do at the Y. We have zero tolerance for the harm or neglect of any child or young person and we take our legal, ethical and community responsibilities seriously.
Our safeguarding approach is always evolving as we strengthen our practices, increase transparency and continually improve the policies and processes that protect every child and young person in our programs, centres and sites.
Each year we support more than 70,000 children across early learning, recreation, youth programs and out-of-school care, and we are committed to making every Y space as safe as it can be.
To guide this work, we established Y Safeguarding – an independent national entity dedicated to driving progress in child safety across the country. Our Feel Safe, Be Safe Framework underpins everything we do, ensuring all children and young people feel safe and are safe at the Y, in their families and the broader community.
Feel Safe, Be Safe at the Y
We have established Y Safeguarding to drive our collective 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 want you to feel safe, and be safe
If you think you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. Other support services can be found in the table at the bottom of this page.
The Y is a global youth movement where we take pride in providing a wide range of programs and services to support children and young people. We strive to always have a positive impact and support young people to reach their potential.
If you have a concern about the safety or wellbeing of you or another participant in our programs or services, you can fill out this form.
We take the safety and well-being of children and young people seriously, so please be assured that a member of our team will investigate your concern as a priority.
While the Y cannot conduct criminal investigations, provide child protection services or deliver crisis services, there is always support available.
Report a Safeguarding ConcernReport a Safeguarding Concern
Keeping children and young people safe is our top priority at the Y. If you ever have a concern about someone’s safety or wellbeing, you can contact your local Y or email the Y Safeguarding team at [email protected]. You can share your name or stay anonymous. If it’s an emergency call 000, or call 131 444 if you’re unsure.
When you report a concern:
- Our team receives your report and reviews the information
- We pass it on to the right people to make sure it is handled properly
- A Y Safeguarding team member prioritises and investigates the concern
- We take steps to support the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person involved
- If needed, we refer the matter to the appropriate external agencies, as the Y cannot conduct criminal investigations or provide crisis services
Ways to report
If you know the name of the Y
that your concern is about, you can contact them directly using the phone numbers or emails by finding your local Y.
If you don’t know which Y
or you would like to get in contact with the Y Safeguarding team please email us below
Other support programs available to you
If you’re feeling down, or are in trouble you can call any of the following organisations to ask for help. Click on the boxes to find out more. If you are in immediate danger, call police, fire and ambulance on Triple 000.
24/7 mental health support service
24/7 crisis support service for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
24/7 counselling service for children and young people
Referral service for those impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence
Referral service for those impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence