How we operate
See our key policies and procedures
We are committed to safe practice. Take a look at our policies, procedures and guidance that underpins all of our work.
At YFNW, our policy is to create and proactively maintain an environment that prevents and deters any actions or omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that may place children or young adults at risk of abuse. We have a duty of care towards all children and young adults (up to the age of 25 years) that engage with our services and activities.
Click here to download our full policy
OUR SAFEGUARDING COMMITMENT
Young People are at the heart of our work at Youth Focus NW (YFNW). As a youth work charity, we have a responsibility to keep you safe, it’s called our duty of care. This means providing a safe, respectful environment for young people to engage and take part in our activities. Keeping you safe is a collective responsibility and we are all responsible for our behaviour and actions.
We have a zero-tolerance policy to all forms of abuse and discrimination, including but not limited to: racism, ageism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and prejudice based on ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, gender presentation, language ability, asylum status or religious affiliation.
In our work we agree to:
- Create safe spaces to work with you
- Work together to foster mutual respect
- Actively discourage the use of offensive language and banter
- Challenge the point and not the person
- Recognise our differences, we all have different lived experiences and our views may differ
- Never make assumptions about the lived experience, opinions or identification of others, these may not be known or visible
- Respect physical and emotional boundaries.
- Ensure there is explicit verbal consent before engaging in any physical contact or crossing personal boundaries.
- Treat personal sharing confidentially
- Avoid sharing potentially contentious information on social media
- Maintain confidentiality, unless we need to share your information to protect you or someone else (if any action is needed, we will always communicate this with you where possible).
These agreements apply to everyone engaging with YFNW, either offline at our projects and events, or online via our social media channels and events hosted online.
If you have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of any young person/people working with Youth Focus NW or if you witness or hear about a safeguarding incident, please contact:
Sarah 07566 770411 | Sharon 07761 510116 |
Read our Keeping You Safe Guide
For more information about what you can expect when you work with us, please click here.
Our complaints policy outlines our commitment to addressing concerns promptly and fairly. It empowers youth to provide valuable feedback, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement in our services.
Our commitment to equality, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EEDIB) is fundamental to our values as an organisation and pledges set within our strategic plan. YFNW is committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination and promoting EEDIB within our policies, procedures and practice.
Youth Focus North West is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee and is governed by a Board of Trustees. This privacy policy explains how we use any personal information we collect about you when you complete this consent form or participate in our events, both face to face and online.
What information do we collect from you?
We will collect the minimum information needed to safeguard you and carry out our work, this may include:- Name
- Age
- Contact number/email address
- Contact details for parent/guardian/carer
- Medical/dietary conditions that may impact on your participation
- Religion
- Access or learning needs
We collect information from you in the following ways:
- From consent forms
- From evaluation processes
- From equality & diversity monitoring processes
- When you contact us via our website or social media
- When travel arrangements and expense claims are made
How will we use the information we collect from you?
Youth Focus NW’s main work area is Youth Voice and running activities, meetings and events for young people. In light of COVID-19 we have transferred many of our services online.- We will only collect information that is needed for us to carry out our work and for no longer than is necessary.
- We are legally obliged to obtain consent for each young person who takes part, particularly if under 18.
- We are legally obliged to obtain consent for young people under 18 engaging digitally with our activities.
- For safeguarding purposes and to be able to contact your parent/guardian/carer/significant adult in the event of an emergency, medical or otherwise.
- To provide welcoming, safe spaces for activities and to provide a positive learning experience.
- To reimburse you if you have spent money attending an event on our behalf.
- To arrange and pay for travel and/or accommodation if you are attending an event on our behalf.
- To monitor the diversity of participants to ensure accurate representation of the North West region and to target under-represented groups.
Access to your information and correction:
You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy please email [email protected] want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove information you think is inaccurate.You have the right to withdraw consent at any time by emailing [email protected]How long will we keep your information?
Consent is usually valid for 12 months.After this time we will store the data securely for a maximum of 6 months and then destroy.Will we share your information with anyone?
We will only share your information with third parties if funding contracts require it. In this instance we will ensure that your information is not shared further by implementing agreements with the appropriate third parties.Our data protection policy outlines our commitment to comply with data protection laws, ensuring responsible handling, storage, and use of confidential data in all our activities.
Our environmental policy covers our compliance with all laws and regulations which aim to protect the environment. We seek to comply with all recognised codes of practice, including those which seek to minimise the Charity’s impact on the environment.
This statement is made on behalf of Youth Focus NW to understand the potential modern slavery risks related to its activities and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in our own business – and that in so far as possible, our suppliers hold the same ethos.
Promoting and supporting quality Youth Work across the North West.
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