YOUTH PROTECTION – DISTRICT 9620

All Rotarians will bear in mind paedophiles often appear as respectable, conscientious, hardworking people.

In order to Comply with Rotary Policy and to be covered under the District Insurance Policy, ALL Clubs MUST Comply with points 1 and 2 below.

1. Club Insurance and Compliance Declaration

For insurance purposes, it is a requirement that all Clubs complete and return the Club Insurance and Compliance Declaration to their District Insurance Officer (DIO) by 7 March each year.

2. Club Youth Protection requirements

All Rotary clubs require a Club Youth Protection Officer (CYPO) whose duties involve managing the club’s youth protection compliance procedures including ensuring the completion of all required protection documentation.

The Club Youth Protection Officer (CYPO) must assess the suitability of all volunteers assisting in youth programs in accordance with their role and the degree of interaction they have with children/young persons.

The CYPO must be the holder of a current Blue Card and have completed the Rotary Youth Volunteer Information and Declaration form.

Clubs taking part in Youth Service Projects need to comply with the below points in line with their planned participation.

3. Blue cards

It is not mandatory for Rotarians to be the holder of a Working with children card (blue card), however the CYPO must ensure that Rotarians without a blue card do not have any dealings with children/young people in club activities or projects.

However, Rotarians are advised to obtain a blue card

The CYPO advises Rotarians on the procedure for obtaining a Blue Card and assists where required. (Blue cards can be obtained from the State Government portal at https://my.bluecard.qld.gov.au )

The CYPO maintains the Club register, ensuring that blue card holders renew in advance, keeping such registers as their club requires.

Clubs are required to register their club with the Blue Card Services Organisation Portal and link all blue card holders. Copy of Blue Card holders must be sent to DYPO using the  “Working with Children (Blue Card) declaration form – for clubs NOT LINKING to the District portal” form.

4. Rotary Youth Volunteer Information and Declaration

Only after an authorised Rotarian has examined or carefully carried out all of the above and found the candidate to be a suitable person will they be allowed to work alone with a child or young person.

The Rotary Youth Volunteer Information and Declaration must be sent to the District Youth Protection Officer prior to the program’s commencement.

Responsible Adults

All other volunteers assisting in a Rotary youth program may be defined as a ‘Responsible Adult’.

A responsible adult is any adult who, in a family or group situation for a short period of time, is responsible for caring for a child/young person/student. This normally occurs when the adult is in a position to offer the youth/student assistance, guidance of an educational, cultural, or recreational experience.

This adult does not need to have been police checked or formally reference checked because the experience or contact is such that there is virtually no opportunity for misconduct to occur.

The person responsible for the youth/student needs to be satisfied, in the same way a conscientious parent would be satisfied, that this adult is suitable for their own underage son or daughter to stay or associate with for a short period of time.

Wherever possible, it is advisable to have at least two Responsible Adults together with a young person at any one time.

Rotary Youth Programs

All leaders in a Rotary programs must have completed all youth protection requirements commensurate with the interaction they have with children/young persons.

As a minimum, all leaders must have a blue card and have undergone specific Youth protection training applicable to the youth program\Program directors are responsible (in conjunction with their Program’s YPO, where applicable) for the program’s induction and the return of the Rotary Youth Volunteer Information and Declaration form to the District Youth Protection Officer.

Important Notes    

1. The Queensland Government requires that any Rotarian responsible for storing documents that contain people’s personal information such as medical records, even though they may not have direct contact alone with young people, be assessed in the same way as a Volunteer who is alone with a child. (ie Blue Card holder)
2. It is an Rotary International requirement that the Chairs of all youth committees and Program Directors, even though they may not have direct contact with young people, are assessed in the same way as a Volunteer who is alone with a child.
3. Where Rotary is assisting in a youth program that is under the control of another organisation such as a school, the protection requirements set out in this document still apply together with any additional requirement the other organisation may require.
4. Should a Rotary youth committee officially promote, select, and sponsor students for a program that is run by another organisation, e.g. the National Youth Science Forum, it is their responsibility to ensure the organisation has appropriate screening and safety procedures in place.

This policy and all youth program manuals are to be reviewed annually or more frequently if needed. These updates will be done by the District Review Committee in consultation with the appropriate youth committees. Documents are to be labelled with the date of last revision and their review number.

Should a Rotarian know or have a strong suspicion that a child has been abused, harassed, mistreated or neglected it is their obligation to notify the Police immediately and all appropriate authorities.