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YOUTH PROTECTION

Rotary strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in youth activities.  In practical terms, this means ensuring we meet or exceed the standards of Rotary International, local government legislation, and insurance companies at all times.

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REQUIREMENTS BY ROLE

There are some standard requirements that all clubs must complete and others that depend on your role or level of involvement with youth programs.  Refer to the sections below for the requirements applicable to clubs and members generally and the additional requirements for those involved directly with our District Youth Programs, including clubs hosting Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) participants and their host families.

ALL ROTARY AND ROTARACT CLUBS & MEMBERS
 
All clubs are required to do the following -
 
  • Complete the Club Insurance & Compliance Declaration - refer the Risk & Insurance page for more information
     
  • Appoint a Club Youth Protection Officer (CYPO) - All clubs are required to appoint a CYPO.  The role of the CYPO is to ensure that relevant club members (see below) complete the required youth protection checks and that appropriate records are kept. This includes ensuring the club is registered with the relevant state based agency for linking / verifying child protection checks (see below).
 
Further to the above, any club member involved in youth activities must also -
 
  • Hold a valid state based child protection check for the state they reside in * (either a QLD Blue Card or NSW Working with Children Check) - refer the information below on how to apply.
     
  • Have the relevant check linked to, or verified by, the CYPO at a club level - refer the information below on how to link and verify checks.
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  • Complete the Youth Volunteer Declaration Form - a record of which must be kept by the CYPO.
YOUTH PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS
(excluding RYE)
 
Youth program volunteers includes -
 
  • RYPEN, RYTS or MUNA District Committee members
     
  • A team leader at either RYPEN or RYTS, or a chaperone for the MUNA nationals event.
     
  • Anyone else involved in the above programs as determined by the District Youth Programs Chair or District Youth Protection Officer.
 
Youth program volunteers must -
 
  • Hold BOTH a QLD Blue Card and NSW Working with Children Check - refer the information below on how to apply.
     
  • Have the relevant check(s) linked to, or verified by, the District Youth Program Chair or District Youth Protection Officer at a District level - refer the information below on how to link and verify checks.
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  • Complete the Youth Volunteer Declaration Form - a record of which must be kept by the District Youth Program Chair or District Youth Protection Officer.
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE (RYE) VOLUNTEERS & HOST FAMILIES
 
RYE Volunteers includes -
 
  • RYE District Committee members
     
  • A Host Club's Youth Exchange Officer (YEO), Student Counsellor & President
     
  • Any other club members who will interact directly with students outside club meetings or events – including taking them on day trips or hosting them for a weekend.
 
RYE Volunteers must -
 
  • Hold a valid state based child protection check for the state they reside in * (either a QLD Blue Card or NSW Working with Children Check) - refer the information below on how to apply.  RYE District Committee members must hold BOTH a QLD Blue Card and NSW Working with Children Check.
     
  • Have the relevant check(s) linked to, or verified by, the RYE Youth Protection Officer at a District level - refer the information below on how to link and verify checks.  The RYE Youth Protection Officer will also upload a copy of the relevant check(s) to the YEAH database.
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  • Complete the Youth Volunteer Declaration Form - this is an online form that links to the YEAH database.
     
  • Complete the required NAYEN Youth Protection Awareness training - a record of which is stored in the YEAH database.
 
Host families includes anyone over the age of 18 in the household whether family member or non-family member)

Host families must - 
 
  • Complete the Host Family Application Form - this is an online forms that links to the YEAH database.
     
  • Hold a valid state based child protection check for the state they reside in * (either a QLD Blue Card or NSW Working with Children Check) - refer the information below on how to apply.
     
  • Have a home inspection and interview completed by the Club YEO or RYE District Committee member  - a record of which must be completed through the YEO portal to ensure this is linked to the YEAH database.
     
  • Complete the required NAYEN Youth Protection Awareness, Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock training - a record of which is stored in the YEAH database.
* Where contact with youth is primarily going to be in the state other than that in which the member / volunteer resides (e.g. a member living in NSW running a club youth program in QLD), then an interstate check may be required - please check with the District Youth Protection Officer for further clarification.

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STATE BASED YOUTH PROTECTION CHECKS

Depending on your role (as noted above) you may require one or both of the state based youth protection checks.  However, it is also important to ensure records are kept appropriately to ensure you are meeting the legislation as well as satisfying insurance and Rotary requirements.  The information below is designed to assist clubs to understand the processes for obtaining these checks and how they must be recorded or verified.
NEW SOUTH WALES
 
VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL CLUBS & DISTRICT 9640
 
The CYPO must register with the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) online system.  It is a good idea to use a generic club email address to register, or have an additional person (such as Club Secretary) also register as a contact person, to ensure continuity.  These individuals will be notified in case of any issues.
 
Once registered, one of the authorised users must verify the WWCC details of members online using the Employer Portal and keep a record of the completed verification.

District 9640 has its own registration with the OCG - access is provided to the District Youth Programs Chair, District Youth Protection Officer and RYE Youth Protection Officer.
 
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK (WWCC) - APPLICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION
 
If you need to apply for a WWCC the you should follow the instructions here.
 
Once a WWCC has been granted (or if you already have one) you should notify your CYPO or District contact as appropriate with the WWCC number and your Date of Birth to allow verification to be made.
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QUEENSLAND
 
LINKING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL CLUBS & DISTRICT 9640
 
The CYPO should register the club with Blue Card Services Organisation Portal - details on how to do this, as well as other support information, can be found here.  It is a good idea to have an additional person (such as Club Secretary) also setup as an Organisation Portal Administrator, to ensure continuity.  These individuals will be notified in case of any issues.
 
Once registered, one of the authorised users MUST link the Blue Card details of members to your club online using the Organisation Portal and keep a record of the link being made.  The portal also allows you to have a complete picture of who is linked to your club at any time.

District 9640 has its own registration with Blue Card Services - access is provided to the District Youth Programs Chair, District Youth Protection Officer and RYE Youth Protection Officer.
 
BLUE CARD - APPLICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION
 
If you already have a Blue Card you should notify your CYPO or District contact as appropriate for link to the Organisation Portal to be made. 
 
If you do not have a QLD Blue Card, and you have an existing QLD Customer Reference Number (CRN) - usually a Drivers Licence - then you can apply online by following the steps below -
 
 
  1. Head to www.bluecard.qld.gov.au and click on the link to APPLY FOR A BLUE CARD
     
  2. From the next screen, click on the link to REGISTER FOR AN ONLINE ACCOUNT (you don’t need to fill in the other fields)
     
  3. Follow the instructions provided onscreen.  Once completed you should receive an Online Account Number. You should then email your CYPO or District contact as appropriate with the Online Account Number and your Date of Birth for link to the Organisation Portal to be made.

    Your application will then be linked to the Organisation Portal and you should receive a message from Blue Card Services allowing you to complete your online Blue Card Application. When applying, you should choose Volunteer as the option (it is free to apply).   Online applications should take no more than 5 business days and there is no need to advise anyone as the Organisational Portal will automatically update.

If you do not have a CRN, then you need to apply for one by either attending a Transport & Main Roads Centre in QLD or, if you can't get to one, then apply remotely.  Once you have a CRN you can complete the steps above to apply for a new Blue Card.