Risk Management Policies

This page contains links to a number of specific policies and gives additional information about how the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament Executive and the YMCA seek to manage risks associated with the program. Don’t worry, there are no obvious dangers to participating in the program but it is important that the Executive consider and document any potential risks and list policies that we have in place to overcome them. These policies reflect a sample of the extensive risk management strategies we have in place and those published are the policies most likely to directly affect Youth Members.

YMCA of Brisbane Policies (which apply to YMCA QYP):

YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament Policies (which specifically apply to YMCA QYP):

Consent Form Policy

This policy applies to activities conducted within the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament program which involve appointed Youth Members.

Signed consent is required from Youth Members for participation in the program as a whole

This consent covers limited disclosure of personal information, storage and use of the Youth Member’s name and image for promotional purposes, participation in events and other matters documented on the form

Parent/Guardian signature is required for all Youth Members aged under 18 years

Records of consent will be held on file

Should consent be required but not received on time, the following procedure will be enacted:

Attempts to gain written consent will be repeated

Verbal consent will be accepted if necessary but written consent must be obtained retrospectively

If no consent can be gathered, participation in events requiring consent will not be permitted

Sponsorship Policy

This policy applies to sponsorship of individual Youth Members to cover their participant fee or any other costs required to participate in the program.

Applicants should not seek sponsorship prior to acceptance to the program

Sponsorship prior to acceptance does not guarantee selection as a Youth Member nor is it considered part of the selection process

Ample assistance with finding sponsorship will be provided after Youth Members are appointed

Sponsorship and what it entails is a contract between the sponsor and the individual who receives the assistance

Transportation in Private Vehicles

On certain occasions during the program, participants may be required to travel in a privately owned vehicle driven by a member of the Youth Parliament Executive. It is acknowledged that this practice is not ideal but it is practically necessary.

Examples of circumstances in which this is necessary include:

Collection of participants from the airport prior to the Forum

Dropping participants at the train station at the end of Residential

Transporting a participant suffering travel sickness to Parliament House from Camp

Except in extraordinary circumstances, all travel during residential is via chartered bus. Due to smaller numbers and varied arrival times, this is not an option for collection/drop off just prior to/just following program events. The executive will not collect or deposit Youth Members outside of these times unless specific private arrangements have been made.

In order to minimise the risks of travel in private vehicles, the program has a number of safeguards in place:

Photocopies of Executive Drivers’ Licenses are kept on file

Written assurance is given by the owner of the vehicles in use that they are regularly serviced and in good condition

All drivers travel via prearranged routes and drive safely

At no time will only one participant and one Executive member be driving in an Executive driven car

Written permission is given by the Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA Brisbane for private transportation to be used

For the sake of clarity and openness, these policies are publicly available but they do belong to the YMCA and/or YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament and are copyright.