YAMA Safeguarding Policy for Vulnerable Children, Youth & Adults

1. Policy Statement

1.1 - Duty of Care Statement

YAMA Foundation (“YAMA”) acknowledges its duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, youth, and vulnerable adults. YAMA is committed to ensuring that its safeguarding practices reflect international best practice, uphold Hong Kong legislation, and are founded on the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the protection of children and vulnerable populations.

As an organisation, we will communicate our safeguarding commitments to everyone we are responsible for, including but not limited to our employees, staff, board members, ambassadors, volunteers, children, young people, vulnerable adults, their families, donors, and partners. We will clearly outline the behaviours we expect to be upheld to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults, and the actions we will take to ensure their safety.

1.2 - YAMA Foundation Statement

At YAMA, our mission is to provide cost-effective and therapeutic wellbeing services (such as yoga, arts and mindfulness therapies) to Hong Kong’s most vulnerable communities, enabling our beneficiaries to develop self-acceptance and self-reliance, thereby enhancing their quality of life and making a positive contribution to the world.

As an organisation, we have a duty of care to safeguard our children, youth, and vulnerable adults so that they are free from any forms of abuse, including neglect. We are committed to safeguarding the spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of children, youth, and vulnerable adults so that they may grow into responsible and fulfilled human beings. To this end, we are committed to creating a safe environment at YAMA, where safeguarding is an established culture and upheld by all.

In this spirit, we uphold the following core values:

Respect and dignity - for all Stakeholders, including Students, Beneficiaries, Partners, Peers and Colleagues;
Commitment - to YAMA’s purpose and mission, the people we serve, and ourselves;
Excellence - to work towards reaching a gold standard in everything we do; and
Continuous growth - to maintain and improve our knowledge and resources through educational activities and study.

1.3 - The Purpose of this Policy

To provide all members of Staff (paid or unpaid), Volunteers, and anyone working with or on behalf of YAMA (paid or unpaid), as well as our beneficiaries including children, youth, vulnerable adults, and their families with a clear and secure framework for safeguarding when attending activities and programmes organised or run by any of our partnerships, clubs and groups of YAMA; to allow all Staff and Volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific children’s, youth’s, and vulnerable adults’ protection issues; to promote best practices in providing children, youth, and vulnerable adults with appropriate safety and protection; and, to protect YAMA from the damage that allegations of abuse can cause.

1.4 - Scope

This policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children, youth, and vulnerable adults are paramount. This policy applies equally to all individuals, regardless of age, ability, disability, gender, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. At the same time, YAMA acknowledges that certain children, youth, and vulnerable adults may be particularly susceptible to abuse, and YAMA is committed to taking reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

This policy applies to all YAMA Foundation Staff and Volunteers (paid or unpaid), including Board members, teachers, therapists, assistants, ambassadors, coaches, freelance service providers, instructors, interns, volunteers, partners, or anyone working or serving in or on behalf of YAMA Foundation (paid or unpaid), collectively referred to as “Staff and Volunteers”.

All Staff and Volunteers must adhere to this policy to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults and report any concerns about their welfare. This policy aims to help them understand what they need to do and what they can expect from one another regarding safeguarding.

This policy focuses on safety requirements and makes clear what should be done and what should not be done to keep children, youth, and vulnerable adults safe.

To promote the safety and wellbeing of children, youth, and vulnerable adults, YAMA Foundation endeavours to:

Inform everyone who visits YAMA of our commitment to safeguarding, thereby setting clear expectations for the protection of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. This safeguarding statement will be displayed in a public and visible place.
Ensure that all Staff and Volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and have acknowledged this policy, completing and signing the Safeguarding Declaration Form outlined in Section 13.
Provide all Staff and Volunteers with appropriate learning opportunities on safeguarding concerns relating to children, youth, and vulnerable adults;
Take appropriate actions in the event of incidents, concerns and allegations of abuse, and provide support to the relevant persons who raise or disclose the concern;
Maintain and securely store confidential, detailed, and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns;
Prevent the employment or engagement of unsuitable individuals and execute appropriate consequences or termination of employment or engagement for misconduct; and,
Protect all Staff and Volunteers from unnecessary risks of being accused of abuse.

2. Definitions

For this guideline, the following definitions apply:

2.1 - General Definitions

"Safeguarding" refers to promoting the welfare of children, youth, and vulnerable adults and protecting them from harm. It is the responsibility of organisations and professionals whose work brings them into contact with children, youth, and vulnerable adults, as well as the responsibility of parents, guardians, caregivers, and the wider community, to care for them. In the context of an organisation, "safeguarding" refers to the policies, procedures, and measures that an organisation implements to promote the well-being of and prevent harm to children, youth, and vulnerable adults.

“Children” are persons under the age of 18.

“Vulnerable adults” are persons aged 18 or above who, because of any disability, illness, learning difficulty, or any other reason, have difficulties taking care of themselves and protecting themselves against harm, abuse, and exploitation.

“Disabilities” is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.

“Staff and Volunteers” refer to all YAMA Foundation staff and volunteers (paid or unpaid) including the Board members, teachers, therapists, assistants, ambassadors, coaches, freelance service providers, instructors, interns, volunteers, partners, or anyone working or serving in or on behalf of YAMA Foundation (paid or unpaid).

“Safeguarding Specialist” refers to the person allocated and trained to promote safeguarding, handle safeguarding issues, reports, and disclosures, make decisions, and manage the safeguarding situations that arise. (See Section 8.)

“Deputy Safeguarding Specialist” refers to the person allocated and trained to promote safeguarding, handle safeguarding issues, reports, and disclosures, make decisions, and manage the safeguarding situations that arise. The Deputy Safeguarding Specialist takes over the responsibility of safeguarding in the absence of the Safeguarding Specialist. (See Section 8.)

“Position of Trust” refers to the position an adult holds over a child, youth, or vulnerable adult when they regularly teach, supervise, or have sole charge of the child, youth, or vulnerable adult in specific settings or while in certain roles.

2.2 - Definition of Abuse

“Abuse” is any form of physical, verbal, emotional, psychological, sexual, or spiritual mistreatment that leads to injury or harm. It more commonly occurs within a relationship of trust or responsibility and is an abuse of power and a breach of trust.

According to the “Child Protection Training” issued by the Government of the HKSAR, child abuse refers to “any act of commission or omission that endangers or impairs the physical or psychological health and development of a child. Types of abusive behaviour against a child, youth or vulnerable adult include “physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and psychological abuse.” Often a child, youth or vulnerable adult may experience more than one type of abuse simultaneously.

Abuse can happen to a child, youth, or vulnerable adult regardless of age, gender, race, or ability. Both men and women can perpetrate abuse. Sexual abuse can be perpetrated by someone of the same gender as the victim.

Abuse and bullying can be instigated by peers (i.e., other teens) in person, but more commonly now online, either overtly or anonymously and covertly (under a pseudonym).

YAMA Staff and Volunteers must exercise sound leadership and set a good example by gently educating with zero tolerance for any form of abuse, followed by resolution and, if necessary, consequences.

The parents, guardians, or caregivers must be advised and, if possible, be involved in the resolution. Children, youth, and vulnerable adults with disabilities can experience the same sort of abuse as others, but they may be more susceptible to abuse because of their dependency on others or barriers in communication.

2.3 - Types of Abuse

“Physical abuse” — Using excessive force to make the child, youth, or vulnerable adult feel pain or uncomfortable, actual, or likely physical injury, or failure to prevent physical injury or suffering. This includes deliberate hitting, beating, slapping, shaking, throwing, burning, drowning, suffocating, poisoning, corporal punishment. Any physical injury or suffering inflicted on a child by violent means.

Examples of physical abuse in YAMA Foundation context: Hitting a child, youth, or vulnerable adult because of behaviour issues. Spanking as a form of discipline. Physical punishment as a form of discipline is strictly prohibited at the YAMA Foundation.

“Verbal abuse” — A type of emotional abuse. It is when someone uses their words to assault, dominate, ridicule, manipulate, and/or degrade another person and negatively impact that person's psychological health. Verbal abuse is a means of controlling and maintaining power over another person.

“Emotional/psychological abuse” means actual or likely severe adverse effect on the emotional, mental, and behavioural development of a child, youth, or vulnerable adult caused by and including persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment, shaming, humiliation, taunting, isolation, or rejection. It may involve conveying that they are worthless, unloved, or inadequate, and cause them to feel frightened, in danger, and/or corrupted; acting in a way that is detrimental to the self-esteem of the child, youth, or vulnerable adult.

Examples of mental/emotional abuse in the YAMA Foundation context: Shaming as a form of motivation. Persistent failure to show any respect to a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, e.g., continually ignoring or isolating a child, youth, or vulnerable adult. Refusing to allow a child, youth, or vulnerable adult to participate in group activities.

“Sexual abuse” — Actual or likely exploitation, representing the involvement of children, youth, or vulnerable adults in sexual activities they do not truly comprehend, and are illegal, or violate social taboos or family rules. Such as touching of genitals, being forced to watch or take part in pornography, or being coerced to have sexual activity of any kind. It is illegal and socially considered abuse whether the child consents, as children are not able to give informed consent.

“Sexual grooming” — Defined as actions or behaviours designed to entice, encourage, or persuade a child, youth, or vulnerable adult into inappropriate or unlawful sexual activity and is also considered an abuse. All online sexual exploitation activities come under this definition and will be addressed as a form of abuse.

Examples of sexual abuse and sexual grooming in the YAMA Foundation context: Inappropriate touching. Exposure to sexually explicit language or material, including online. Showing children, youth, or vulnerable adults pornographic material or using them to produce such material. Sexual intercourse and/or sexual activity with a child, youth, or vulnerable adult.

“Neglect” — The persistent or severe neglect of a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, or the failure to protect a child, youth, or vulnerable adult from exposure to any kind of danger, including physical harm, cold, and starvation, or extreme failure to carry out important aspects of care, such as innappropriate clothing, untreated medical issues, poor hygiene, frequent absence from activities, resulting in the significant impairment of development, including non-organic failure to thrive.

Examples of neglect in the YAMA Foundation context: Exposing a child, youth, or vulnerable adult to extremes in temperature, e.g., extreme heat or cold, or failing to seek medical attention for injuries or illness. Exposing a child, youth, or vulnerable adult to a hazardous environment without a proper risk assessment of the activity. Failing to provide adequate nutrition and water when needed.

“Bullying” — Actions intended to intimidate and harm, causing physical, mental, or emotional abuse to a child, youth, or vulnerable adult. Verbal intimidation, such as racist or sexist remarks; emotional intimidation, such as isolating or exclusion, whereby the child, youth, or vulnerable adult experiences deliberate hostility. Abuse may be instigated by one or more adults and/or other children.

Examples of bullying in the YAMA Foundation context: Adults encourage bullying as a form of motivating a child to improve. Bullying behaviour is unacceptable at YAMA Foundation and will be addressed as a form of abuse.

“Abuse Of Trust” — Abuse of trust is unacceptable. Sexual activity between an adult in a position of trust and the child, youth, or vulnerable adult in their care is deemed to be an abuse of trust and exploitation, even if the child, youth, or vulnerable adult is over the age of consent (i.e., 16 years old). YAMA Foundation regards all Staff and Volunteers as being in a position of trust.

Staff and Volunteers should ensure they maintain healthy, positive, and professional relationships with all children, youth, and vulnerable adults. Staff and Volunteers, and others in positions of authority and trust, concerning children, youth, and vulnerable adults, must not engage in sexual or romantic relationships with them. Doing so will be grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.

Examples of abuse of trust in the YAMA Foundation context: Leveraging his/her position of trust to coerce or entice a child, youth, or vulnerable adult to have an intimate or sexual relationship. Tricking a child, youth, or vulnerable adult into giving money for personal gain.

3. Implementation of the Safeguarding Policy

Although Hong Kong law does not currently require yoga, art and meditation teachers and therapists to report suspected child abuse, YAMA Foundation mandates that all Staff and Volunteers with regular, direct contact with children, youth and vulnerable adults:

Complete the Child Protection Online Training (CPOT) Modules 1 & 2, and obtain the e-certificate.
Report any reasonable suspicion of serious harm to a child, young person, or vulnerable adult — as if you were a legal mandated reporter.
Follow YAMA Foundation’s internal reporting pathway without delay.

All Staff and Volunteers of YAMA Foundation must read and sign the Safeguarding Declaration Form outlined in Section 13 (this will be a digital form) and comply with the Code of Conduct before beginning any form of work (whether paid or unpaid). If during the duration of work of the Staff and Volunteers, YAMA Foundation updates and/or revises this policy, YAMA Foundation may, where necessary, require such relevant persons to sign an updated Safeguarding Declaration Form acknowledging any changes to this policy and the Code of Conduct. Concerns and questions should be raised with the Safeguarding Specialist.

3.1 - Promoting Best Practices

Ethical Framework — To promote positive behaviours and to provide children, youth, and vulnerable adults with the best possible experience and opportunities in YAMA Foundation activities, all “Staff and Volunteers,” including Board members, associates, teachers, assistants, ambassadors, coaches, freelance service providers, instructors, interns, volunteers, partners, or anyone working or serving in or on behalf of YAMA Foundation (paid or unpaid) must operate within an accepted ethical framework and core values of YAMA Foundation.

Risk Management — When safeguarding children, youth, and vulnerable adults, particular attention should be paid to promoting a high level of awareness of the risks of harm and high standards of practice.

Staff and Volunteers need to be able to identify and manage risks to the safety and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults, both in planned risk assessments and in dynamic risk assessments where situations and risks change.

To protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults from harm and foster their resilience, it is also helpful to consider the protective factors that surround them. These may include the presence of a trusted adult in their life, or a skill or interest they are keen to develop, which keeps them focused on growth and brings hope. This focus will help Staff and Volunteers identify positive factors to support, alongside identifying risks and implementing appropriate risk management.

Early Intervention — Acting sooner rather than later is a best practice. It is not always easy to distinguish misconduct from abuse. It is, therefore, not the responsibility of YAMA Foundation Staff or Volunteers to make judgments about whether abuse has taken place. It is, however, everyone’s responsibility to identify and report any forms of misconduct and possible abuse or action that may lead to abuse, and act if they have concerns about the welfare of the children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults.

3.2 - Behaviour & Conflict Management Process

YAMA Foundation Staff and Volunteers should model respectful, healthy, and safe relationships, treating children, youth, and vulnerable adults in their care as individuals and with respect.

When it comes to managing disruptive, dangerous, or illegal behaviour of children, youth, and vulnerable adults, Staff and Volunteers should refer to the specific behavioural protocols outlined in YAMA’s Code of Conduct to guide them through the outlined steps in order to resolve the conflict/disruption and keep them and others safe.

The general guideline is to approach this process through restorative practice, from a relational stance and with the focus on preventing and restoring the harm done to the individuals and to their relationship, where possible and appropriate. It is essential to try to understand the trauma-response behind the behaviour of children, youth and vulnerable adults and support them in regulating their behaviour and helping them to navigate the issues fuelling the behaviour. Where needed, signpost to specialised support available, and work closely with their family where possible and appropriate.

3.3 - Code of Conduct for Staff and Volunteers

Please refer to YAMA’s Code of Conduct. For this Safeguarding Policy, when working with children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults, we should:

✅ Treat children, youth, and vulnerable adults with respect and recognise them as individuals within their own right.
✅ Create a safe and inclusive environment where children, youth, and vulnerable adults can be themselves and be supported to grow holistically.
✅ Respect and nurture the trust of the children, youth, and vulnerable adults, as well as the trust of their parents, guardians and caregivers, taking all reasonable care to protect them from all forms of abuse while in your care.
✅ Classes and activities planned should always be risk-assessed and age-appropriate.
✅ Ensure that all relevant health information, dietary and accessibility needs, including any special needs, as well as emergency contact information, is collected upon new registrations and updates are recorded in the respective database.
✅ Always dress and act professionally and appropriately for the situation. Be culturally aware and sensitive, following the guidelines in YAMA’s Code of Conduct.
✅ Inform and mentor children, youth, and vulnerable adults on the safety and behaviour protocols implemented for their well-being and safety, including online safety.
✅ Encourage children, youth, and vulnerable adults to speak out about attitudes or behaviours that make them uncomfortable. Inform them of the steps they can take to stay safe, including online, and how to report concerns or abuse.
✅ Be aware that children, youth, and vulnerable adults should have the right to decide how much physical contact they have with others, except in exceptional circumstances where necessary touch is required for personal care, medical procedures, safe handling, postural support, or use of assistive equipment. For individuals with profound disabilities who cannot initiate or verbally consent, Staff must be trained to observe individualised signs of distress (e.g., changes in muscle tone, facial expression, or vocalisation) and use the least intrusive touch necessary. Touch that is not related to care or safety (e.g., tickling, rough playing) should generally be avoided. Touch should be age-appropriate and generally initiated by the child, youth, or vulnerable adult, rather than by Staff and Volunteers.
✅ Correct any person's inappropriate behaviour immediately if there is a safety risk (e.g., injury, immediate exposure to inappropriate material or danger of violence) and ensure that they and others around them are safe.
✅ Follow the respective child and youth behaviour protocols to manage disruptive, dangerous, or illegal behaviour of children and youth towards themselves or others.
✅ Ensure that children, youth, and vulnerable adults are supervised appropriately during YAMA Foundation activities, following the specific guidelines for children and youth, and with appropriate female-to-male and adult-to-children/youth ratios.
✅ The minimum-two-adult rule applies when working with children, youth, and vulnerable adults.
✅ Always be visible to other adults when working with children, youth, and vulnerable adults (e.g., refrain from speaking to a child in a closed room).
✅ Be accountable to each other and ask for help and support so that any potentially abusive behaviour can be addressed.
✅ Report to the Safeguarding Specialist if it is suspected that a child, youth, or vulnerable adult may be hurt by any inappropriate or abusive actions or attitudes of another person or if they may be at risk.

It is NOT appropriate to:

❌ Give gifts of any kind to the children, youth, or vulnerable adults without the prior knowledge and consent of the parents/guardians.
❌ Use abbreviations or language that others could misunderstand (e.g., “LOL”).
❌ Communicate after 10:00 pm to maintain a safe boundary between work and personal life.

We must NOT:

❌ Act or speak in ways that are abusive towards a child, youth, or vulnerable adult or place them at risk.
❌ Allow concerns and allegations to go unreported.
❌ Hit, assault, or physically discipline a child, youth, or vulnerable adult in any abusive way. No physical punishment is allowed, including hitting, slapping, or spanking.
❌ Verbally abuse a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, such as shouting disrespectfully, swearing, and using humiliating or shaming language.
❌ Discriminate against, show different treatment to, or favour any children, youth, or vulnerable adults while excluding others.
❌ Touch children, youth, or vulnerable adults in an inappropriate manner. A general guideline is not to touch areas that shorts and a t-shirt would typically cover. Inappropriate touching includes rough physical play, horseplay (such as wrestling or tickling), and kissing.
❌ Engage in any activity or use language that is flirtatious, sexually suggestive, provocative, offensive, or exploitative that could be seen as harassment, bullying, assault, abuse, or abuse of trust. This includes all online interactions. Staff and Volunteers must not develop physical, sexual, or romantic relationships with children, youth, or vulnerable adults.
❌ Develop a physical or emotionally dependent relationship between Staff and Volunteers and children, youth, or vulnerable adults in their care; this is often referred to as “grooming”.
❌ Expose children, youth, or vulnerable adults to inappropriate activities and materials, such as gambling and pornographic or violent pictures, videos, and literature.
❌ Excuse, participate in, or facilitate behaviour of children, youth, or vulnerable adults which is illegal, unsafe, or abusive
❌ Do things for children, youth, and vulnerable adults of a personal nature that the children, youth, and vulnerable adults can do for themselves.
❌ Smoke and/or be under the influence of alcohol and illegal substances.
❌ Take advantage (including, but not limited to, gifts, monetary benefits, and entertainment) of children, youth, or vulnerable adults or their parents/guardians. Taking bribes is strictly prohibited.
❌ Leave children, youth, or vulnerable adults unattended or unsupervised.

If any member of Staff or Volunteers has behaved inappropriately, they will be subject to disciplinary procedures. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, they might be asked to suspend their roles or leave YAMA Foundation, and the Safeguarding Specialists have the right to report to relevant authorities, such as the police and/or child protection services.

If any Staff or Volunteer becomes aware of any breaches of this code, they must report them to the Safeguarding Specialist.

3.4 - Communication

YAMA Foundation is committed to creating a safe environment for everyone. Clear and accountable communication is a key part of safeguarding — it protects children, youth and vulnerable adults as well as our Staff and Volunteers.

We recognise that in the past, practical reasons (such as last-minute programme changes or building trusting relationships with families) may have led to one-to-one contact between teachers and children, youth or vulnerable adults via personal phone numbers or social media accounts (e.g., Instagram, WhatsApp). While we recognise that the intentions may be good, we need to meet current safeguarding standards and protect everyone involved. Therefore, all Staff and Volunteers are required to move towards safer communication practices.

All communication between Staff and Volunteers, and children, youth, or vulnerable adults must be established through the following official channels:

Use official YAMA Foundation channels (e.g., the programme-specific WhatsApp group, official YAMA Foundation account, or a supervised group chat that includes YAMA Foundation’s official contact, for all communication that involves children directly.
Inform the parent/caregiver that for safety reasons, all future messages should go through the official group or include a copy to the parent/caregiver, YAMA Foundation official phone number or Safeguarding Specialist. Do not suddenly block or ignore a child, youth or vulnerable adult (as this may be confusing and hurtful). Instead, gently redirect towards one of the aforementioned strategies (e.g., “I love hearing from you! To keep everyone safe, let’s use the programme group chat from now on. I’ll also add your parent to join us here.”)
Continue using the individual parent/caregiver contact only for essential practical matters (e.g., “Your child forgot their water bottle.”). For any personal or safeguarding-related conversation, move to a channel that includes another staff member or the Safeguarding Specialist.
If a child sends you a direct message on a personal account or on social media, respond once in a kind and professional way, then redirect towards one of the aforementioned strategies. Never ignore a child who reaches out — that could feel like punishment (e.g., “Thank you for telling me about your drawing. Let’s continue this conversation in the group chat so we can also share it with your friends and the team. I’ll add you there.”), then immediately inform the Safeguarding Specialist and the child’s, youth’s or vulnerable adult’s parent/caregiver.
Any concerns related to these guidelines should be addressed directly to the Safeguarding Specialist.

3.5 - Photography and Videography Guidelines

For all YAMA Foundation courses and activities, parents, guardians, and caregivers are requested to sign a Photo Release Form upon registration. YAMA Foundation seeks explicit consent from parents, guardians, and caregivers when they join any of YAMA Foundation’s classes, programmes, or public events. When YAMA Foundation hires a photographer or videographer for any of its own public events, the Staff or Volunteer must read and sign the Safeguarding Declaration outlined in Section 13 (this will be a digital form).

In cases where YAMA Foundation participates in public events without control over the registration forms (e.g., AIA Vitality Hub Community Classes, Community Festivals or events hosted by other organisations), YAMA Foundation is not responsible for the photographs or videos taken by event photographers or videographers.

Staff and Volunteers taking, sharing or using photos or videos during classes for progress reporting or marketing and media use must abide by the guidelines listed below. Staff and Volunteers are also required to communicate these guidelines to any parents, guardians, or caregivers taking photos.

The use of cameras, phones, videos, and any recording devices inside toilets and changing premises is strictly prohibited. None of these devices should be visible or in use in these areas, as it is possible to secretly take footage if devices are present.
All photos and media of children, youth, and vulnerable adults should be respectful, appropriate, and relevant to the nature of the organisation and not in any way disparaging or humiliating.
Children, youth, and vulnerable adults must be appropriately dressed when being photographed. It is never acceptable to capture any images in toilets or at any time when children, youth, and vulnerable adults are dressing or are in any way indecently exposed.
Images should neither be of an exploitative nor sexual nature, nor open to misinterpretation or misuse.
As a guide, it is inappropriate to take photographs of children, youth, and vulnerable adults who are not your own, without express parental consent.
If a child, youth, or vulnerable adult, or their parent or guardian, wishes not to have their photo taken or published, their wishes should be respected and upheld. They have the right to be excused from group photos.
Any images or videos that will be used for the organisation's promotional purposes must have prior consent from the child’s, youth’s, or vulnerable adult’s parents or guardians. Parents and guardians should have a complete understanding of the intended use and may request to view it before using it.
Personal information in a photograph that could lead to the identification of a child, youth, or vulnerable adult should not be published or uploaded in any way.

3.6 - Social Media Guidelines

Parents, guardians, and caregivers are responsible for monitoring the online presence and usage of their children, youths, or vulnerable adults.

YAMA Foundation recognises the important role that social networking websites have in connecting communities. We understand that it is a powerful tool for communication. However, we also recognise the potential safeguarding risks of having an online presence and what social media brings, and therefore, we will adhere to the following guidelines:

Parents, carers, and guardians have primary oversight and responsibility for the use of social media by their child, youth, and vulnerable adult.
All communication using official social media will be moderated to ensure all content is appropriate and respectful. Any misuse of social media, including cyber-bullying, abusive, discriminatory, or otherwise offensive or provocative postings, will be removed and may lead to actions being taken against the offender.
All Staff and Volunteers should not post photos of children, youth, or vulnerable adults in YAMA Foundation activities on their personal social media sites. Staff and Volunteers must submit the media for approval by the relevant department at the YAMA Foundation and seek express consent from parents or guardians for YAMA Foundation to post. Staff and Volunteers must also seek express consent from parents and guardians for the YAMA Foundation to create collaborative posts on the Staff or Volunteer’s personal social media sites.
All Staff and Volunteers are discouraged from submitting and accepting ‘friend requests’ from, or to, children, youth, or vulnerable adults on their personal social media accounts.
All Staff and Volunteers must not send or engage with children, young people, and vulnerable adults in inappropriate or sexually provocative messages or images.
All departing Staff and Volunteers should be removed from all social media and communication groups.
Any concerns related to these guidelines should be addressed directly to the Safeguarding Specialist.

3.7 Online Safety

Parents, guardians, and caregivers are responsible for monitoring the online presence and usage of their children, youths, or vulnerable adults.

Online safeguarding risks have risen sharply over the past few years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when social interactions shifted from in-person to online. To ensure the safety of children, youth, and vulnerable adults during YAMA Foundation activities (including online), Staff and Volunteers will adhere to stringent online safety rules. At the same time, as this risk is an emerging one, education and mentoring are necessary to understand online safety risks and their management better, and to mentor children, youth, and vulnerable adults, as well as their families, on staying safe online.

Online Safety — Refers to an individual’s safety on the internet, including safe communication and privacy of personal information. Online safety is a growing concern in safeguarding, because even though the harms experienced online may not demonstrate as physical injuries, they can cause incredible harm and affect a person’s safety, mental health, and wellbeing. As the internet is “unforgiving” in nature, any content uploaded could be streamed worldwide and may be online forever.

There are many risks hidden in the cyber world, including misinformation, illegal activities and sexual exploitation. Therefore, parents, guardians, and caregivers of children, youth, and vulnerable adults must be aware of and equipped to address this rising challenge.

Therefore, YAMA Foundation will ensure that:

All designated social media accounts of the YAMA Foundation must be professionally managed, with public comment settings moderated to prevent inappropriate contact with children, youth, or vulnerable adults. Staff and Volunteers must not use personal accounts to communicate directly with service users, and all organisation-led posts, images, or interactions should assume a public audience. Direct messaging functions should be restricted to administrative use only, with no one-to-one private conversations between Staff and Service users on these platforms.
All Staff and Volunteers must never share a child’s, youth’s, or vulnerable adult’s details online, including address, name, place of education, place of work, or any medical conditions.
All programs and applications under the YAMA Foundation's possession should always be updated to the latest version.
All Staff and Volunteers at YAMA Foundation will aim to proactively educate themselves, as well as children, youth, vulnerable adults and their families on online safety themes (e.g., Not sharing sensitive or personal information about themselves or other people online, not blindly trusting someone’s identity online, applying appropriate parental controls and filters, and fostering open conversations with children, youth, and vulnerable adults on online safety and accountability.)
In case a child, youth, or vulnerable adult discloses or is identified to be at risk online and vulnerable to exploitation, the concern needs to be immediately raised with the Safeguarding Specialist, who will then take appropriate action to ensure safety and involve the police or other relevant authorities where necessary.

For helpful resources on Online Safety, please refer to Section 14.

3.8 - Travel Protocols

Activities arranged by YAMA Foundation for children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults could require travel. Trips can offer many participants exciting and positive experiences; however, they also present particular challenges for those responsible for their care.

It is good practice to meet with parents, guardians and caregivers before the trip or travel. Arrangements can be explained and discussed, including the need for medical information, confidentiality issues, and consent forms. For all children, youth, and vulnerable adults, a parental consent form must be completed and should include the following information:

Emergency contact numbers (at least two);

Any specific medical information or information relating to an impairment or disability; and
Information about any other factors that may affect the child, youth, or vulnerable adult.

Avoid using private vehicles to transport children, youth, and vulnerable adults whenever possible, unless it involves a parent, carer, or guardian carrying their own children and any other children by private agreement with another parent, carer, or guardian, rather than at the request or on behalf of the YAMA Foundation.

A child, youth, or vulnerable adult should not be left alone with a driver of a vehicle who is not a parent, guardian or caregiver of him/her/them.

Anyone acting in a supervisory capacity on a trip with children, youth, or vulnerable adults must observe this policy and sign the Safeguarding Declaration Form outlined in Section 13 (this will be a digital form) before beginning any form of work (whether paid or unpaid). All such persons must comply with YAMA Foundation’s Code of Conduct.

Mixed-gender groups should be accompanied by at least one male-identifying and one female-identifying Staff or Volunteer, where possible.

There should be a sufficient ratio of Staff or Volunteers to children, youth, or vulnerable adults on any trip. This ratio is dependent on the number of children, youth, or vulnerable adults on the trip. But at least two adults should be supervising children, youth, or vulnerable adults at all times; this may include parents, guardians and caregivers of children, youth, or vulnerable adults travelling with the group. (Factors to consider when determining the ratio are: gender, age, ethnicity, and ability of the group; any special educational or medical needs; duration and nature of the journey; number and experience of the Staff and Volunteers in supervising the type of event or journey.)

Room sharing among different genders and different age groups is not allowed (except with a child’s, youth’s or vulnerable adult’s own parent, guardian, or caregiver. A person approved by a parent or legal guardian should only share a room with a child, youth, or vulnerable adult who is under their care and supervision. The trip supervisors must never share a room with any child, youth, or vulnerable adult on the trip.

4. Safeguarding Through Recruitment And Appointment Of Staff And Volunteers

All individuals engaged by YAMA Foundation, regardless of their employment status or duration of engagement, must go through a level of safeguarding screening and training, depending on the individual’s access to children, youth and vulnerable adults, and the degree of supervision in place. This includes:

Teachers, Therapists, Teaching Assistants, Prospective Teachers, and Cover Teachers (regular, direct contact)
Operations Staff (occasional, direct contact)
Board / Subcommittee Members (occasional, direct contact, supervised)
Freelance Service Providers (occasional, direct contact, supervised)
Volunteers (occasional, direct contact, supervised)
Volunteers (no contact)
Others

The YAMA Foundation has effective recruitment and selection procedures in place for Staff and Volunteers. The following safeguarding measures should be incorporated into the recruitment process. These guidelines will apply to all YAMA Foundation Staff and Volunteers (paid or unpaid), including Board members, teachers, assistants, ambassadors, coaches, freelance service providers, instructors, interns, volunteers, partners, or anyone working or serving in or on behalf of YAMA Foundation (paid or unpaid), regardless of the frequency of their contact with children, youth, or vulnerable adults.

4.1 - Onboarding Process for Staff and Volunteers (Direct Child Contact)

YAMA Foundation follows a staged hiring process for all Staff (teachers, teaching assistants, operations staff, and volunteers) who have a regular, unsupervised direct contact and work directly with children, youth, or vulnerable adults. The same procedure applies regardless of how well the candidate is known to existing staff or the organisation.

Application — Candidate submits a CV or resume and attends an interview or audition class.
Induction Part 1 — Full-day workshop covering YAMA’s methodology, approach and safeguarding policy.
Agreement & Requirements — Candidate receives the Teacher Associate Agreement (or Volunteer Agreement) incorporating YAMA’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy, and in addition, must complete:

Completion of a Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) - for Hong Kong employees obtained via employer letter; where possible, an equivalent check from the applicant’s previous country of residence. Volunteers may apply under the expanded SCRC Scheme effective December 15, 2025.
Completion of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Child Protection Online Training (CPOT) Modules 1 & 2, and provision of the e-certificate.
Signing of the Safeguarding Declaration covering criminal history, pending charges, disciplinary proceedings, and any other matters relevant to working with vulnerable groups. Please refer to Section 13 to see the required questions and declarations (this will be a digital form).
Provision of a valid First Aid certification by an internationally recognised certifying body.
Uploading of HKID card and relevant qualifications/certifications for verification.
Provision of two professional references — YAMA Foundation will reach out to recent employers or volunteer coordinators to inquire about any history of safeguarding concerns.

Induction Part 2 — Candidate shadows a lead teacher for up to eight (8) sessions. During this period, the SCRC and other checks are completed.
Onboarding — Once all checks are cleared and shadowing is satisfactorily completed, the candidate is onboarded.

All steps are documented. New Staff and Volunteers partner with existing personnel for a probationary period, while their safeguarding competency is assessed.

Any concerning information obtained from the SCRC, references, Safeguarding Declaration or any other source will be subject to a formal risk assessment. Decisions (e.g., refusal of engagement, conditional engagement with supervision, or further investigation) will be documented in writing and retained confidentially. The final decision rests with YAMA Foundation.

4.2 - Engagement Process for Freelance Staff and Volunteers (Contractors)

For positions that do not involve direct teaching or care of children, youth, or vulnerable adults, including but not limited to photographers, videographers, event managers, translators, and IT support, where they are engaged on a project basis, but where the individual may still be present on site or around service users, the following is recommended:

Completion of a Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) for Hong Kong employees obtained via employer letter; where possible, an equivalent check from the applicant’s previous country of residence. Volunteers may apply under the expanded SCRC Scheme effective December 15, 2025.
Reading of YAMA’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy and Signing of the Safeguarding Declaration covering criminal history, pending charges, disciplinary proceedings, and any other matters relevant to working with vulnerable groups. Please refer to Section 13 to see the required questions and declarations (this will be a digital form).
Choice of either completing the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Child Protection Online Training (CPOT) Modules 1 & 2 or attending a safeguarding briefing delivered by the Safeguarding Specialist or a designated staff member before a freelancer begins work.
Freelancers must never be left alone with a child. A YAMA staff member must be present at all times when children are on site.
For returning freelancers within the validity period of their SCRC (36 months), YAMA may accept previously provided documentation, but a new Safeguarding Declaration must be signed for each engagement.

4.3 - Board of Directors, Subcommittee Members & Visitors

YAMA Foundation’s Board of Directors and Subcommittee members do not have direct, unsupervised contact with children. However, they have a governance role in safeguarding oversight. For Board and Subcommittee members, as well as other visitors to YAMA Foundation, the following is recommended:Reading of YAMA’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy and Signing of the Safeguarding Declaration covering criminal history, pending charges, disciplinary proceedings, and any other matters relevant to working with vulnerable groups. Please refer to Section 13 to see the required questions and declarations (this will be a digital form).
Board and Subcommittee members, and visitors must never be left alone with a child. A YAMA staff member must be present at all times when children are on site.
For Board and Subcommittee members, it is recommended for them to complete a Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) obtained via letter of engagement; where possible, an equivalent check from the applicant’s previous country of residence. Volunteers may apply under the expanded SCRC Scheme effective December 15, 2025.
For Board and Subcommittee members, they have the choice of either completing the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Child Protection Online Training (CPOT) Modules 1 & 2 or attending a safeguarding briefing delivered by the Safeguarding Specialist or a designated staff member before a freelancer begins work. Board Members receive a condensed safeguarding briefing regarding the reporting protocols under the CPOT.

4.4 - Renewal and Validity of Safeguarding Requirements

All Staff and Volunteers regardless of their levels of engagement, must ensure that their certifications and background checks remain valid and current. It is the individual’s responsibility to initiate renewal in a timely manner and provide the updated check result to the Safeguarding Specialist. For example the SCRC must be renewed every 36 months.

Failure to maintain a valid SCRC will result in immediate suspension from any unsupervised child-facing duties until the check is renewed.

5. Reporting and Responding To Allegations and Incidents Of Abuse

All Staff and Volunteers must be aware of the definitions of abuse as described in Section 2. It is hereby stated that YAMA Foundation will not tolerate any form of abuse or non-compliance with this policy, the relevant procedures, or the YAMA Code of Conduct. In all cases, the safety, needs, welfare, and rights of the children, youth, and vulnerable adults will always be the priority.

While bringing issues on safeguarding of children, youth, or vulnerable adults to the attention of relevant person can be a difficult task, YAMA Foundation requires for the sake of the physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of children, youth, and vulnerable adults, that all Staff and Volunteers do report perceived abuse, actions that could or may lead to abuse, mild or serious misconduct, or any non-compliance to the Safeguarding Specialist, and if they are not available, to the Safeguarding Deputy. By swiftly addressing behavioural issues, the behaviour can be rectified before it escalates to a point of abuse or harm to a child, youth, or vulnerable adult.

It is not the responsibility of Staff and Volunteers to investigate or determine whether abuse has occurred. However, all Staff and Volunteers have a responsibility to act on any concerns, so that appropriate authorities can make enquiries and take necessary actions to protect the child, youth, or vulnerable adult. Suspicions and allegations of abuse should be taken seriously.

YAMA Foundation will ensure that the allegation is investigated and that any justifiable action is taken to safeguard the child, youth, or vulnerable adult.

Enquiries must be conducted in the strictest confidence so that information can be given freely without fear of victimisation and in a way that protects the rights of the Staff and Volunteers concerned.

Information about an allegation must be restricted to those who have a need to know in order to:

Protect the child, youth, or vulnerable adult.
Protect the rights of the alleged perpetrator.
Facilitate enquiries.

If the investigation concludes there is no case, the relevant Staff or Volunteer should receive counselling and support, if required, and their duties should be reinstated, if deemed appropriate.

The impact of this process on the affected child, youth, or vulnerable adult is of utmost importance. Attention should be given to supporting or counselling them, and, where suitable, their parents or guardians, fully considering the support they need to process any trauma they have encountered.

All parties involved in the allegation procedure should be informed of the investigation's findings and the conclusion.

5.1 - Reporting Guidelines

The following process is to be followed in the case of an allegation or suspicion:

Assess if a child, youth, or vulnerable adult is in danger, requires urgent medical attention, or requires immediate protection. If YES, take the child, youth, or vulnerable adult immediately to a safe place and call the police and ambulance if needed. Please do not leave a child, youth, or vulnerable adult alone; instead, stay with them or leave them in the care of a responsible adult.

Should the incident require police or ambulance support, inform the Safeguarding Specialist and, if they are unavailable, their deputy immediately (see Section 8). Report the incident to the Safeguarding Specialist as soon as possible.

The Safeguarding Specialist will work with the person reporting the incident to complete the Incident Report Form (see Section 12) without delay, at the latest within 24 hours of the incident. Strictly confine the report to the facts and accurately distinguish between what is personal knowledge and what others have said, without forming any conclusion. Any report may be required to be submitted to the court if a criminal trial is pending. The Incident Report will be logged in the Safeguarding Logbook, with access granted only to those who have the necessary confidentiality clearance.

After completing the Incident Report Form, the Safeguarding Specialist will review and decide on the type and category of the case and the next steps, where for cases of suspected/alleged abuse and criminal activity, the Safeguarding Specialist will work together with the Board of Directors, to decide on the appropriate next steps and where needed involve the relevant authorities.

The Safeguarding Flow Chart and management responsibilities/timelines are outlined further in Section 15.

5.2 - Listening to Disclosures Guidelines

The following process must be followed when a child, youth, or vulnerable adult discloses an allegation of abuse, questionable behaviour, or harm to a Staff member or Volunteer:

Listen calmly and sympathetically; show that you are taking the disclosure seriously. Do not act frightened, angry, or anxious; try to give a calm appearance.
Keep questions to a minimum, so that there is a clear and accurate understanding of what has been said. Only ask questions to clarify what has been said. Do not ask leading questions. Use the questioning guidelines as outlined in the CPOT:

WHEN — “When did it happen?” Ask for approximate date and time, the earliest and most recent occasion.
WHERE — “Where did it happen?” Location of the first / most serious incident.
WHO — “Who was involved?” The alleged perpetrator(s); one person or multiple.
WHAT — “What happened?” Whether a crime may have occurred; the seriousness of the event.
HOW — “How did it happen?” A brief description of what happened.
Example: “Thank you for telling me. That was very brave. To keep you safe, could you tell me when this happened – as best as you can remember?”

✅ Remain calm and neutral. Allow the child to speak at their own pace. Mask any of your emotions and facial expressions, to maintain an environment of safety.
✅ Reassure the person that they are not to blame and that it was right to tell. Show appreciation to the child for telling you (e.g., “I’m glad you told me. That helps me to keep you safe.”)
✅ Inform the child, youth, or vulnerable adult that you must report their disclosure to others for their safety.
✅ After the disclosure, away from the child, make written notes and/or send a voice note as soon as possible (preferably within an hour of being told). Use the child’s own words. Indicate date, time, location, who was present, what you said, what the child said, and your observations of the child’s, youth’s or vulnerable adult’s demeanour,
✅ Report the discussion to the Safeguarding Specialist or in the case of their absence, to the Deputy immediately
❌ Do not interrogate or push for information. Do not ask leading questions or closed “yes/no” questions. Do not ask “why” questions as they sound accusatory. Allow the child, youth, or vulnerable adult to disclose as much as they want to.
❌ Do not make the child repeat the story multiple times. This can be traumatic and affect later interviews. After the first disclosure, refer to the Safeguarding Specialist.
❌ Do not make any promises. You cannot keep secrets about the abuse. You must report to the Safeguarding Specialist.
❌ Do not take notes while talking to the child, youth, or vulnerable adult, but as soon as possible after the discussion, write down or send a voice note with all the details that can be remembered (preferably within an hour of being told).
❌ Do not discuss the disclosure with other Staff or Volunteers unless necessary for safety. Keep the information confidential.

Together with the Safeguarding Specialist, complete YAMA Foundation Incident Report Form (see Section 12); and, do not discuss the suspicions or allegations with anyone else.

The Safeguarding Specialist will remind the reporting person of the confidentiality of the report and agree to inform them of the outcome of the investigation. All information provided will be kept in strict confidence by the YAMA Foundation and will not be disclosed to any third party unless required to do so.

The Safeguarding Specialist will follow the mandated procedure and protocol for processing reported allegations, suspicions, or disclosures of an incident, abuse or criminal behaviour.

These procedures are built on the best practice principle of minimising the need for the child, youth, or vulnerable adult to repeat to multiple parties the information unnecessarily, thereby reducing further trauma.

Under no circumstances shall the person reporting confront the accused or investigate the matter themselves.

It is recognised that strong emotions can be aroused, particularly in cases where sexual abuse is suspected to be involved or where there is misplaced loyalty to a colleague, adult or parent or guardian who may be well known to the reported person and other individuals involved. It is essential to acknowledge these feelings, but not let them influence the judgment about what actions to take.

Following the protocol will yield the best results, protecting the child, youth, or vulnerable adult, and potentially leading to disciplinary or legal action against the perpetrator.

The current Safeguarding Specialist and the Deputy Safeguarding Specialist are listed in Section 8 of this policy.

This section should be read alongside Section 3.4 Communication (responding to a child who discloses via message).

6. Disciplinary Procedures

In the event of safeguarding allegations against Staff and Volunteers, the Safeguarding Specialist will review the case and decide on the threshold of concern and the next steps.

Misconduct — If the concern relates to poor behaviour or misconduct, depending on the threshold of concern. In that case, the Safeguarding Specialist will either provide the Staff and Volunteers concerned with further training and support or can delegate this role to the appointed YAMA Foundation employee for training, support, and corrective action.

If the concern is more serious, the Safeguarding Specialist will request that the concerned individual temporarily suspend all their duties until further notice. They will investigate and carry out necessary and appropriate disciplinary actions (including, but not limited to, warnings and dismissals), as well as signpost to counselling.

If a Staff member or Volunteer is found to have known about a child, youth, or vulnerable adult abuse or an accident happens to the child, youth, or vulnerable adult under their care, and he/she/they fails to report it, this will also be treated as an act of misconduct. The Staff or Volunteer may be subjected to disciplinary action or other appropriate measures, including, but not limited to, suspension or termination of their service.

Suspected or Alleged Case of Abuse — In circumstances that suggest a child, youth, or vulnerable adult abuse has taken place or criminal offence may have been committed, the Safeguarding Specialist, in consultation with the Board will review and investigate the report and, where appropriate, will hand the case to the police and other relevant authorities to protect the welfare of the child, youth, or vulnerable adult. They will ask the concerned person to temporarily suspend all their duties. They will fully cooperate with all authorities’ investigations and any required next steps, including any legal proceedings, dismissal, or other necessary actions.

7. Safeguarding Guidelines Education and Training Of Staff and Volunteers

All Staff and Volunteers should be educated on safeguarding and on what behaviour is acceptable and what is not. This policy should be made available to all Staff and Volunteers, either online or in hard copy format. The contact details of the Safeguarding Specialist and Deputy Safeguarding Specialist should be readily available to all Staff and Volunteers, but also to the YAMA Foundation's wider community (including children, youth, vulnerable adults, and their families). Those who report suspicions and concerns should be confident that these will be treated seriously and confidentially.

Actions below should be taken to ensure all Staff and Volunteers are aware of this policy:

The “YAMA Foundation’s Safeguarding Policy for Child, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults” should be included in the new Staff and Volunteer Induction programme.

The “YAMA Foundation’s Safeguarding Policy for Child, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults” should be available on the organisation's website, and the name of the Safeguarding Specialist and the Safeguarding Deputy should be stated clearly.

The Safeguarding Specialist should present quarterly to the Board and at the Annual General Meeting to inform and update the Board on the implementation of the safeguarding policy.

Regular safeguarding training should be arranged for all Staff and Volunteers to ensure their practice is up-to-date and to facilitate the development of a positive culture towards best practice in child, youth, and vulnerable adults safeguarding. The training content should include a review of implementation, sharing of experiences, and updates to policies and revisions.

The Safeguarding Specialist shall keep records of all safeguarding training (including attendance), organise appropriate training and updates, and issue reminders when training updates are required.

8. Management Structure & Monitoring

8.1 The Safeguarding Specialist:

Hersha Chellaram
Co-founder & CEO

Tel: +852 5507 0268 | Email: hersha@yamahk.org

8.2 The Deputy Safeguarding Specialist:

Melody Ng Kwai Fong,
Programme Coordinator

Tel: +852 5507 0268 | Email: hello@yamahk.org

9. Review Of Safeguarding Procedures

Biannual updates on safeguarding concerns and developments, as well as the progress of implementing safeguarding at the YAMA Foundation, should be provided to the Board by the Safeguarding Specialist.

A review of safeguarding procedures will be conducted when: there is a change in legislation and/or government guidance; there is a significant change or event that has happened at YAMA Foundation; or, otherwise, once a year.

Any queries or concerns relating to safeguarding may be raised to the Safeguarding Specialist.

10. Confidentiality

Every effort will be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained. Information will be handled and disseminated on a need-to-know basis only to protect the child, youth, or vulnerable adult, facilitate enquiries, manage disciplinary and complaint aspects, and protect the rights of the alleged perpetrator. All information will be stored in compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486 of the laws of Hong Kong) (the “PDPO”).

The PDPO provides specific exemptions for the collection of data and the transfer of information. Section 58(2) of the PDPO provides that personal data of the victim and any other relevant persons may be disclosed to the police, if the disclosure of information is relevant to the prevention or detection of crime, the apprehension, prosecution or detention of the offender, or the prevention, preclusion or remedying of unlawful or seriously improper conduct, etc.

11. Effective Date, Review, And Amendments

“YAMA Foundation’s Safeguarding Policy for Child, Youth, and Vulnerable Adults”

Version 1.0 (DRAFT)

Approved by:

Author: Grace Ghattas, Safeguarding Specialist for YAMA Foundation, from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

YAMA Foundation: Hersha Chellaram, Co-founder & CEO of YAMA Foundation, March 2025

Implementation Date: April 1, 2026

Version 1.1 (FOR REVIEW BY BOARD)

Approved by:

Author: Hersha Chellaram, Active Safeguarding Specialist for YAMA Foundation, from April 1, 2026 to present.

Implementation Date: April 1, 2026

12. Incident Reporting

12.1 Management Protocol For Processing Reports Of Misconduct/Abuse/Criminal Behaviour

Incident Report Form [Click Link]

The Safeguarding Specialist, or if unavailable, their deputy, will complete the Incident Report Form with the reporting Staff or Volunteer immediately, within 24 hours of the incident, and will investigate all complaints of abuse against children, youth, or vulnerable adults. Parents and guardians need to be informed immediately, unless the Safeguarding Specialist determines that doing so would place the child at greater risk.

The Incident Report and relevant information must be recorded in the Safeguarding Logbook.

The Safeguarding Specialist will differentiate between misconduct and suspected abuse involving children, youths, or vulnerable adults, as well as criminal activity, and will document the investigation. The Safeguarding Specialist may seek external support during any investigation and when deciding on the appropriate course of action in consultation with the YAMA Foundation Board of Directors.

For actions involving poor behaviour or misconduct, the Safeguarding Specialist will review the incident and determine the next steps. In instances of poor behaviour, the Safeguarding Specialist may engage with the individual to address the behaviour or take further action, or delegate this responsibility to the Board of Directors.

In cases of serious concern, the Safeguarding Specialist will instruct the affected Staff or Volunteers to suspend their activities at YAMA Foundation until further notice. Disciplinary action may ensue, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
For suspected abuse and/or criminal behaviour — Where there is a concern/allegation of suspected child/youth/vulnerable adult abuse case and/or criminal activity, the Board of Directors will be informed by the Safeguarding Specialist within 24 hours of the incident and consulted in the next steps. The suspected abuse case will be handed over to the relevant authorities within 24 hours of the Board of Directors decision being made. If there is a concern of criminal activities, it will be handed to the police immediately.

12.2 Concerns outside of YAMA Foundation Remit

If YAMA Foundation is made aware or has concerns of a possible case of abuse outside of the remit of YAMA Foundation, they will contact the Social Welfare Department hotline or the Family and Child Protective Services Unit to hand over the case.

YAMA Foundation will provide them with a copy of the report. Case closure will be reported against the Incident Report and particular care given to the child, youth, or vulnerable adult where possible.

13. Safeguarding Declaration Form

2026 YAMA Foundation Safeguarding Declaration Form

The details of the Safeguarding Declaration form are shared at the link: https://forms.gle/osLS4qAzL8w5UB3H6

YAMA Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, youth, and vulnerable adults. YAMA Foundation implements the Safeguarding Policy for Children, Youth & Vulnerable Adults so that everyone involved in any activity arranged by YAMA Foundation or on behalf of YAMA Foundation relating to children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults is aware of and accepts their responsibilities to safeguard children, youth and vulnerable adults from harm and abuse.

As a Staff or Volunteer (as defined in the Safeguarding Policy for Children, Youth & Vulnerable Adults), you are required to complete this Safeguarding Declaration Form.

We also require you to complete this form: Hong Kong Sexual Conviction Record Check