Coming along to youthy should be fun and chilled.
We might not have as many rules as school, but we do need to make sure everyone feels safe, included and free to be themselves.
Every single one of us - youth workers and young people - has a part to play in creating a positive space we can all be proud of.
Thinking about your rights and responsibilities is a great place to start!
Your rights
To be included
To be safe from physical harm and abuse of any kind
To be free from discrimination because of your gender, sexual orientation, culture, race, ethnicity, disability and religious beliefs.
To have an opinion and be heard
To play, rest and learn
To be helped if you need it
To not be punished in a cruel or harmful way
Your responsibilities
To use respectful, non-offensive language
To let other young people enjoy youth club in safety
To listen to and include others
To respect our differences
To look after our spaces
To protect your body from harm - that means no play fighting, real fighting, vaping, smoking, drinking or drugs on the premises.
if your behaviour needs to change
If your behaviour is putting your, or another person’s, rights at risk, then staff will have to take action.
First up, a youth worker will talk with you to explain why your behaviour is inappropriate and why it needs to change. This warning gives you the chance to think about how you could behave differently and repair any damage done, for example by offering an apology.
If you don’t change your behaviour, you will be asked to leave the youth club. It’s possible we may also need to contact your parents/carers or the police.
Depending on the situation, you could be welcome back next week. However, in serious cases, you might be asked to stay away for a set period of time. This might be to keep other young people safe, to give things time to settle down or to give you the opportunity for some reflection and extra support.
Our main priority is always your safety and wellbeing.
Bullying behaviour can have huge impact on people and will not be tolerated. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone at youthy, but we do need to protect our safe spaces by respecting each other and coexisting peacefully.
Treat others how you would like to be treated - it’s that simple!
staff team responsibilities
We don’t just expect young people to act in a respectful way.
Our youth workers and volunteers also needs to work to protect the rights of everyone who comes along to our youth clubs.
Got a problem with one of our team or our spaces?
Something standing in the way of your rights?
Don’t hold back, we want to hear from you!
Your message will be sent to our independent administrator who will forward it on to the Tweeddale Youth Action manager or our trustees as appropriate.