safety is our top priority

Child protection policy

Your child’s safety is our top priority!

Since we place great importance on creating a safe place for our participants, where they feel comfortable, we have developed our own child protection policy for the young austria camps & project weeks. In December 2022, we began to engage intensively with the topic of child protection, working in close contact with the specialists association Selbstbewusst in Salzburg. Core elements of the development process of our child protection policy were a comprehensive risk analysis, an inventory of existing measures, and a detailed analysis of our feedback and complaints system

The result of our work is a child protection policy specifically tailored to our camps and project weeks, which addresses the following key areas:


From the application process onward, we pay great attention to sensitise our counsellors to the topic of child protection. All our counsellors go through a multi-stage selection process and need to present a criminal record certificate for child and youth welfare every year.


As part of our child protection policy, we have developed a code of conduct for our counsellors with clear guidelines for interacting with our participants at camp. This forms the basis for employment in the young austria camps.


All our counsellors undergo intensive training during a multi-day counsellor seminar before starting work at camp. Child protection is one of the key topics during this training. In order to further sensitise our counsellors to child protection issues, we offer additional training throughout the year. Moreover, we evaluate and update our child protection policy yearly to be best prepared for the new camp summer.


The centerpiece of our child protection policy is a detailed and targeted plan of action that provides clear guidelines for our counsellors should there be any indication or suspicion of child welfare risks despite all prevention measures. In developing this plan, we closely collaborated with the specialists association Selbstbewusst, aligning with officially recognised child protection guidelines.


To best support our counsellors in case of any suspicion of child welfare risks, we have specially trained child protection officers, who are always available as contact persons. Our camp participants can also turn to them with any concerns.


To ensure that all our participants have a carefree time at camp, it is very important to us that the children feel that they can confide in our counsellors at any time.

As part of our child protection policy, we have expanded our feedback and complaints system to provide participants at camp with an easily accessible way to share their concerns with us anonymously. In each of our camps, we have installed a “We-are-there-for-you!” box with postcards on which participants can communicate any worries or problems. If someone prefers to confide digitally, this can be done through QR codes on our child protection posters. Additionally, we also offer external contact points, to which children can turn if needed.


Since it is important to us that not only the children and teenagers at camp but also our employees feel safe and comfortable at all times, we have developed a separate staff protection policy. Similar to our participants, we also provide our counsellors with both internal and external contact points to communicate any concerns.


Our primary goal is to create a safe place for children and young people in all our young austria programmes and accommodations and we aim to reassure parents that their children are in good hands with us!


covid-19-protection framework

Currently, we do not expect that we will have to take measures against Covid-19 next summer. However, should the (pandemic) situation require it, young austria is free to adapt our protection framework to the generally applicable recommendations and take measures to protect the health of participants, counselors and house staff. These can be e.g: Mouth/nose protection, entry tests, regular on-site tests, etc. By booking a young austria summer camp, the customer agrees to the measures in force at the start of the trip (published on camps.at before arrival). 

You make the right choice with young austria - a responsible summer camp provider!  

YOUNG AUSTRIA CONTINUES TO OFFER RISK-FREE BOOKING

✓ The balance is to be paid at the earliest 20 days before arrival

✓ Free cancellation up to the day of arrival and 100% money back guarantee for all camps if the following reasons apply upon arrival:

  • Official travel warning for the travel area.
  • If there is a quarantine requirement for the country of origin and/or country of travel.
  • If there is a ban on accommodation for the travel destination or a ban on summer camps

 

✓ All customer funds are protected against insolvency


If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact us!

Warm regards from our young austria camps office!
Your young austria team