YMCA Case Study
Building a stronger and healthier community is at the heart of what the central YMCA do. They do so by providing all sorts of education and training opportunities. They aim to change lives by making chances for growth accessible to all. For nearly two centuries, the YMCA has impacted the lives of adults and children alike. As with all institutions who work with young people, safeguarding is a huge priority for the YMCA, and that is evident from the following story.
The YMCA is a national charity that provides health and fitness facilities, as well as training courses and apprenticeships. Recently, I interviewed Michelle Smith, the safeguarding lead at the central YMCA in London as part of a research campaign ChatPro is conducting. We discussed their safeguarding practices in terms of communication inside the organisation. They began using ChatPro early last year, and the purpose of the interview was to gain insight on how ChatPro is used in the central YMCA, and how it could be improved.
The safeguarding heads at central YMCA became aware that group chats were appearing on WhatsApp. This concerned them and they decided to take the initiative and find another safer tool to communicate quickly with. After hearing that Ofsted had been impressed by it in a recent inspection that had been done, the central YMCA decided to start using ChatPro as their main communication tool with their learners.
Initially, some members of staff were hesitant to use ChatPro, and have it on their personal devices. But after learning that none of their personal information - such as their phone number or personal email - would be available for any other users to see, they joined and haven’t looked back since.
At induction, all learners are added onto the app. There, they communicate with their teachers. Whether they’re going to be a bit late to class, or there has been a change in the timetable, all they need to do is to send a quick message.
Reportedly, learners have engaged with ChatPro and use it actively, unlike the other communication tool previously used. Too many notifications, and an overcomplicated interface, led to the students not using the app, calling it too ‘spammy’. However, with ChatPro, everyone in the YMCA uses it on a daily basis and praises it for being simple and easy to use.
Creating a desktop version of ChatPro was one of the insightful suggestions Michelle gave. It is currently under development and will be released soon.
The usage of WhatsApp inside an organisation where youths are involved was considered a safeguarding hazard to the YMCA because it “leaves it open to interpretation and is also open to allegation”. In contrast they feel that ChatPro is safe, transparent and an open book. To summarize in one quote: “In terms of safeguarding, I think ChatPro is fabulous”.
I would like to thank Michelle for her time. She was very generous with her time and gave us a great insight into the app and its function. Additionally, her feedback was invaluable.
