All organisations falling within the scope of the Bluecard system are required to develop and implement child and youth risk management strategies which address 8 minimum requirements. This video will guide you through the first of the minimum requirements, which is the requirement to have a statement of commitment to the safety and well-being of children and the protection of children from harm. The purpose of your statement of commitment is to provide an overarching statement which will influence your organisation's culture. So why do you need to have a statement of commitment? The culture of your organisation is a critical factor in successfully mitigating the risks of harm to children in your service environment. An organisation which has a strong child safe culture is more likely to attract people who are suitable to work with children. So how should you go about drafting your statement of commitment? In drafting a statement of commitment you should consider your organisation's aims and values. You may already have something similar that is used by your organisation such as a mission statement. If so, you can build on that. You must ensure however that your statement of commitment for your child and youth risk management strategy is child-focused. It is recommended that your organisation use strong, clear and direct language when drafting your statement. You may wish to start your statement with phrases such as, our organisation is committed to, our organisation supports, our organisation is dedicated to, our organisation ensures. A strong statement of commitment will first communicate exactly what your organisation is committed to. An example of this might be something like, our organisation supports the rights of children and young people and is committed to providing a safe and supportive service environment, directed at ensuring their safety and wellbeing. Optimally, your initial statement will then be followed up with a brief outline of how your organisation intends to ensure the commitment is effectively implemented. For example, in order to support this commitment we are dedicated to our child and youth risk management strategy which has policies and procedures in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of children in our care. It is also a good idea to display your statement of commitment in a prominent place where staff, parents, children and visitors can be reminded of your organisation's specific commitment. Careful and thoughtful construction of your statement of commitment will ensure that an appropriate tone is set for your entire child and youth risk management strategy. To further assist you in developing and implementing effective child and youth risk management strategies, a toolkit which is available on the Risk Management page of the Blue Card Services website has been developed to provide information and guidance on the eight minimum requirements. Remember, safe service environments don't just happen. They require ongoing planning, commitment and maintenance. Thank you for taking the time to learn about this requirement of child and youth risk management strategies. We hope you found this video useful and we encourage you to watch the remaining videos on offer from the Blue Card Services Learning Portal.