YMCA Cardiff strengthens staff confidence and safeguarding through training with ACT

YMCA Cardiff, which provides support for young people through its youth work provision and delivers accommodation and housing-related support services for young people and vulnerable adults, recently took part in training delivered by ACT.

YMCA works with a diverse range of young people and residents, many of whom face increasingly complex challenges. To ensure its team was equipped to respond safely to challenging situations, YMCA Cardiff enrolled staff on ACT’s Breakaway and Restraint training. 

Abbie Weir, Senior Youth Worker at YMCA Cardiff, explained: “We care deeply about the people we support and want to make sure we are doing absolutely everything we can to keep everyone involved in our YMCA community safe. 

 “We recognised the importance of strengthening both our practical skills and our understanding of safeguarding, risk management and supporting vulnerable young people.

“The Breakaway and Restraint training felt like an important investment in both staff confidence and the safety of the young people and residents we support.” 

The Breakaway and Restraint course covers conflict awareness, de-escalation techniques, breakaway skills and non-strength-based approaches through practical scenarios. 

For Abbie, the wider learning around safeguarding, risk management and understanding the law was particularly valuable. 

“Whilst the practical breakaway skills were invaluable, what stood out to me most was the wider context surrounding safeguarding, risk management and understanding the law,” she said.

“The training went beyond simply teaching techniques and helped staff understand why situations escalate, how to assess risk and how to make informed decisions that keep everyone safe.” 

Abbie also highlighted the way the ACT team adapted the training to YMCA Cardiff’s own experiences. 

“The team really took their time to understand us as an organisation,” she said. “Using our experiences to shape the training – it was invaluable. As someone responsible for overseeing youth provision, I found this aspect particularly helpful to building on my experiences.” 

The training also had an impact on staff confidence when navigating challenging situations. 

“Prior to the training, there were occasions where I felt quite beneath my depth when navigating some of the challenges we face within our provision,” Abbie said. “The training, along with the support, reassurance and guidance from Darren and the team, genuinely changed how I view those challenges. 

“Not only has it increased my confidence in my own abilities, but it has also strengthened my confidence in the team around me. 

“Staff now have a shared understanding and approach, which has made us feel much better prepared to respond appropriately if difficult situations arise.” 

While the team has not regularly needed to use the physical techniques, Abbie said the learning has already influenced their day-to-day practices. 

“The training has prompted important discussions around safeguarding processes, risk management and how we support vulnerable young people within our open access sessions,” she said. “Staff are more aware of potential risks, more confident in recognising concerns and better equipped to manage situations before they escalate.” 

One of the important factors in the training’s success was the positive collaboration between Abbie’s team and ACT’s tutors. 

“Working with Darren, Joe and Matt was fantastic,” she said. “Their depth of knowledge, experience and professionalism was evident throughout the training. 

“What impressed me most was their ability to combine practical learning with real-world experience. They created an environment where staff felt comfortable to engage, ask questions and reflect on their own practice. 

“The training was engaging throughout and felt highly relevant to the challenges we face in youth work settings. As well as that, we had such a laugh together and really enjoyed our time learning from each other.” 

Following the session, Abbie said she would recommend Breakaway and Restraint training to other organisations working with young people and vulnerable individuals.  

“The course builds confidence, strengthens safeguarding practice, and provides practical skills that staff can use immediately,” Abbie reiterated.  “What makes it particularly valuable is that it is not solely focused on physical intervention. 

“It encourages a much broader understanding of risk, behaviour, prevention, and safeguarding, which is essential when working with young people. 

“Our entire team came away on a complete buzz, feeling more knowledgeable, more confident and better equipped to keep young people safe.” 

If you would like to develop your team’s safeguarding skills. Explore ACT’s professional development courses here.