Summary

The aim of the evaluation was to understand the extent to which the Y-PEP program, delivered by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), was supporting the delivery of child protection education in NSW government and non-government schools. The Y-PEP program started in 2016 and was set to end in late 2019. Ernst & Young (EY) began and completed the evaluation in 2018.

The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, which consisted of analysing quantitative program data (school demographic data; student and teacher feedback survey data; and quarterly program data, as collected by YWCA) and qualitative data (data from semi-structured interviews of stakeholders at participating schools, as conducted by EY).

The evaluation questions aimed to understand the extent to which the Y-PEP program:

• provided appropriate delivery of child protection education to students
• had been effectively implemented and delivered to students
• had impacts on students' and teachers' child protection knowledge.

The evaluation found that the Y-PEP program:

• was an appropriate method for delivering child protection education to students
• was effectively implemented and delivered to schools, but had some scope for improvement
• was having positive impacts on students’ and teachers’ awareness of child protection education.