Our 

 culture 

Our work is grounded in a shared understanding of people’s experience, needs, challenges and strengths

“All of us at YFS value difference. We strive to maintain gender and ethnic diversity because we’ve found we collaborate better that way. Aside from reflecting the Logan community, our different backgrounds mean we each bring something different to the table. And having diversity in thinking allows us to innovate more easily to deliver the best outcomes for our clients.”

Cath Bartolo, Former YFS CEO

Our commitment to First Nations peoples

We welcome all First Nations peoples to YFS.

We respectfully acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s First Peoples and the Traditional Owners/Custodians of the land on which we meet and work.

We acknowledge and respect the Yuggera and Yugambeh speaking people, who are the traditional custodians of Logan City. We also work across the Redlands and Beaudesert and acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of these regions:

  • the Quandamooka people of Moreton Bay
  • the Mununjali people in Beaudesert.

We recognise the important role First Nations peoples have within community and country. We pay our respects to the Elders of this land, past and present.

Our vision for reconciliation with First Nations peoples is to develop and provide services based on respect and understanding.

We acknowledge the past and work to build independence, participation and closing the unacceptable gap between First Nations peoples and other Australians’ health and wellbeing.

As an organisation we are committed to backing First Nations people and communities to thrive and achieve their aspirations. That’s why we proudly supported the Voice to Parliament and the Queensland Government’s Path to Treaty.

We support the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Diversity and inclusion

YFS is a culturally safe organisation.

Our staff nurture an inclusive culture that promotes value and respect for everyone.

We value diversity and inclusion within and beyond our organisation, and are dedicated to preventing all forms of racism. Diversity goes beyond physical attributes.

What makes us all “us” lies below the surface, too: our experiences, sexual orientation, marital status, educational background, parental status, gender identity, income, economic status, religious beliefs and affiliations are just some of the things that make us diverse. 

We maintain the rights, wellbeing and dignity of our clients and staff by supporting diversity and inclusion, and by embracing difference.

Our approach to delivering programs ensures equal access for clients and staff.

We aspire to achieve cultural diversity in line with the broader Logan community, and for clients and staff from all cultural backgrounds to feel welcome, safe and supported.

We support campaigns that promote awareness about diversity, access, social inclusion and ending domestic violence, including Racism. It stops with me, Wear it purple and Not Now, Not Ever in Logan.

Find out more about our commitment to dignity and diversity at YFS.

Everyone is welcome here

YFS is an inclusive place for staff and the people we work with.

YFS recognises and welcomes the diversity of sexual orientations, sex and gender identities of people in our community and honours the dignity and pride of those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Sistergirl and Brotherboy, and others of diverse genders and sexualities.

Our Pride @YFS working group identifies and implements opportunities to keep LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy inclusion on the agenda for our organisation and ensure that YFS is an inclusive place.