The chief executive of the YMCA NSW Phillip Hare has told an inquiry there was no discussion with him regarding staff confidentiality agreements about a pedophile.
Mr Hare is giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which is examining how the YMCA handled the Jonathan Lord case.
Lord, 26, is in jail for abusing 12 children while he was a childcare worker with the YMCA from 2009 to 2011.
Mr Hare, who has worked with the YMCA since 1988 when he was 21, said the staff confidentiality agreements were put in place by Liam Whitley, the children's services manager.
The confidentiality agreements signed by staff required them not to speak to anyone, even each other, about the Jonathan Lord allegations, under pain of dismissal.
Mr Hare said he had been told by Mr Whitley that police had asked the YMCA not to name Lord and to be careful about protecting criminal intelligence.
When Mr Hare learnt about the confidentiality agreements, he decided they should be taken back.
"When I spoke to Liam Whitley I understood the intention, but it was poorly executed," Mr Hare said.
He said within a week he held a meeting at Caringbah, where Lord had worked, with all staff and got them to tear up the confidentiality agreements.
He also said his next instruction was ensuring staff had access to counselling and telling them to give parents his phone number.
He told counsel advising the commission, Gail Furness, that letters to parents and staff went through the YMCA marketing department because they were more articulate with words.
Mr Hare said he had not provided a statement to the commission on the advice of his lawyer.
He said this was because the commission wanted him to answer questions about operational matters and Mr Whitely was in a better position to answer those questions.
The hearing continues.
