A YMCA middle manager whose evidence to a child abuse inquiry changed within a month has denied it was because she discussed it with senior management.
Jacqui Barnat, a children's services manager with the non-profit organisation told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Monday that she was changing her evidence on the policy covering the recruitment of childcare workers.
Ms Barnat told a private hearing of the commission in early October the 2006 policy was in place in 2009.
But at Monday's public hearing, she said she did not believe the YMCA Australia Safeguarding Children and Young People's policy 2006, was current in 2009.
"Upon reflection I don't believe it was still current in 2009 because from memory other policies were in place," she said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
When the discrepancy was pointed out to her by Gail Furness, SC for the commission, she said she could not recall her earlier evidence.
When asked if she had discussed this policy with anyone at the YMCA in the past month and its application to her work she said "no".
Ms Furness asked what had occurred that made her say now that it did not apply to her work in 2009.
"Was it assisted by any person or you looking at any other document?"
Ms Barnat did not reply. She could not identify what other policy was in place.
"I have a recollection of a policy in force in 2009 and I cannot recall the name ... I think I did try to find it. I have not been able to find that policy."
She later said she might have instigated a conversation with the YMCA's business service manager, Irene Minos.
In answer to questioning by commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan, Ms Barnat said she was reviewing the content of the policy after her private evidence and that is how she recalled the 2006 policy was not in place.
"Upon reflection, I just tried to fit the dates".
Ms Barnat who has been with the YMCA since 2004 had shared responsibility for recruitment in the Caringbah area when Jonathan Lord was employed.
Lord is serving a 10-year sentence for sexual assaults on 12 children while he was with the YMCA.
Ms Barnat said that prior to January 2013 she could not make decisions on staff selection and would need approval to conduct interviews. However, generally but not always, there was a more senior manager with her when she interviewed new recruits.
Ms Barnat was questioned on the reporting levels within the YMCA.
She said her duties were to identify staff training needs and she passed those on to her managers who were also based at Caringbah.
Ms Barnat will continue her evidence when the hearing resumes on Tuesday.
