“Protecting children from harm and abuse in sport is a priority – everyone involved in sport has an important role to play in creating child safe organisations” (NSW Office of Sport).
The Child Safe Standards provide a framework for creating child safe organisations. They emphasise the importance of adopting multiple strategies to address child safety.
The Standards are based on the extensive research and consultation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In accordance with the Children’s Guardian Act 2019, Sport and Recreation organisations providing services to children are required to implement the Child Safe Standards, under the Child Safe Scheme (as of 1 February 2022).
Nowra Athletics Club Child Safety Commitment
Nowra Athletics Club is firmly committed to implementing the Child Safe Standards and in creating and maintaining an environment that promotes the safety of all children. This includes encouraging a culture where the prevention and reporting of abuse is supported and encouraged.
All Committee members and volunteers of Nowra Athletics Club are responsible for promoting the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of children and young people who engage with our Club. All adults associated with our Club are expected to act in accordance with our Code of Conduct in their physical and online interactions with children and young people under the age of 18 years.
Nowra Athletics Club Child Safe Code of Conduct
Nowra Athletics Club Code of Conduct identifies positive child safe behaviours that we encourage all adults to support. It also identifies behaviours that we consider unacceptable. Engaging in unacceptable behaviour is a breach of this Code of Conduct and will not be tolerated in this Club.
I WILL:
• Uphold the rights of the child and always prioritise their needs
• Treat all children and young people with respect
• Listen to and value children and young people’s ideas and opinions
• Involve children in making decisions about activities, policies and processes that concern them wherever possible
• Consider and respect the diverse backgrounds and needs of children by creating an environment that promotes and enables children’s participation; is welcoming; culturally safe; and inclusive for all children and their families
• Behave respectfully, courteously and ethically towards children and their families
• Listen to children’s concerns and respond to them appropriately, particularly if they communicate (verbally or non-verbally) that they do not feel safe or well
• Take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse; identify and mitigate risks to children’s safety and wellbeing
• Raise concerns with the Committee if risks to child safety are identified, including cultural, environmental and operational risks
• Respond to any concerns or complaints of child harm or abuse promptly and report concerns or allegations of child harm or abuse
• Immediately disclose to the Committee of Nowra Athletics Club all charges, convictions and other outcomes of an offence that relates to child exploitation and abuse, including those that occurred before or during association with the Club
• Report and act on any concerns or observed breaches of this Code of Conduct
• Respect the privacy of children and their families by keeping all information about child protection concerns confidential
• Demonstrate appropriate personal and professional boundaries
I WILL NOT:
• Engage in any unlawful activity with or in relation to a child
• Ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse
• Engage in any activity that is likely to physically, sexually or emotionally harm a child
• Exaggerate or trivialise child abuse issues
• Use language or behaviour towards children that is inappropriate, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally inappropriate
• Be alone with a child unnecessarily
• Unlawfully discriminate against any child or their family members
• Persistently criticise and/or belittle a child
• Deliberately prevent a child from forming friendships
• Offer children and young people alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs
• Perform any volunteer work with children at Nowra Athletics Club events while under the influence of alcohol or prohibited drugs.
• Show children pornographic images
• Encourage a child to communicate with me in a private setting
• Use sexual language or gestures in the presence of children
• Access or use child-related data maintained by Nowra Athletics Club to exploit or harass children
All volunteers, families and community members are encouraged to speak up if they have concerns about the safety of children. Complaints about a breach of this Code of Conduct must be reported to a Committee member.
Some breaches of this Code of Conduct may need to be reported to the NSW Police, the Department of Communities and Justice and the Office of the Children’s Guardian.
All adults in NSW are required to report information to police if they know, believe or reasonably ought to know that a child (under 18 years) has been abused.
I have read this Code of Conduct and agree to abide by it and its terms.
Name:
Signature:
Date: