Learn how to safeguard your sport

To mark National Children’s Week, Sport Integrity Australia has today launched its inaugural Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction e-Learning course.

The e-Learning course complements the National Integrity Framework Child Safeguarding Policy and has been developed for any person and any organisation who is bound by the policy, such as National Sporting Organisations (NSOs), State Sporting Organisations (SSOs), clubs/affiliated bodies, boards, committees, participants, employees, coaches, contractors, officials, and support personnel.

Director of Safeguarding Anne-Marie Phippard says it’s important that all people who work with children in sport receive education to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities to children.

“Child safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Sport Integrity Australia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in sport by ensuring that everyone involved in sport is educated and informed of their responsibilities to protect and look after children,” Phippard says.

“The Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction course provides that foundation knowledge and education.”

Launched on the back of the Federal Government’s National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse (2021-2030), Phippard says the course will assist learners to understand and implement the Child Safeguarding Policy.

By the end of the course, users will be able to:

understand what child safeguarding in sport is
understand what the Child Safeguarding Policy is, who it applies to and when
understand the role of 14 Child Safe Practices in the Policy
understand the recruitment and screening requirements
recognise alleged breaches of the Policy, and
identify how to respond to alleged breaches.

Any individual and any organisation who is bound by the Child Safeguarding Policy should undertake the course, which should take around 45 minutes to complete.

Phippard says the course is one of a host of initiatives Sport Integrity Australia is working on to embed safeguarding into a sport’s culture.

In early 2022, Sport Integrity Australia will also be launching the Safeguarding in Sport Continuous Improvement Program (SISCIP). The SISCIP is being developed to support NSOs, SSOs and community affiliated bodies (associations/leagues and clubs) implement the Member Protection and Child Safeguarding policies.

“The SISCIP aims to create genuine cultural change from the NSO through to community sport by providing step-by-step action plans for NSOs, SSOs and community affiliated bodies to embed safeguarding practices and processes in their sport,” she says.

“At Sport Integrity Australia we acknowledge that all sports are different, with different governance models, with different risks, and at varying stages of their safeguarding journey and this continuous improvement program will support every sport regardless of where they are at on this journey.”

The ultimate goal, she says, is to “enhance the safety of children and members in sport in Australia by promoting a nationally consistent approach to safeguarding” across the sector and “driving greater accountability” for continuous improvement and maturing of safeguarding practices.

As part of the Federal Government’s National Action Plan announced earlier this week, Sport Integrity Australia received an additional $4.9 million over three years to raise awareness and drive cultural change among sports.

The agency will work alongside the National Office for Child Safety to further our efforts in building the capacity of Australian sporting organisations to keep children safe and helping sporting organisations implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Sport Integrity Australia Child Safeguarding Policy.

“This funding will help us to continue to drive change within the sector,” Phippard says. “After all, all children have the right to feel safe and protected from all forms of abuse, harm and neglect and to take part in sport in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment.”

You can complete the Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction e-Learning course here: https://elearning.sportintegrity.gov.au/

The original article can be found here.

Friday, 29 October 2021