Safeguarding for Coaches

Child Abuse is the mistreatment of a child that causes, or is likely to cause, detrimental effects to their physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing; or endangers, or is likely to endanger, their physical or emotional health, development or wellbeing. It includes physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic and family violence.

Abuse can happen to any child, regardless of their age, gender, race or ability.

A single act, circumstance or omission can have a detrimental impact on a child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing.

As a coach, you MUST follow these guidelines:

• Do not require a child to train whilst injured.
• Do not utilise training methods which inflict pain, for example extreme stretching.
• Do not engage children in training or competition that exceeds the capacity of that child’s physical development or maturation.
• Do not repeatedly subject a child to criticism, sarcasm, name calling or racism.
• Do not ignore or exclude a child.
• Do not place unrealistically high expectations on a child where they feel pressure to perform.
• Do not make a child feel like their value or worth is dependent on their sporting success.
• Do not, under any circumstances, have contact with a child that involves any intimate part of a child’s body.

To help support you in meeting your child safeguarding responsibilities as a coach, 13 Child Safe Practices have been developed as part of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy.

These child safe practices are a preventative and proactive approach to keeping children and young people safe and creating a positive environment for participating in sport.

They have been developed to identify and prevent behaviour that may be harmful to children and young people, whilst also providing clear boundaries to ensure the ongoing safety and wellbeing of everyone involved in sport.

Key resource: Children and Young People Safe Practices Do's & Don'ts Booklet [PDF 6MB]

As someone representing your organisation, you play a crucial role in protecting children. If you suspect there has been an alleged breach of the Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy, you must act.

Step 1:

If the child is at risk of immediate harm, call Police on 000 immediately.

Step 2:

If you have reasonable grounds to suspect a child has been or may be at risk of harm or abuse, contact local police on 131 444 AND make a report to your state or territory child protection service.

Step 3:

You must report all relevant information to the appropriate person within your club or sport. This may be the Integrity Manager, Complaints Manager, or a designated safety contact. 

Step 4:

You must report any breach of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy to Sport Integrity Australia (this is required if your sport is signed up to the National Integrity Framework) via the Make an Integrity Complaint or Report form.

Your sport should welcome and embrace the reporting of inappropriate behaviour and other forms of complaints in an open and transparent manner as it will benefit them by:

• Identifying problems that may exist.
• Identifying areas of improvement.
• It builds trust with stakeholders.

Reporting flow chart

You have a responsibility to:

• Understand and adhere to your role based on your position description.
• Be fair and inclusive, and treat everyone with respect and dignity.
• Act with care and diligence to protect the safety and well-being of yourself and others.
• Ensure that any physical contact made with a child/young person is necessary and appropriate to the delivery of the sporting activity.
• Understand and implement all policies and requirements of your sport including child safe practices and code of conduct.
• Maintain required coaching accreditation and be responsible for enhancing your coaching knowledge.
• Listen to and involve children and young people in decision making.
• Accept and respect the authority of all match officials.
• Speak up and address or report any inappropriate behaviour.

You have the right to:

• Feel safe in your role.
• Be provided with a position description that clearly outlines your role.
• Be provided with induction training that provides information on your organisation’s policies and expectations.
• Be listened to and supported by your organisation.
• Know that if you report a concern, it will be addressed in a timely manner in line with your organisation's policies and procedures.

Your sporting organisation may have other policies and procedures specific to your sport and the state/territory that you coach in. They will outline various additional obligations and legal responsibilities which you must be aware of to further safeguard yourself, participants and other stakeholders.

These policies may include (but are not limited to):

There is a variety of free online e-learning modules designed for coaches to develop their Safeguarding knowledge. 

The Sport Integrity E-Learning Hub provides the following courses:

• Child Safeguarding Online Course
• Harassment and Discrimination Online Course
• Complaint Handling Training
• Inclusive Coaching

Refer to the Safeguarding section of our Resources page for downloadable check lists and fact sheets that cover:

• Child safe practices in changerooms fact sheet
• Children and young people participating in adult sport fact sheet
• Transporting and child or young person fact sheet
• Physical contact with young people in sport fact sheet
• Preventing abuse from a person in a position of authority fact sheet
• Implementing Safeguarding Practices to prevent abuse by a person in authority - Persons in Authority
• Giving and receiving gifts

Play by the Rules interactive scenarios and short courses for coaches:

• Over Training
• Pregnancy and Participation
• Verbally Abusive Coach
• Inclusive Coaching Course
• Let Kids be Kids Mini Course
• Tips for coaches
• Suspicion of Harm Against a Child complaint handling 
   

Coaches - please also refer to your National and State Sporting Associations and your State and Territory agencies for additional resources - Office of Recreation and Sport, Child Protection and Advocacy Agencies.

• As a coach, you are now in a position of authority and are required to be a role model to the children and young people you are coaching. 
• Your sport should provide induction training. This will help you understand your role and your responsibilities. 
• Take time to read and understand your sports policies in particular your Code of Conduct, child safe practices and how to make a report. - Your sport should nominate an adult to be a support person. 
• Maintain a relationship with all participants that is appropriate to your role and reflects positively on you and your organisation. 
• Listen to and engage children and young people in decision making. 
• As someone in a position of authority you should not seek or engage in sexual relationship or sexualised communication with any U18s via social media, whom you are responsible for. 
• If you think that a young person’s behaviour indicates that they are seeking to develop or engage in an inappropriate relationship with you, notify this to the relevant adult in your organisation. Make a written record of your concerns and relevant details. 
• Speak up and report inappropriate behaviour.

The Sport Integrity Australia complaints process was set up to keep Australian sport safe and fair. 

Complaints about behaviour are managed under the National Integrity Framework Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy and follow a 5 Step process. 

These  5 steps are:

1. Making a complaint
2. Initial evaluation
3. Assessment
4. Outcome
5. Resolution(s)

If your sport has signed up the National Integrity Framework, a complaint relating to child safeguarding or can be submitted to Sport Integrity Australia online.

If your sport has not signed up to the National Integrity Framework, all reports should be submitted to your sport.