El!te Development FoundationEl!te Development
Policy

Member protection

The short version

  • Everyone at El!te should be safe, respected and free from bullying, harassment and abuse.
  • Every coach, manager and volunteer must hold a current ACT Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration. Without one, nobody can volunteer for the club.
  • Anyone can raise a concern or complaint on this website, even without giving a name. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000 first.
  • Concerns go to a small, separate group at the club who look after safeguarding. We aim to acknowledge within 2 business days and update you at least every 14 business days.

Why we have this policy

This policy helps every person involved in El!te Development Foundation Incorporated, including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and parents, take part in a place that is safe, respectful and free from inappropriate behaviour.

It lines up with the Basketball ACT Member Protection Policy and Basketball Australia’s National Integrity Framework, which the club has adopted.

Where it applies

It applies to all members and participants while they are involved in club activities, including:

  • Local training sessions and high-performance development programs.
  • Official Basketball ACT competitions and matches.
  • Travel, including interstate tournaments and overnight camps.
  • Club communications, such as email, messages and social media.

Keeping children safe

The club is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We follow the ACT Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 and the child safe standards that apply to us.

  • WWVP registration: all coaches, managers and volunteers must hold a valid ACT WWVP registration. Volunteers add the number and expiry date to their El!te profile, and can add a photo of the card, which stays private. A club officer checks and verifies it. The website shows when a registration is current, expiring or expired, and sends reminders 60, 30 and 10 days before it expires. Without a current registration, nobody can volunteer for the club, coaching and managing included.
  • Conduct: adults must keep professional boundaries. Physical contact should happen only when needed for skill development, and openly.
  • Reporting: if a child may be at risk, call 000 if it is an emergency, or police on 131 444. Any allegation of child abuse or neglect will be reported to the right ACT authority, which is ACT Policing or Child and Youth Protection Services.

Respect and fairness

Under the ACT Discrimination Act 1991, we do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or bullying of any kind.

  • No one is treated less favourably because of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or religion.
  • High-performance training is demanding, but coaching must stay constructive. Verbal abuse, or tough love that crosses into bullying or psychological harassment, is not allowed.

Travel and overnight stays

For travel events and away competitions:

  • Supervision: at least two adults with a current WWVP registration must be present for all group travel.
  • Rooming: adults must not share a room with a minor.
  • Communication: parents must be given a full itinerary and emergency contact details.

Health and safety

  • Concussion: the club follows the Basketball ACT and Sports Medicine Australia concussion guidelines. A player with a suspected concussion must come off and have medical clearance before she returns.
  • Illegal substances: illegal drugs, and giving alcohol to minors, are strictly forbidden and lead to immediate disciplinary action.
  • Injuries and incidents: report any injury or incident using Lodge an incident or injury on this website. Photos sent with a report are kept private and sit behind a warning.
  • Medical information: parents keep each player’s medical notes and emergency contacts up to date in My account. Coaches see the medical alerts of the players in their teams.

Photos and privacy

How we handle photos is in our Photography and social media policy. How we handle personal information is in our Member privacy policy.

Raising a concern or complaint

Use Raise a concern or complaint on this website. The website form lets you choose Safeguarding concern, Complaint, Behaviour of a coach, volunteer or adult, or Something else that worries me.

  • You can stay anonymous. If you leave a way to reach you, we can follow up. If you do not, we still read and act on it.
  • It goes to a separate place. Reports go only to the small group at the club who hold safeguarding permission. They do not go to the general club inbox, and the committee and administrators do not see them unless they hold that permission.
  • You get a reference number (it starts SGC-) and an email to confirm we received it.
  • How fast: we aim to acknowledge within 2 business days and to give an update at least every 14 business days. These are our current targets, and the club can change them.
  • Emergency: if a child is in immediate danger, call 000 first. To contact police about a child who may be at risk, call 131 444.

Who looks after safeguarding

The club’s Safeguarding officer and the President hold safeguarding permission. The club can give the permission to other people. It is a role in the club’s back office, so you will not see a name here. Use the form or the safeguarding address and your report reaches the right people.

What happens to a report

  • Every case has a full timeline. Every contact, note and decision is recorded and cannot be edited or deleted.
  • A person who has a conflict of interest steps aside, or is excluded by another holder, and sees nothing more of that case.
  • Closing a case takes two different people. The person who works the case asks to close it, with a written outcome. A second person approves it or sends it back. The second person must be another Safeguarding officer, the President or the club’s system administrator, and must also be on the committee. Nobody approves their own request.
  • The President always holds safeguarding permission, so a case can always be closed properly even if the Safeguarding officer is away or cannot act.
  • A closed case is sealed in an encrypted archive that nobody can edit. If the same person writes again, we start a new linked follow-up case.
  • Cases are kept confidential. They are shared only with people who need to know, and with police, child protection services or Basketball ACT when required.

For how complaints and disciplinary matters are decided, and how to appeal, see the Dispute resolution policy.

Outside the club

You can also take a concern outside the club at any time.

Following this policy

This policy is part of belonging to the club. All players, parents, coaches, managers, officials and volunteers must follow it. Breaking it can lead to action under our Dispute resolution policy, up to removal from club activities.

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