What does Swimming Australia, Disability Sports Australia, AusCycling, Softball Australia and Basketball Australia have in common?
They’re the first sports to sign up to the Safeguarding in Sport Continuous Improvement Program, showing their commitment to providing safe and inclusive environments for all members, including children.
Sport Integrity Australia CEO David Sharpe says these sports are leading the way in child safeguarding and member protection by working towards embedding a safety in sport culture across all levels of their sport.
“These sports are leaders in this space and are showing a genuine commitment to their members,” Mr Sharpe says. “By being the first to sign up to the Continuous Improvement Program, they are showing their members and their community that safety matters.”
The program provides greater accountability in line with the National Integrity Framework and strengthens sports’ safeguarding capability through resources, education, training and ongoing support.
At its core, the program is designed to help all National Sporting Organisations and National Sport Organisations for People with Disability create the safest environments possible for their members and ensure children and members are protected from abuse, discrimination and harassment in sport.
The objectives are to:
- Build the capacity and capability of Australian sporting organisations to keep children and members safe.
- Lead a cultural shift that prioritises the safety of children and members, by empowering every level of sport.
- Enhance organisational capability to respond to child abuse threats.
- Bolster community confidence that sports are safe for children and members.
- Enable sports to demonstrate their commitment to child safeguarding and member protection.
Once a sport signs up, Sport Integrity Australia will work in partnership with them every step of the way.
