Child Safe Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct (Code) outlines what is, and what is not, appropriate standards of behaviour by adults towards children and young people. The Code aligns with the Surf Coast Suns Football Netball Club (Club) Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy. The primary aim of this Code is to protect and safeguard children and young people.
This Code applies to people involved in any way with the Club, including staff, participants, contractors, spectators, parents/carers, coaches, spectators, volunteers and members.
The Code aims to inform:
● Know what is OK
● Do what is right
● Act when you notice something
The table below outlines the expected behaviours of adults when engaging with children and young people at our Club:
OK
Contact
● Physical touch that is normal for football and netball and happens in front of other people and WITH the child or young person’s consent.
● This can include tackling, defending, demonstrating skills and techniques, preventing injury, or keeping them safe, or high fives or a pat on the back to celebrate a win.
Communication
● Guidance that is positive, helpful, and focused on the child or young person’s skills and game, not them as a person.
● Language that is encouraging and that they can easily understand.
● Online communication that includes a parent or carer and is used with the whole team.
Boundaries
When someone has safe, or good boundaries it means they:
● have made sure children and young people understand their role
● act professionally – friendly but not a friend
● treat everyone in the team fairly
● follow the rules with things like sharing information about a child or young person, or only taking photos of them with their permission and their parents or carers permission, and when it is about football or netball
● always behave appropriately when around the children and young people that they are responsible for.
Supervision
Club staff who are responsible for supervising children and young people in football should:
● always know where children or young people are at all times
● give them privacy to use the bathroom or change rooms, but still make sure that they are safe
● wait with them until collection
● only offer a lift if they have their licence and their car is insured, a parent or carer has provided written consent and another person from the club knows about it.
Environment
A safe environment for children and young people at our Club looks like:
● a space that people from different genders, backgrounds and abilities can access and are comfortable to access
● football and netball trips that are fun and safe for children and young people to attend
● change facilities that are appropriate for any gender
● online spaces where communication is open and transparent and other adults can monitor.
Not OK
Contact
● Any touch a child or young person does not consent to, or that makes them feel uncomfortable.
● Any touch that seems sexual, involves a child or young person’s private parts, or embarrasses them.
● Any touch that happens in a private place like the changerooms or a car.
Communication
● Any language or communication that leaves a child or young person uncomfortable, worried, scared or embarrassed.
● Any comment online or in person that is sexual or private.
● Any contact that happens outside of a program, training and match day hours (like late at night), or on private chat platforms (like socials or texting), is over the top or excessive, or is about personal stuff, nothing to do with football or netball.
Boundaries
When someone has unsafe, or poor boundaries, it means they:
● favour, isolate or single out one person
● accept or give gifts to children, young people or their families (unless fairly distributed and prior consent has been obtained)
● contact a child or young person and/or their families (or former players) outside of football activities, including through social media unless an established relationship already exists (family and friends) and no boundaries are crossed as part of that contact
● offer to assist a child or young person or their family with things that are outside of their role (help around the house / money / buying them things)
● drink alcohol, take drugs, swear or smoke in front of young people.
Supervision
AFL staff who are responsible for supervising children and young people in football should not:
● be distracted by phones or other people
● let young children use a bathroom without making sure there are no risks first
● leave a child or young person alone, even if they are late to be picked up
● drive children or young people around in their car recklessly, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or without permission.
Environment
An unsafe environment for children and young people at football looks like:
● a space that is difficult for children and young people with disabilities to access or where people from different cultural backgrounds feel left out
● footy and netball trips or events that involve alcohol or drugs and easily get out of hand with no adults keeping an eye out for children and young people
● change facilities where there is no privacy and children, young people and those who identify as transgender or non-binary feel unsafe
● online spaces where communication is one to one and used to share inappropriate material not related to football or netball.
SAY SOMETHING – If you have concerns about the safety of a child or young person or have seen or heard something that doesn’t feel right, it is important you say something.
SPEAK WITH - your coach, committee member or another parent.
IF ANYONE IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER – Contact the Police on ‘000’.