WPV Safe Sport Framework

Keeping Water Polo Safe

The safety of children and young people in our sport is paramount. We want water polo to be fun, enjoyable and safe for all. Everyone in the water polo community has a role to play in ensuring that we keep our sport as safe and enjoyable as possible.

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Water Polo Victoria have developed a Safe Sport Framework (SSF). This confirms the shared responsibility we all have for keeping each other safe in water polo - children and adults alike. Additionally, the SSF introduces a Code of Conduct for dealing with children and young people, recruitment and screening requirements for staff, coaches, volunteers and administrators who work with children and young people and offers guidance and advice for those referencing and using the SSF, as well as tools and resources for clubs and participants in water polo.

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• WPV Safe Sport Framework

 

Water Polo Victoria Safe Sport Framework 

Water Polo Victoria is committed to ensuring that everyone associate with water polo complies with the SSF and asks all people involved in the sport assist us in promoting the best practice policies, practices and procedures wherever possible. It is the responsibility of everyone involved in water polo to be aware of our responsibilities and expectations and to help safeguard each other and the children and young people involved in our sport.

 

Victorian Legislation

As of 1 January 2017, the Child Safe Standards apply to sporting organisations that operate and provide sporting services to children within Victoria (including National Sporting Organisations). The Standards apply to organisations as a whole, not only the areas that work with children. The Standards apply to all personnel in your organisation. This includes:

• Board of management / committee members

• All paid staff (EO, executive, employees)

• All volunteers (coaches, officials, administrators, referees, etc)

• All students on placement

• Any contractors you engage.

 

What Are The Standards?

1. Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements

2. A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety

3. A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children

4. Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel

5. Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse

6. Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse

7. Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children. 

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Our Commitment

Water Polo Victoria and its member clubs strive to:

• provide a safe environment for everyone involved in our sport;

• take an inclusive approach in our activities;

• ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people in our sport;

• develop and maintain an effective child safe culture across all our activities, programs and services;

• support all people in our sport protect young children who are involved in water polo; and

• promote and support the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and children with a disability.

 

That is why we take seriously our obligation to educate and inform everyone involved in our sport of their own responsibility to:

• protect and look after each other;

• protect and look after children and young people; and

• create and maintain a child-safe culture and a culture of inclusion and safety that is understood, endorsed and put into action by all.

 

What are the Codes of Conduct?

There are two key elements to the Codes of Conduct:

1. The General Code of Conduct which relates to all people involved in water polo; and

2. The Code of Conduct for Dealing with Children or Young People which is designed to keep safe all young people involved in our sport.

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Online courses to assist learning

Play by the Rules free courses in:

• Child Protection

• Harassment and Discrimination

• Complaint Handling

• Member Protection

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Aquatic Forum 

Child Safety Legislation - Fiona Jones, VICSPORT 

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This workshop was held alongside a panel discussion featuring Swimming Victoria and Diving Victoria CEO's Jason Hellwig and Matthew Duck, and Water Polo Victoria EO Sally Jones.

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