Swimming Australia announces new child safety measures

Swimming Australia has announced major updates to child safety measures, but warned whistleblowers anonymous complaints won’t be investigated.

Swimming Australia has announced major updates to the National Integrity Framework of the sport to increase child safety provisions but at the same time warned anonymous whistleblowers that their complaints wouldn’t be investigated.

SA unveiled new policies that cover safeguarding children and young people, member protection, illegal drugs and medicine, sports gambling, complaints, disputes, discipline and code of conduct.

The details were released on the sport’s website to start 2024, including detailed guidelines for making complaints after swimming came under fire from the bombshell Beneath the Surface report into the experiences of women and girls in swimming.

“Swimming Australia and its member organisations remain fully committed to the protection of children, young people and all members in our sport and encourage swimming clubs throughout Australia to familiarise themselves with the policies and to raise the issue of child safety to everyone involved in their club,” SA said in a statement.

“We are committed to providing children and young people with positive and nurturing experiences and will strive to ensure that children and young people are protected from harm.

“We aim to ensure that swimming is a safe, fair and inclusive environment for all participants.”

Australian Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor has presided over significant changes and success in swimming in recent years. Picture: Delly Carr.

The safeguarding children and young people policy details the “professional boundaries” and appropriate behaviour of adults and their interactions with children (under the age of 18).

It covers all areas of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and includes guidelines around communication, language, physical contact (such as touching of genitalia, buttocks or breast area), overnight stays, change-room supervision, alcohol and drug use and one-on-one activity.

“Swimming Australia has a zero-tolerance policy to harm, abuse and/or neglect of a child/young person in any form.

“All children/young people have the right to feel safe and protected from all forms of abuse, harm and neglect.

“Children/young people have the right to take part in sport in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment.”

One key finding from the independent report was lack of clarity around the complaints process.

This has been further defined with the announcement of national integrity manager Lydia Dowse or complaints and compliance manager Scott Elliott as the main internal points of contact within the sport for handling any issues related to code of conduct, misuse of drugs, sports betting and member protection complaints related to bullying, harassment or intimidation.

All complaints related to child abuse or member protection complaints based on race, disability, sex, religion or age are directed to contact Sport Integrity Australia or the police.

While the sport does encourage all members to “speak up” on issues of integrity, there remain concerns over the validity and ability to take action when complaints are made anonymously.

“You can make an anonymous complaint but it will be treated as a report only,” SA said in a fact sheet. “In other words, it will be stored as information.

The National Integrity Framework will apply to all levels of swimming in Australia.

“In order to make a complaint, the complainant’s details must be known.

“This is because it is a fundamental legal requirement of procedural fairness that a respondent be made aware of the identity of the complainant and provided specifics of the allegations against them.

“Any failure to provide a respondent with procedural fairness is likely to result in a sanction being overturned, if challenged by the respondent in civil court.

“If you are a respondent to a complaint, you will be given the opportunity to respond to the

allegations made against you.

“The process is evidenced-based and conducted with due regard to procedural fairness. We do not make assumptions.”

SA also warns members that making complaints that are “vexatious, malicious or motivated by revenge, personal gain or a desire to harm the reputation of another person” can lead to a breach of the code of conduct.

“This policy is about disclosing and dealing with serious misconduct,’’ SA said.

“It is not simply an avenue for airing a personal grievance with another person or recording your disagreement with a decision that has been validly made or the way something is

done.

“A disclosure must be made in ‘good faith’. This means the disclosure must be

honest, genuine and motivated by wanting to disclose serious misconduct.”

Originally published as Swimming Australia announces new child safety measures