The program is designed to help sporting organisations build their capability to provide safe environments for children, young people, and all members to participate in sport.
Who can join the program
National Sporting Organisations (NSO) and National Sporting Organisations for People with a Disability (NSOD) are eligible to sign up to the program. In signing up to the program, your sport is committing to work with our Safeguarding team to carry out all aspects of the program.
How to join the program
The following steps can help guide you to apply for the program.
Contact our Safeguarding team
Email our Safeguarding team to request a form. Then fill out the form and email back to safeguarding@sportintegrity.gov.au.
Complete an online Safeguarding Self-Assessment
Once you have signed up to the program you must complete an online Safeguarding Self-Assessment on the Australian Sports Commission online platform Game Plan.
The assessment tool measures:
- where your sport is on their safeguarding journey
- what your sport is doing well
- where you can make improvements.
This assessment is built on the 10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. It will help to put into action the National Principles practical for your sport.
After the assessment
After the assessment you'll meet with your Safeguarding team lead. Together you'll go through the assessment and discuss your sport's safeguarding practices and processes.
After the meeting
After the meeting you will receive a report. You can use the report to help your sport develop a Safeguarding Risk Action Plan.
Our Safeguarding team lead will give you ongoing support through regular meetings. This is an ongoing process to help your sport build your safeguarding ability.
You'll need to do a yearly self-assessment to find where you can make more improvements.
Sports funding
Once sports sign up to the program, we’ll give them more information about how to apply for funding for any projects, activities or ideas in their Safeguarding Risk Action Plan.
Support
We work in partnership with sports. Sports who sign up to the program can access our expert resources, education and support materials.
Program length
We designed this program to support ongoing improvement. This also helps sports to stay up to date with changes in requirements and expectations.
As every sport is different, they'll be at different stages putting safeguarding into practice.
Compliance
Our program is not a compliance piece. A sport will not be awarded a certificate for doing the program.
Our program supports sports to show their ongoing commitment to safeguarding. This will help with state and territory legislation requirements, community and member expectations connected to safeguarding.
Supporting all levels of sport
NSOs and NSODs can lead cultural change to focus on safeguarding. This program supports them to put in place safeguarding practices and processes. They can then share these across all levels of their sport.
This program delivers and promotes a consistent nation-wide approach to safeguarding. It's aligned to the National Principles, that supports the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy and the standards that exist in many states and territories.
Program outcomes
By signing up to the program, it can provide better outcomes for your members, including children and young people. This can increase participation numbers in your sport. It can also lead to greater revenue raising and improve your sports' reputation in the community.
The program aims to:
- build the capability of sporting organisations
- prioritise the safety of children, young people and all members
- enhance knowledge and understanding of how to respond to child abuse threats
- enable sports to show their commitment and leadership in safeguarding all members at all levels.