GUIDE TO
SAFEGUARDING
for Member Federations

www.worldathletics.org

Guide to Safeguarding for Member
Federations
Member Federations who do not have a safeguarding
policy should use the Safeguarding Starter Packinitially to consider the steps they need to take toproduce one. This Guide is for Member Federations
who are beginning to establish a framework forsafeguarding and need further guidance to improveand develop it within their organisation as well as
within their clubs.

For more information
please contact Karena.Vleck@worldathletics.org
and Annie.DAVIS@worldathletics.org

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
2

Contents
1.

Benchmarking .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  4

2.

Writing and developing a Safeguarding Policy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  4

3.

Safeguarding Rules .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  8

4.

Concerns, Suspicions and Allegations  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  8

5.

Consultation  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10

6.

Safeguarding Officer .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  10

7.

Recruitment  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  11

8.

Job Descriptions  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  13

9.

Training .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  16

10. Codes of Conduct  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  16
11. Risk Assessments and Safeguards  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
12. Advice, Guidance and Support  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 19
13. People with additional vulnerabilities  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 19
14. Record Keeping .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  19
15. Partnerships .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  20
16. Implementing and embedding a safeguarding policy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
17. Monitoring, evaluation and review  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
18. Checklist .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  22

Appendices
Appendix 1  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  30
Appendix 2  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  38
Appendix 3  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  41
Appendix 4  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  42
Appendix 5  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  48
Appendix 6  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  56
Appendix 7  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  57

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations3

1.

Benchmarking

Member Federations (“MFs”) should consider theircurrent position within the safeguarding landscape.
Assessing their own situation and benchmarking it
will enable MFs to improve their provision and decide
what needs to be done in the future to safeguard bothchildren and adults in the sport.
At the end of this Guide there is a checklist MFs
should use to assess their safeguarding situationand produce an action plan for future development.
It is important to note that the World Athletics
Safeguarding Policy is about safeguarding adults aswell as children from harm. MFs should ensure thatany safeguarding policy or policies they have are foreveryone involved in athletics – athletes, coaches(by which we mean all athlete support staff), officials,
volunteers – of every age. Children are, however, more
vulnerable due to their age, than adults are and as aresult will require more care and protection from harm.
Adults with additional vulnerabilities due to disabilities(mental or physical), financial situation or age also need
to be protected more than adults who do not haveadditional vulnerabilities. MFs should consider theiraudiences and take this into account when writing asafeguarding policy.
MFs should consider the legal frameworks as wellas their constitution, rules and any governmental
constraints in the countries they operate. Advice andguidance from the National Olympic Committee, local
agencies, legal advisors and safeguarding specialists
should be taken to ensure that any legislation or
government guidance is met when complying withthe requirements of this guide. Consideration of local
knowledge and the context within which an MF works
will help to make sure their policy is culturally sensitive;
this will help to engage with the local audience andstakeholders.
MFs should ensure that safeguarding will be discussed
and taken seriously by leaders of their organisation.
MF’s board members must understand andacknowledge that safeguarding is their responsibility.
The importance of safeguarding must be recognised
and understood by all those in the MF, but it mustbe acknowledged particularly by the leaders of the
MF for any policy to be approved, implemented
and the culture of respect and dignity embeddedin the organisation. Board members must lead anduphold all the values and principles enshrined in theirsafeguarding policy. A board with a safeguarding“champion” is likely to work safeguarding into every
aspect of their remit better than one without.
Additional further guidance may be found from theInternational Safeguards for Children in Sport who haveproduced a simple self-audit which is another useful
tool to assess the safeguarding situation of an MF.

2.

Writing and developing a
Safeguarding Policy

TEMPLATE SAFEGUARDING POLICY FOR MFS
There is a template safeguarding policy at Appendix 1
available as a starting point for MFs who do not havea policy already or who want to update their current
policy to ensure that it meets the requirements ofWorld Athletics. It should be noted that this template
may be adapted and added to by the MF where it isappropriate. Using experts with local knowledge andunderstanding of the context within which the MF
works will also help to make the policy bespoke to theculture of the area and is advisable. Making sure thepolicy is culturally sensitive is essential to a community
fully taking ownership, implementing and using a policy.
There is a “How to create a Safeguarding Policy foryour Member Federation” video available to guide you
through the steps if you need it.
It should be emphasised in any safeguarding
policy that whilst it is important for everyone to beaware of the procedure for reporting concerns it ismore important for MFs to promote best practice,World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
4

raise awareness of the principles upholding goodsafeguarding, educate and train their community to thebest of their abilities.
•

Statement of commitment to safeguarding andprinciples

The statement of commitment is the “policy”, and it
must be made in very clear and unambiguous terms
stating that abuse, harassment and exploitation will not
be tolerated in any form in the MF. It must state clearly
that everyone within the scope of the policy must be
respected and treated with dignity. The policy is toprotect athletes, coaches (by which we mean all athlete
support staff), officials, volunteers and board members– everyone. It is very important that everyone
understands their rights and duties in the safeguarding
arena. The principles upon which the policy is based
are clearly stated and underpin the policy. Including
statements around the values of an organisation are
also useful such as “we believe that athletes have theright to participate in sporting environments which aresafe and respectful of them”.
•

Definitions

members. Coaches, officials or volunteers may be
abused by others. It is important to ensure that this is
made clear in the policy so that it does not give theimpression that it is only certain types of people who
behave in this way.
It is useful to include a clear statement explaining themeaning of “safeguarding”. It has a wider meaning than“child protection” and it may require some time for theuse of the word to become widespread.
•

It is important to establish who falls within the scopeof the policy; this will mean who must comply withthe terms of the policy and who will be subject topotential disciplinary action should they fail to adhere
to the terms of the policy. Only those within thejurisdiction of the MF can be taken through theirdisciplinary process, however, it is possible to influence
culture change and adherence to all those within theathletics community and not just those under the MF’s
jurisdiction.
•

The definition of a child - a person under the age of 18- should be made clear in any policy to ensure that thisis understood by all who read the document. This may
not be the legal age of an adult in every country but it
is generally understood to be the case by the United
Nations Convention of Rights of the Child and it issuggested that this should be adopted by the writersof any policy within the MF.
The definitions of abuse, harassment and exploitation
should be included in any policy and may be adapted
to include further examples but should not be
restricted or significantly amended in any way.
Abuse, harassment and exploitation can beperpetrated by both men and women and is often
where one party is in a position of power over theother but it can be perpetrated by peers and family

Scope of the policy

Reporting of Concerns

Everyone within the athletics community of an
MF needs to know how to report a concern andunderstand the process which will be followed by theMF’s Safeguarding Officer and the other local agencies
involved. It is essential that this information is easy toconvey to all those in the MF’s community to ensure
they approach the right person within the MF if they
have a suspicion or concern about a child or adultwithin the sport. The issue of mandatory reporting andconsent should also be addressed in this section of thepolicy. It should also be made clear that concerns will
be reported to senior managers within an MF. An MF’s
board members are responsible for safeguarding and it
is important they have an awareness of any significant
concerns that the MF is dealing with. However, it isimportant to maintain confidentiality and therefore
board members should not generally be told names
and details except in exceptional high-profile cases.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
5

Board members should be told about the numbers ofcases and the categories rather than specific details.
Investigating concerns or allegations should be doneby someone who is independent from the incident andthis should be made clear in the policy. The level of
independence will depend on the seriousness of theincident.

the MFs new safeguarding policy and to negotiateagreements taking into account these responsibilities
will broaden everyone’s safeguarding knowledge
and have significant influence on the promotion ofsafeguarding in the community. Raising awarenessabout safeguarding in this way within the wider
community will help to protect everyone as a result.
••

Reporting Flowchart

Flowcharts are a helpful way of showing the process
to follow when a concern is reported. The templateflowchart for reporting a concern of abuse, harassmentand exploitation at Appendix 3 is a very genericversion but gives a simple explanation of what is acomplicated process. It is important when considering
flowcharts how much information to include as well as
local legislation and government guidance. Concerns
should always be dealt with in a timely and efficientmanner keeping complainants informed throughout.
There are no specific time deadlines in the flowchart.
These could be added if they are part of a local
procedure.
•

Partnerships with local agencies

Partnerships with local government agencies, NGOS
and charities involved in children’s or adult social care,youth workers and gender officers, are important. MFs
and Safeguarding Officers should aim to work closelyalongside and develop good working relationships withthese agencies for the benefit of future cases. Sharing
information can be difficult between organisations andwill depend on local legislation but can be improved asa result of good relationships with these agencies.
Where MFs have partnerships with delivery partners,
sponsors, grantees and funders, the MF needs
to consider safeguarding when entering into newagreements as previous agreements may not havetaken into account any responsibilities that an MF
may have had under the terms of a new safeguarding
policy. Encouraging others to consider the terms of

Codes of Conduct - athletes, coaches, officials,
employees and volunteers

Codes of conduct (template at Appendix 2) are asimple way of communicating the expected behaviourof different groups of individuals with varied roles
within the MF as well as those associated withathletics. It is best practice to use codes of conduct toemphasise positive behaviour rather than setting out
a list of “what not to do”. These are discussed further
below at section 10.
•

Recruitment

The individuals who work or volunteer for the MF are
the most important aspect of safeguarding. They must
be able to understand the importance of safeguarding
as well as deal with concerns which are raisedsensitively and diplomatically. It may be that concerns
are raised about an individual who they know well,maybe a friend, and it can be difficult to maintain the
independence which is required from those involved.
This means that recruiting the right people to the rightroles is critical to embedding high quality safeguarding
into the organisation.
•

Training and Education

Induction programmes should ensure that when an
individual joins an MF they are given safeguarding
training. It is also important for everyone working
for an MF to ensure their safeguarding training andskills are kept up to date, with clear records of thistraining kept. Training should be given to athletes,
coaches, officials, board members and volunteers;
everyone involved in athletics should be offered

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
6

training. There are numerous different providers of
online safeguarding training resources including theInternational Olympic Committee’s Safe Sport website
which provides resources in a variety of languages
primarily for athletes. Appendix 6 lists training courses
and resources.

possible for safeguarding matters to be dealt with
under these procedures. It should be clearly statedthat breaches of the MF’s safeguarding policy will be
dealt with under disciplinary rules and procedures if
there are no further rules and regulation specificallydealing with safeguarding.

••Specific Guidance on areas of significant risk
within athletics

There are a variety of areas where it is helpful toexplain what is expected of all involved with the sportin certain scenarios. For example:– one to one meetings between adults andchildren;– group meetings with adults and children;– mental health care professional meetings;– one to one training sessions;– massages, rubdowns and physiotherapy;– changing areas;– use of recording devices;– photography;– travel;– social media, cyberbullying and internet usage;– “peer-on-peer” abuse;– independent investigations; and– general communications between children andcoaches or other adults.

It is advisable to have specific rules and regulations todeal with safeguarding making it clear that breaches ofthe policy, codes of conduct and the regulations will
be subject to the disciplinary procedures.
There is a template set of safeguarding rules which
MFs may wish to consider adapting for use at
Appendix 4.
Safeguarding rules will help to deal with incidents
as they are designed specifically for safeguarding
concerns as opposed to most disciplinary rules which
are designed for use in competitions or managing
members generally. An individual who is the subjectof a concern needs to be “risk assessed” to consider
whether there is a risk allowing them to continue tobe involved in the sport. This is not always easy, todo but by doing this, safeguarding measures such assuspensions can be implemented quickly.
•

There may be other areas where an MF may want to
explain the appropriate behaviour that they expect tosee from individuals and it is acceptable to add to thissection with such guidance. It may also be thought
useful for coaches to have specific guidance to ensure
they are fully aware of their rights and duties in theircapacity as a coach when dealing with athletes andtheir entourage.
•

Safeguarding Rules and Regulations

Adoption of the policy

This must be done in accordance with the MF’s
constitution and rules. The MF board will need toadopt the policy and everyone in the organisation
should sign up to it. The MF’s leadership may want
to also consider endorsing an implementation plan,
monitoring systems and evaluation.

Disciplinary Procedures

MFs should have established disciplinary procedures
already in use for competitions and should have themfor other aspects of managing the MF. It may beWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations7

3.

Safeguarding Rules

Athlete safeguarding is intrinsic to good governance.
Many MFs will have disciplinary mechanisms in place
for competitions; ensuring that these are linked to any
event safeguarding policies or plans is considered bestpractice. Safeguarding rules can ensure that this isclear and understood by all involved in the sport.
There is a template set of safeguarding rules at
Appendix 4 which MFs may want to consider
incorporating into their current rules to ensurethat safeguarding is addressed from a governance
perspective. Rules dealing with safeguarding areuseful so that they can address risk assessment andsuspension from the MF if the individual is considered
to be a risk to others.
MFs should make it clear who is required to follow
their safeguarding rules and who will be subject todisciplinary action should they not comply with them.
If an MF considers that they are not ready to develop
and adopt a set of safeguarding rules it should
consider if their codes of conduct are sufficientalongside any disciplinary process they may have. For
further information see section 10 below.

4.

Concerns, Suspicions andAllegations

i. Reporting Policy
Some countries require the reporting of child abuseto public authorities - this is often referred to as“mandatory reporting of child abuse”. The UnitedStates, Australia and Canada, for example, all havesome form of mandatory reporting applicable to all
citizens. Other countries such as Brazil, South Africa
and Malaysia require certain professions to reportsuspicions of child abuse. Some countries have a duty

to warn on the basis of a suspicion of abuse - it is
not necessary for there to be anything more than asuspicion of abuse. The local jurisdiction will indicate
the policy the MF adopts as to the reporting of childabuse. It is very important to research the mandatory
reporting requirements applicable to the MF to ensurethat these are clearly outlined in the policy.
It is important to be clear that it is not the
responsibility of the MF or the person who reports
their suspicions to the MF to decide whether thesuspicions are correct and abuse has taken place only
to report the matter to someone who is in a position togather the necessary information to be passed to therequisite agency to investigate the matter.
ii. Guidance on how to report a concern, suspicion or
allegation
MFs must make it very clear how a concern, suspicion
or allegation of abuse or harassment can be reported
i.e., face to face, telephone, email, electronic form or
paper form - and to whom it should it be reported.
Step by step guidance should be included in the MF’s
policy in a clear, simple and easily accessible format.
Reports may come from:•••a victim directly making a disclosure of abuse;a witness to the abuse; oran individual observing a number of indicators
in a victim over a period of time giving rise to a
suspicion that abuse has occurred.

A report may be made about an incident that has
occurred outside of the athletics community; thisshould still be reported to the MF as it will be possible
for the Safeguarding Officer to refer the matter onto the relevant authority. Just because it has not
happened inside athletics does not mean it is not the
MF’s responsibility. A victim may feel that they trust
their athletics coach and therefore make a disclosure
to them; that trust is valuable and as a result the coachmust be aware that they are responsible for referring

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
8the matter onto someone who is able to act on it
appropriately.
Reports should be sent to a central point within the
MF and one individual, usually the MF’s Safeguarding
Officer. The concern may need to be reported to an
external agency such as the police or social care/services. Senior managers within the MF may alsoneed to be told about concerns. Safeguarding Officers
should report high profile cases or those which may
have media interest to senior managers as well as
producing a regular report for management withnumbers, categories and outcomes for discussion andas an aid for strategic planning.
A reporting form should be developed by the MF for
use by the individual who is reporting the concern
ensuring that all the necessary information is collected
at the outset of the management of the concern. Sucha form may be referred to as an incident referral form or
similar. The form may be electronic as well as in paper
form; whichever is used they must be kept securely as
they contain sensitive data which is confidential andshould not be accessible by anyone other than thosespecifically managing the concern within the MF. A
template reporting form for MFs to use is set out at
Appendix 7.
Individuals need to be given guidance on how toreport a concern and the guidance should be madeavailable to as many people as possible. Providing
guidance to athletes about how to report any
concerns they may have needs to be done carefully
making sure they have information about their rights inthis area.
iii. Reporting Procedure
When a report is received, it must be dealt withpromptly by the person responsible for managing
them, usually the MF’s Safeguarding Officer. The
Safeguarding Officer then assesses the information
they have received and usually contacts the person
who has sent the form to the MF often known as the“referrer”. At this point it is important for the referrer tobe able to talk openly to the Safeguarding Officer andto provide any information still required - or to be able
to obtain that information.
The next step is consideration about whether or not
to refer the matter to any external agencies. It may
be possible for some concerns to be dealt with by the
MF or the club if it is a matter of “poor practice”.
If there is any doubt about this the concern should bereferred to local social services or the police for advice
and guidance. The MF will generally deal with mattersthat fall below the criminal threshold and clubs will deal
with matters of poor practice. Poor practice is usuallyconsidered to be lower-level behaviour which does notmeet a threshold of abusive. Anything which is criminal
in nature should be referred to the police or local social
services.
As mentioned senior management should be madeaware of any high profile concerns or those which
may result in media interest. If this is the case thenit may be necessary to engage professionals withmedia expertise.
The investigation of a concern must be dealt within a timely and efficient manner by an MF withcomplainants being kept updated.
iv. Investigation of a concern, suspicion or allegation
Once a matter or concern has been initially assessed by
the MF Safeguarding Officer, an investigation will need
to be carried out. This may need to be done by the clubor by the MF depending on the level of seriousness ofthe matter. The investigation must be carried out by
someone who is independent from the matter and notconnected to it in anyway. This is to ensure that there
is no conflict of interest and the investigator is able togive an objective report on the facts of the matter. In
some cases it may be necessary to appoint an external(not part of the MF or the club) investigator who isable to spend enough time interviewing witnesses
and others. An investigation must be carried out in an

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
9

efficient and timely manner by someone who is capableand experienced in such matters.
After an initial assessment it may be necessary
to consider whether it is appropriate to suspend
an individual provisionally in accordance with thesafeguarding rules (see Appendix 4 for templatesuggested safeguarding rules). If there is aninvestigation being carried out by another agency (thepolice for example) then it may be necessary to stop an
investigation; it will be necessary to discuss this withthe agency involved before continuing the investigation.
When the investigation is completed it is necessary
to consider the next course of action in accordancewith the safeguarding rules. A risk assessment should
be done to consider whether the individual posesa risk of harm to others. Then if it is decided that asuspension is appropriate to protect others from harm
it may be that this can be issued. It is possible tosuspend someone and give them the right to appeal
the suspension.
v. Reporting Flowchart
A generic flowchart showing an example of theprocess for dealing with concerns may be found at
Appendix 3. This can be adapted to take into accountmandatory reporting or other steps in the process ifnecessary.
Including information about local procedures will help
all those working within the MF understand how they
are combined to work together.

5.

Consultation

Taking account of and listening to the views of bothchildren and adults and using these opinions todevelop and implement safeguarding policies andprocedures will ensure that the policy is meaningful
as well as promoting a culture where everyone feels
valued. Organisations sometimes find it difficult tocarry out consultations and involve their stakeholders
in such development but it should not be seen as
impossible. It is suggested that MFs consult with theirstakeholders once a draft safeguarding policy has
been produced by the MF in accordance with advice
and guidance.
Examples of ways to obtain the opinions of others are:
•
•
•
•
•

informal conversations;focus group discussions;carrying out surveys;
inviting them onto committees; andcarrying out training and education.

All of these will give opportunities for discussions andexchange of opinions and views which can then beworked into the policy or code of conduct. Usuallywhen the reason for their involvement is explained
people are keen to be part of the project and arepleased that their opinions and view are important andbeing listened to.
It is useful to consult with athletes, both adults andchildren, particularly in the design of policies orcodes of conduct to ensure that they understandwhat they mean. This helps to empower athletes
within their own daily lives as well as in a sporting
context. Using templates is another way of finding out
what they think about a matter and means there is a
starting point which is less daunting than producing a
document from a blank piece of paper.

6.

Safeguarding Officer

It is essential for every MF to have a named person
within their organisation responsible for safeguarding.
This may mean that they are the person who receives
reports of concerns but does not actually conduct
investigations possibly passing the information on tosomeone with this responsibility who sits outside theMF and is independent from it, or to someone withina separate section of the MF. Regardless of this there

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
10

must be someone who is responsible for implementing
and overseeing the implementation of the safeguarding
policy. This person may also have other responsibilities
within the MF and hold other job titles; it is notessential to appoint a new person to this role.
The Safeguarding Officer will have the following
responsibilities:
•
•

•
•
•
•
•

•
•

•
•

•

Recording concerns which are reported to the MF;
Requesting any further information which is
missing from the report but which is consideredappropriate;
Dealing with them in accordance with local
legislation and guidance;
Reporting regularly to senior management on
number, categories and outcomes of concerns
Presenting an annual safeguarding report to the MF
board meeting
Considering mandatory reporting requirements;
Considering if the matter needs to be referred to
local agencies such as the police or social services
and providing them with the necessary information
if a referral is required;
Providing support and guidance to all who of theindividuals involved in a case;
Carrying out any investigations of concerns or
allegations in a timely and efficient manner where
there is no criminal offence and social services are
not involved - often referred to as cases of “poorpractice” or “low level concerns”;
Working alongside any disciplinary processcontinuing to provide support during this process;Having a clear understanding of the confidentiality
laws and the requirement to obtain consent for
the release of certain information as well as theoccasions on which information may be released
without consent; andTraining other staff members, officials, volunteers,
athletes (both adults and children and parents toraise awareness of safeguarding amongst all ofthese stakeholders.

A template job/role description is at section 8 below.

7.

Recruitment

Staff and volunteers (which includes officials) of an MF
may also have to comply with other policies producedby the MF dealing with the recruitment, training andjob descriptions as referred to in this section and 8
and 9 below. This guidance should be reflected inthese polices where appropriate.
Recruitment of staff and volunteers is a very important
aspect of safeguarding; good recruitment practicewill help to promote good safeguarding within an MF.
Sport relies on both staff and volunteers to provide
the necessary coaching, administration and officials
to run clubs, competitions and training sessions for
all involved. To create safe environments for athletes
to flourish the staff and volunteers must be recruitedeffectively following the principles of what is known
as “safer recruitment” and set out below. This has theeffect of not only recruiting high quality staff andvolunteers it also discourages individuals who may
want to become part of the athletics community inorder to gain access to children.
In recent years there has been much in the media
about the abuse that has happened in a variety ofsports - football, gymnastics and swimming to name afew of the high-profile sports which have had to deal
with cases of abuse. It must be recognised that abuse
can happen in any sport but there are steps which canbe taken to make it more difficult for those who wish
to take advantage of sport as an opportunity to abuseathletes. By making the recruitment process robust it
has a deterrent effect on these individuals. It showsthem that safeguarding is important to the organisationand that it is taken seriously.
It is also important to understand that individuals
who want to abuse others within an organisation are
not always obvious. They can be very plausible andmake themselves very useful to organisations and as aresult no-one considers them to be capable or likely toabuse athletes. They effectively “groom” not only thetarget but also those working within an organisation

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by being helpful, capable and willing to go out of
their way to take on tasks that many others are notprepared to undertake. It is therefore a good idea to bea little bit suspicious of people who are “over-helpful”
and are often able to do things which others are notjust because they are seen as indispensable. Healthysuspicion is essential in safeguarding. If an individual
has nothing to hide then they will understand thereason for the suspicion.
Recruiting staff or volunteers starts with preparing aclear job/role description incorporating the essential
qualifications and skills alongside the responsibilities
and activities required to fulfil the position. It is also an
opportunity to explain the culture of the MF and themessage that safeguarding is taken seriously and is
everyone’s responsibility.
The following safer recruitment principles should beconsidered when recruiting to roles working withchildren particularly, but also to any roles within the
MF. Whilst it may not be practical to follow all of these
it is strongly recommended that as many as possible
are built into the MFs recruitment process.
•AdvertisingSome roles in an MF may need to be advertised toensure that as many high-quality individuals are awareof the role and apply for it. This is an opportunity topromote the culture and any safeguarding messages.
Any background or criminal records checks required
will need to be mentioned in the advertisement.
•Interviews/MeetingsOnce a short list of applicants (whether volunteers
or staff) has been prepared interviews can be carriedout; questions about safeguarding for certain roles
should be considered and the answers challenged if
necessary. Interviews do not need to be overly formal;
they can be held anywhere which is quiet enough tohold the conversation, and do not need to be lengthy
provided the important issues are covered. Interviews

should include questions about an applicant’s values,
past experiences, their life and their safeguarding
experience and understanding as well as their
qualifications for the role.
•

Background checks/criminal record checks

Any background checks which are legally required
prior to the appointment to certain roles, in particular
those working with children or adults who areparticularly vulnerable, should be done quickly toensure the results are available prior to the appointee’s
start date for the role.
•

References

When an appointment is made (whether for a volunteer
or staff) references should be requested from at least
two individuals who are able to provide references
about the appointee and vouch for them. The referees
should be specifically asked about any concerns whichhave previously been raised about the appointee’s
conduct as well as how they behave towards others.
These will usually be from the current or previous
employer and another may be from someone who
knows the appointee in another capacity, perhaps
personally. When these are received, they should bechecked for their veracity - telephone the person andhave a conversation with them, look them up on theinternet or email them.
•Induction

As part of the interview and application process any
further safeguarding training should be discussed. An
individual who has not worked or volunteered withthe organisation should be inducted into the role inparticular by explaining the expectations set out inthe code of conduct applicable to their role. This is
another chance to embed the culture and importanceof safeguarding. The MF’s safeguarding policy,
flowcharts and any other similar documents should be
explained and talked through to ensure there is a goodunderstanding of their responsibilities.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
12•Training

If the role is one which involves working with children
suitable safeguarding training should be organised assoon as possible for the individual. World Athletics will
be able to provide guidance on suitable training andwhere it may be found.
•

Monitoring and appraisals

Monitoring an individual’s behaviour and understandingof safeguarding is essential and should be done
regularly. Regular appraisal of all staff and volunteers
should be done to ensure that safeguarding is being
implemented appropriately. This will also help tohighlight any areas where additional training may berequired - both in safeguarding and also any otherareas of responsibility.

8.

Job Descriptions

Job descriptions within the MF (whether for volunteers
or staff) should clearly state that it is expected thatcolleagues, athletes and other stakeholders are alltreated with dignity and respect. A clear statementthat safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility should
be made even if the role is not one with a direct
safeguarding remit.
On the following page is a sample job description for a
Lead Safeguarding Officer in a Member Federation.

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Safeguarding Officer Job Description
THIS IS A ROLE WHICH MAY HAVE OTHER TITLES SUCH AS NATIONAL LEAD SAFEGUARDING OFFICER ORDESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD.
An introduction to the organisation is useful at this point for example:
This Member Federation is responsible for the leadership, governance and development of athletics within[geographical area] holding events and competitions for athletes as well as providing training, education andservices to coaches, officials, volunteers and members. [MF] is committed to providing a safe environment for all
those associated with athletics to compete, watch and work within the sport. As such the role of Lead Safeguarding
Officer is an essential one given the status it deserves within the organisation.
Description of the role
The appointed person within the MF with primary responsibility for managing and reporting concerns about children
or adults and for establishing procedures to safeguard athletes in the organisation, including supporting club andregional safeguarding officers, where necessary.
Duties and responsibilities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Work to create a positive, athlete-centered environment within the sport
Work to ensure everyone is treated equally and with dignity, respect and empathy
Play a lead role in developing and establishing the MF’s approach to safeguarding children and adults – a key role
within the organisation
Manage cases of poor practice and abuse reported to the organisation – including a system to record thesecasesWork with senior management when dealing with high profile cases and ensure these are reported to them
Report regularly to senior management on numbers, categories and outcomes of concerns
Present an annual report on safeguarding to the Board
Manage referrals to children’s or adult’s social-care services and the police
Central point of contact for internal and external individuals and agencies
Ensure investigations are carried out in a timely and efficient manner with complainants being updated regularly
Represent the MF at external meetings related to safeguarding
Coordinate the dissemination of policy, procedures and resources throughout the MF and to the athletics
community
Provide advice and support to local club safeguarding officers and assist if necessary in their recruitment,
selection and training
Advise on the MF’s training needs, the development of a training strategy and provide training where appropriate
Play a lead role in maintaining and reviewing the MF’s implementation plan for safeguarding and protecting
childrenEnsure safeguarding standards are met and maintained
Keep own knowledge and skills up to date

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SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Required:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Athlete-focused approach
Ability to work with conflict and emotionally distressing matters
Communication skills
Ability to develop and produce national level guidance and resources
Administration and systems (records) management skills
Advice and support for all levels within the MF
Ability to promote and demonstrate anti-discriminatory practiceInfluencing skills

Recommended:•

Ability to deliver core training through different levels within the MF

Knowledge Required:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Role and responsibilities of local social service agencies
Planning processes for safeguarding and child-protection enquiries and investigations
Understanding of behaviour that is harmful to children and adults
Understanding of thresholds of poor practice and abusive behaviour
Legislation, government guidance and national framework for safeguarding
MF’s role and responsibilities
Boundaries of the safeguarding officer roleMF’s policy and procedures related to safeguarding and protecting children and adults
Core values and principles of work with children
Equality issues and safeguarding
Understanding and awareness of the behaviour of adults who groom children and other adults for abuse
Best practice in prevention

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15

9.

Training

Training is a very important aspect of goodsafeguarding practice. Everyone who is employed byor volunteers for the MF should receive safeguarding
training and those with roles working with children
should have specialist safeguarding training
highlighting the specific responsibilities they havein their roles. Training should be given to athletes,
coaches, officials, board members and volunteers;
everyone involved in athletics should be offered
training. This may be tailored to their role in the MF
or it may be the same for everyone. Athletes should
be given training to ensure they are aware of theirrights and duties to ensure they fully understand theimportance of safeguarding.
As well as delivering training for abuse, harassment andexploitation to athletes, their entourage should also
be trained to identify the symptoms and indicators toenable them to prevent it from occurring.
Coach specific training is also important as they are a
key element of athletic performance and a coach with agood understanding of safeguarding will be protecting
himself as well as this athletes.
There are many organisations that will provide
safeguarding training which will be specific to thelocation the MF works in. It is also possible to accessonline safeguarding training but it is recommended thatface to face training is given first and online training isused as a refresher. In-person workshops and training
sessions are more interactive and will generally have abetter impact on the audience than online training.
If an MF decides to develop its own training it isimportant to obtain the input of an expert who is able
to provide constructive criticism and evaluation toensure that all the necessary content is included in
the course.
There is a significant amount of material available froma variety of organisations working in this area and it

is possible to develop a training course combining all
the local information necessary which can be delivered
locally. It is a good idea to ask the National Olympic
Committee and non-governmental organisations andnational charities if they are aware of any training inthis area. Resources which can aid this are signposted
in Appendix 6 below.

10. Codes of Conduct
Treating people with dignity and respect is one of thecentral principles of safeguarding and needs to beembedded within all aspects of an MFs’ work. A codeof conduct can be seen as a very simple set of rules for
all who are involved in athletics to follow and adhere
to. They can be applied in conjunction with a simple
disciplinary process as a preliminary step towards
developing and adopting a more comprehensive
set of safeguarding rules as described in section 3
above. They can also be a simplified set of rules which
complement an MFs safeguarding rules. In either casethey should be developed using local knowledge toensure they are both culturally sensitive and relevant.
Codes of conduct can be written for different groups
which outline the behaviour which is considered
acceptable from those groups and promotes bestpractice. For example, a code of conduct for coaches
will refer to training sessions, travel arrangements
and communication with athletes whereas a codeof conduct for officials will look at event planningand competitions. It is also important when writingcodes of conduct to think about the language andpresentation of the codes so that they are accessible
to everyone particularly the groups of individuals whoare subject to their terms.
It is suggested that codes of conduct are written for
the following groups:•••

Coaches
Officials - both technical and administrative
Adult Athletes

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•
•

Child AthletesAthlete’s entourage including parents and carers

There is a template code of conduct at Appendix 2
which may be used for all these groups but may also be
divided into separate codes if it is thought to be helpful.
MFs may also have codes of conduct for specific
events such as the following:•••

Travelling with children to training or events
Travelling with adults to training or events
Training children below certain ages in athletics
events - U8, U12, U14 etc.

The codes of conduct help to establish acceptable
standards of behaviour for all those associated withthe sport. They also explain what the MF expects
from these groups of people when they are away from
home, either with children or adults. Codes of conduct
should make it clear that it is important to treat
everyone with dignity, respect, equality and empathy.
How people address each other and respecting
cultural differences is also important and should beconsidered when preparing a code of conduct.

Clear boundaries should be established in codesof conduct about the use of social media and theinternet. Information about cyber-bullying andappropriate internet usage can be disseminated toeveryone in the community and everyone will benefit.
When writing a code of conduct it is advisable to makepositive statements rather than list all the behaviours
which must not happen. For example, it is preferable tosay: “treat everyone with fairness and respect” rather
than “do not have favourites” or “do not humiliate ordemean another person”. Promoting positive behaviour
is more likely to be accepted and embraced by those
involved as it is often perceived as less authoritarian.
Involving these groups when writing a code of conduct
is a simple and useful way of consulting them; it will
also give them “ownership” of the code and they are
more likely to follow and help enforce them.
It should be made clear in a code of conduct that abreach of any of the terms may lead to disciplinary
action being taken following an investigation being
carried out.

Abuse, harassment and exploitation usually occur
when there is a power imbalance between theindividuals and is often when there is an age difference
it can also happen between peers – people of similarages. There can be abuse between athletes or indeed
coaches, officials or any others involved in athletics.
This is sometimes referred to peer-on-peer abuse. It
should be dealt with in the same way as any other typeof concern. Abuse can also be perpetrated by family
members such as parents, partners and siblings.

Once a code of conduct has been written it isessential that it is accessible to everyone to read andunderstand otherwise it will be difficult to enforce
them. Reviewing codes of conduct regularly is anotherway of ensuring everyone is aware of their existence
particularly if the membership of an MF is growing andchanging regularly.

Travelling often raises issues and it is important tothink about how this might make everyone feel andbehave. Athletes can be vulnerable when travelling andsometimes boundaries are not as clear so reminding
those travelling that they are ambassadors for the MF,
the sport and their country, if travelling abroad, andshould behave appropriately.

When assessing the safeguarding risks involved in
putting on an event, using a venue, being involved inan activity or tour it is about:

11. Risk Assessments and Safeguards••

identifying the risks that might happen during an
event/tour;
considering who might be at risk of harm;

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17

•
•
•
•
•

how they are at risk;
actions which are already being taken to control
those risks;actions which will be put in place prior to the event/
tour;
who is responsible for these actions; andany deadlines for carrying out these action.

For example, athletes travelling to an event orcompetition, any risks involved in such travel and how
many adults will be needed to supervise any children
all need to be considered. Identifying the risks can be

Risk assessment for: MF
Carried out by:
Carried out: DD/MM/YY		
Riskdone more than once; a risk assessment should be a“dynamic” document. Risks may appear at different
stages of planning and so regularly referring back to
the assessment is important.
If a risk is considered too great and it is not possible tomitigate it, then the event or tour should not go ahead.
It is possible to find templates of risk assessments
online. Generally, they look like the one below:

Next review:

Who is affected? Controls in place

Action to betaken

By whom?

It is a good idea to keep the risk assessment at thefront of a planning file for any event or tour so thateveryone can see it and if necessary, add to it.

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18

By when?

12. Advice, Guidance and Support
All those within the MF who are responsible forsafeguarding should receive specialist support toensure that they able to carry out their role effectively.
Safeguarding can be a stressful, emotional and draining
role. Providing support and guidance to people inthese roles is essential. It may be provided by anotherorganisation such as a charity, Non-Governmental
Organisation or a community group with specialistsafeguarding expertise. Ensuring people are able totalk about problems within a confidential environmentand discuss matters anonymously with another person
who understands the responsibilities and requirementsof the role to help them play their part.
Advice and guidance about safeguarding should beavailable for children, parents, carers, athletes andanyone else associated with the MF especially thedetails of the person they should contact if they are inneed of help. Those involved in any reported concern
should have access to support if it is needed.

13. People with additional
vulnerabilities
There are children and adults who have additional
vulnerabilities and as such, care needs to be taken to
ensure they are properly safeguarded. It is importantto find ways of making the safeguarding policy known
to all who might otherwise find it difficult to accessdue to their race, age, sex, religion, disability, social
background or culture.
It is a good idea for this to be considered in any risk
assessment that is carried out for specific activities
or events.
Every aspect of the safeguarding policy should beconsidered with these vulnerabilities in mind and it
may be necessary for additional safeguards to be put
in place for them. Take time to consider what these
may be and the support that might be provided tothem to ensure they are able to access the sporting
opportunities athletics offers.

Details of the safeguarding policy should be madeextensively available so that the whole of theathletics community have an understanding of their
responsibilities, expected behaviours and duties toprotect both children and adults from abuse andharassment within the athletics environment.

Training may be necessary for staff and volunteers
to help them identify additionally vulnerable people
and to consider what safeguards can help to protect
them from abuse or harassment within the athletics
environment.

Creating networks with other organisations so thatexperiences and information can be shared is aneffective way of supporting each other. Holding
conferences and workshops can help to bring people
together and will encourage people to develop
working relationships with others in the safeguarding
sector as well as sharing learning and best practice.

14. Record Keeping

World Athletics is available to help advise and guide
MFs on safeguarding matters where necessary.

In order to monitor and evaluate safeguarding systems
it is essential to keep records of all the concerns,
allegations, complaints and incidents which arereported to the MF by anyone.
Reports should always be kept confidentially andsecurely to ensure that only individuals with permission
to access them are able to do so.

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19

15. Partnerships
MFs who are fortunate enough to have funders,
grantees, delivery partners and sponsors should workwith them to ensure that both organisations make their
expectations regarding safeguarding known to eachother. It is important to do this so that the various
different safeguarding responsibilities can be shared
out where necessary otherwise assumptions about
who will take on these responsibilities can be madeleaving a situation where no one does them. Whennegotiating new agreements, the MF safeguarding
policy should be shared and discussed with thepartner. This is also an opportunity to share bestpractice and resources.
The reporting of concerns is very important whenworking with partners and it may be that bothorganisations will need to know about any concerns
so that they can address the issues raised. The
investigation and disciplinary aspects should also be
clearly considered in any agreement between thetwo parties. It is important once agreement aboutsafeguarding has been reached that all those involved
are informed about the expectations of both parties.
MFs can influence and promote safeguarding topartners in these situations improving the safeguarding
and highlighting the importance of it throughout thecommunity.

16. Implementing and embedding asafeguarding policy
Once the safeguarding policy has been written,
adopted by the leaders and published on the website
many might think that is all that needs to be done.
That is only the start of the journey for an MF and thefirst step that needs to be taken on that journey is toensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities
and so communicating the policy and its contents tothe community is essential.

To assess where the MF is on the safeguarding “journey”
it may be helpful to do a “self-audit”. This will help the
MF identify areas of strength as well as weakness. Being
honest about the situation of the MF will give a good
indication of areas which need to be addressed.
The Checklist (which can be found at section 18
below) is a good starting point for carrying out a “selfaudit” and will highlight areas for action in the future.
It is important to raise awareness of the risks of abuseand harassment, particularly when looking after children,
to promote the status of safeguarding. It has beenrecognised by the United Nations in the Conventionof the Rights of the Child and as such it should beembraced as a key principle for all organisations.
Taking the safeguarding message out into thecommunities MFs service is essential. Listening
to various different groups in these communities
will highlight numerous perspectives and opinions
on the safeguards which are being implemented.
Not only adults and children but also the various
different groups within these groups - men, women,
individuals with a disability, etc. By taking these
opinions and views into account it will help to ensurethat the safeguards are equitable, inclusive without
stigmatising any particular group, flexible in order toaccommodate a variety of scenarios, clear and simple
to understand, accessible to ensure that everyone isable to understand it including children and people
with a disability.
To implement a safeguarding policy, it is essential to takethe policy out into the community with a clear message- this is important and we need to work with you to raiseawareness of the importance within your area.

17. Monitoring, evaluation and review
Once a safeguarding policy has been written andis being implemented its effectiveness needs to be
regularly monitored, evaluated and reviewed. It is not

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20

good enough to have a wonderful, well written andproduced policy that is not understood and properly
implemented by its intended audience. It is necessary
to adapt to changes in legislation, cultural changes andassess the impact the safeguards that have been put
in place are having to the children and adults inathletics. However, it is important to understandthat this is something which will take time to do andshould not be seen as essential to any safeguarding
implementation project.
Collecting information and data will help to improve
the programmes and events that are held by theMFs and clubs. It will assist MFs to plan for the
future and to provide programmes which will be wellreceived. Carrying out a regular - preferably annual- safeguarding audit will improve the systems put inplace to safeguard adults and children and create aculture of respect, dignity and integrity.
Surveying the adults and children who are participantsin the sport a significant amount of information will
be provided which can be analysed to help futureplanning.
Whilst an annual safeguarding audit is a good idea
monitoring and evaluation should be seen as an
ongoing regular task. By regularly discussing andconsidering safeguarding and working on implementing
the policy it will help to keep safeguarding high up
the agenda for all members of staff. Safeguarding
should be integrated into all the sectors of every MF
taking into account cultural sensitivities and publicly
supported by its leaders.
Reviewing the policy regularly, how it is implemented
and resources being used is essential and should not
be left until it is out of date. Annual review of thepolicy will ensure everyone considers its terms andhow it can be kept relevant to the sport.

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18. Checklist
Yes
1

Is there a safeguarding Review annually
policy clearlycommitting the MF
Is it clearly written
to safeguarding andand understood byprotecting everyone
everyone?
from abuse andharassment?
Is there an
implementation plan?

No

Resources and areasof consideration

Use the toolkit andtemplate to prepare afirst draft of a policy
for discussion andconsideration byathletes, volunteers,
officials and otherstakeholders

Policy template
Consultation
Annual review
Implementation plan
Monitoring systems
Evaluation plan

Consider who inthe organisation isbest place to takeresponsibility forsafeguarding on aninterim basis andthen consider theappointment of apermanent memberof staff and prepare aclear job description.

Safeguarding Officer
job description

Are there monitoringand evaluation
systems in place?
2

Is there a named
Is their job description
individual responsible up to date andfor safeguarding in the relevant to the workorganisation?
they are undertaking?
Do they have an
audience withsenior leaders andan opportunity topresent matters atboard level3

Are there MF rules orregulations dealing
with safeguarding
issues?

Do these need to be
Prepare draft
reviewed or updated? safeguarding rules
for consultation and
Are they reviewed
discussion by theannually?
relevant committee.

Recruitment policies

Disciplinary rules

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22

Red/Amber/
Green

Yes
4

5

Is there a clear
procedure to follow
when complaints orconcerns are raised?
Is there a flowchart
to follow showing theprocedure?

Does it need tobe reviewed or
updated? Does the
flowchart incorporate
mandatory reporting
procedures?

Are there partnerships
in place with local
agencies who deal
with child protection
and safeguarding
concerns?

Review recent cases
to consider how thesepartnerships mightwork better and if any
lessons can be learnt
from these cases.

No

Prepare a flowchartand consider what
the procedure shouldlook like and how itwill work. Consider
the implication of
local legislation andStep by step guidance guidance and how theto make the procedure procedure will work
to be followed clear
within this framework.
and child friendly.
Take mandatory
reporting into accountif necessary.

Resources and areasof consideration
Generic procedure
flowchart
Mandatory reporting
requirements andlegislation

Contact local agencies- police, children’ssocial services,child protection
organisations,charities and anyother organisations
Are there good
dealing with providing
working relationships safeguarding support
with these agencies? such as human rights
Can anything be done associations and otherto improve theseNGOs.
relationships?
Consider workshops,
Networking, sharing
conferences andand learning fromother networking
cases.
opportunities.

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Red/Amber/
Green

Yes
6

Are there documents
outlining acceptable
and appropriate
behaviours forcoaches, athletes andofficials?

No

Review codes ofconduct and consider
if they are clear
enough.

Consider codes ofconduct and thevarious groups forwhom it is importantto have clear codes
Carry out consultation of behaviour set out
with athletes andand then carry out
other stake holders on consultation withcodes of conduct.
these groups.

Resources and areasof consideration
Draft codesof conduct forconsideration andconsultation
Survey groups about
expectations andbehaviour

Are there othergroups which might
benefit from codes ofconduct?
78

Are pre-recruitment
Are these policies up
checks such as
to date? Is everyone
background or police aware of thesechecks carried out?
requirements?
Is there a clear policy
on how to recruit for
certain roles whichhave contact withchildren or vulnerable
adults and may require
specific skill sets?

Consider the legal
requirements that
there may be fordifferent roles in theorganisation andprepare draft policy
for recruitment in theorganisation.

Are there training
sessions andeducational resources
available for MF staff
and volunteers to
support and assist
with safeguarding?

Consider where tofind appropriate
training courses andeducational resources
for the relevant group.

Are these resources
up to date and still
relevant? Have they
been updated withfurther informationon other aspects ofsafeguarding such as
grooming, peer onpeer abuse, children
with additional
vulnerabilities, cyberbullying and mental
health issues?

Job description
HR policies
Legal requirements
Background/criminal
record checkrequirements

Make sure that job
descriptions forthese roles refer torecruitment checks.
IOC training
resources,
NSPCC training
resources, UNICEF
Charity resources

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24

Red/Amber/
Green

Yes
9

Does the MF regularly
carry out consultation
sessions with various
stakeholders on
safeguarding?

No

Do the results ofconsultation feed into
the decision-making
process for their own
protection?

Consider how best to
listen to the voices of
stakeholders aboutsafeguarding issues
to ensure that they
are involved in the
Are these consultation decision-making
sessions carriedprocessesout regularly toensure the policy isregularly reviewed andupdated?

Resources and areasof consideration
Surveys - online andofflineGroup discussions
Workshops
Conferences
Informal conversations

These consultation
sessions are withchildren, parents andstaff as well as adultathletes?
10

Does the disciplinary
process in the MF
sufficiently address
safeguarding witha multi-disciplinary,multi-agency
approach?

Review the structure Should a review
of disciplinary process panel with specialist
occasionally.
safeguarding beestablished to
Review decisions
consider cases orand consider other
only to deal withorganisation’s
disciplinary cases?
approach - what canbe learnt from othersports disciplinary
processes?

Disciplinary rules
Other sports
disciplinary rules
Safeguarding Rules

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Red/Amber/
Green

Yes
11

No

Do partnership
New partnershipagreements with other agreements containorganisations such
safeguarding terms
as funders, grantees,
which reflect the MFs
sponsors and delivery safeguarding policy.
contain safeguarding
terms?
Partners are
signposted toNote:other safeguarding
This is only relevant
resources suchto MF’s who are lucky as Internationalenough to have such Safeguards for
relationships.
Children in Sport for
support.
This is only for
relationships going
Expectations
forward and should
clearly set out as
not be applied
well as stating who
retrospectively tois responsible foragreements already in which aspects ofexistence. Where there safeguarding.
are agreements inexistence discussions Reporting of
may take place where concerns is clearly
relevant.
explained and the
responsibilities
delineated.

Contact partners
and discuss
expectations relating
to safeguarding.

Sharing of informationand learning is a
way of ensuringconsistency.

Promoting bestpractice and taking
the opportunity
the MF has toinfluence and improvesafeguarding acrossthe community.

Policy iscommunicated acrossthe community toraise awareness of
the importance of
safeguarding.

Resources and areasof consideration
New agreements
Sharing of policies

Discuss how toshare learning andexperiences.
Ensure agreements
are clear about
responsibilities
following any
negotiations.
Develop long term
partnerships that canbe worked on startingwith simple, clear
guidelines which havebeen discussed andagreed.
Review any older
agreements andconsider renegotiating
if necessary.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
26

Red/Amber/
Green

Yes
12

Is the implementationof the safeguarding
policy monitored?

Systems have beendeveloped to collectinformation andevaluate the impact
Note:of the safeguarding
This section should be policy
seen as aspirationaland only when theChildren, parents andprevious policies have carers are regularly
been actioned.
consulted about
the systems as they
are developed byproducing drafts ofdata for feedback
Gaps are highlighted
and trends identified
which help to makeplans for the future
Successes arecelebrated

No

Resources and areasof consideration

Decide what data
is available aboutsafeguarding and how
to collect it

Guidance about
monitoring of thepolicy will be provided
on request.

Start by collecting
Surveys anddata to benchmark the consultation with theimpact of the policy
community to findout how much theyConsider using local
know about the policy
NGO or NOC to
and its principles andmonitor and evaluate whether or not they
the data
have been embedded
successfully.
Try to work out what
data and informationis necessary to beable to identify trends
and to be able tomonitor how things
are working

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
27

Red/Amber/
GreenHow to assess the results
Where an item is marked as Red - it has not been doneor even started - then the first steps as set out in thecolumn marked No should be taken.
Where an item is marked Amber - it has been started
but it is not fully embedded in the organisation - thena plan should be drawn up and the steps that still need

to be taken should be set out with realistic time frames
set out.
Where an item is marked Green - it is being done andis part of the MF’s regularly monitoring and evaluation
programme - then any improvements will be small but
can still be part of an action plan.
An example of an Action Plan is set out below.

Action Plan
Safeguarding Policy - red

Named Safeguarding
Officer - red

Safeguarding Rules - red

Prepare draft using
template

Carry out consultation

Consider any monitoringand evaluation systems
which can be built into MF
systems

Identify individual withcorrect skill set

Consider recruitment

Draft job description

Consider current rules can these be amended toincorporate safeguarding?

Work with disciplinary staff
to improve current rules

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
28

AppendicesWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
29

Appendix 1
TEMPLATE SAFEGUARDING POLICY FOR MEMBERFEDERATIONSThis document should be produced with advice andguidance from local organisations involved withsafeguarding children and adults as well as otherorganisations to ensure that the Policy is culturally
sensitive and relevant. This is the best way to
produce a document which will be adopted by theMember Federation and understood by its members
and the wider community. A Member Federation
will need to decide if it is going to mandate its
members to have their own policies and proceduresor strongly encourage them to do this. The nameof the Member Federation should be inserted in the[ ] througout this document.

CONTENTS

1.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

[Member Federation] is responsible for promoting
athletics within [country] and for making it a safe
environment for children and adults to develop theirtalents and achieve their goals; these should be
fun and enjoyable experiences. This Safeguarding
Policy (“this Policy”) establishes the responsibilities
of [Member Federation] and [clubs] to ensure thatchildren and adults are able to participate in athletics
safely.

Introduction
Policy Statement of Commitment and Principles
Definitions
Scope of Policy
Reporting of concerns
Procedure flowchart
Codes of Conduct
Recruitment
Training & education
Disciplinary process
Review
Monitoring

Introduction

Upholding this Policy and promoting the best practiceprinciples contained within it will enable the Member
Federation to provide and create safe, happy andinspiring environments for their communities to enjoy
and participate in athletics.
Abuse may be carried out by men or women, or
children. It happens in every area of the world, inevery sport and organisation. No area can consider
itself to be exempt or protected from its impact.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
30

Abuse, harassment and exploitation occur when there
are power imbalances between individuals. Whenone individual is in a more powerful position, they
can take advantage of that and abuse, harassment
or exploitation may occur. The more vulnerable anindividual, whether because of age, disability, financeor status the more likely they are to be subject toabuse, harassment or exploitation.

2.

Policy Statement of Commitment
and Principles[Member Federation] believes that everyone in athletics
should be treated with respect and dignity and has theright to participate free from any abuse, harassment or
exploitation. [Member Federation] will protect everyone
within the scope of this Policy from such behaviour.
[Member Federation] believes that this right isregardless of the individual’s race, colour, age, disability,
sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity,religion or belief. [Member Federation] is committed topreventing abuse, harassment or exploitation towards
those who fall within the scope of this Policy and tocreating safe environments for all to participate andenjoy the sport to the best of their abilities. Athletes,
coaches (by which term we include all athlete support
staff), officials, volunteers and board members are allprotected by this Policy; they must all understand theirrights as well as their duties in this arena.
The principles on which this Policy is based are:• Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity
and respect, and to be free from discrimination
whether it is based on sex, race, age, ethnicity,
ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, beliefs,
religious or political affiliation.
• Everyone has the right to participate, enjoy anddevelop personally through athletics in a safe,
inclusive environment free from all forms of abuse,harassment or exploitation.
• Everyone, both children and adults, has the rightto have their voices heard particularly if raising a
concern about their own or another person’s welfare.

•

Everyone should know who to ask for help when
they have a concern about an individual’s behaviour.
Everyone is responsible for the care and protectionof children making decisions in their best interests,
as their welfare is paramount.

In order to achieve this [Member Federation] will:• acknowledge their board members’ responsibility to
implement and enforce this Policy and will appointa “Safeguarding Champion” to incorporate theprinciples of this Policy into all aspects of theirprogrammes;• have a named member of staff or volunteer who
is responsible for leading on safeguarding a“Safeguarding Officer”;• ensure everyone knows this named member of staff
or volunteer is the individual they can turn to if
they are worried or have a concern about anotherperson and their behaviour;• ensure that everyone is aware of their rights and theprocess that will be followed if a concern is raised;• produce and implement policies and procedures
including codes of conduct, rules and disciplinary
procedures and keep them up to date as
appropriate;• provide support and guidance to anyone who
needs it following a concern, complaint or allegation
being made;• educate and train all members of staff and volunteers
about how to deal with concerns and complaints;• deal with all concerns, allegations and complaints
in a fair, transparent, timely and efficient manner
ensuring all complainants are updated regularly;• carry out all investigations and adjudications ina manner that ensures an appropriate level of
independence to ensure there is no bias in the
resulting report or risk assessment;• deal with all information about concerns, complaints
or allegations confidentially (to the extent
permitted by law) and securely;• recruit appropriate people to roles, whether staff orvolunteers, carry out background checks, follow up
on references and ensure that only suitable people
are appointed; andWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
31

•

3.

work with local agencies, Non-Governmental
Organisations and community groups providing
support and guidance for social services to ensurethat everyone is kept safe.

Definitions

Abuse, harassment and exploitation
Abuse, harassment and exploitation are described
below. They can be perpetrated by both men andwomen and is often where one party is in a position of
power over the other. Where one individual has powerover another in a relationship it can lead to situations
where abuse is easier to occur. Vulnerable individuals
need to be protected and those in authority should
ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are put
in place. It is also important to understand that coaches,
officials or volunteers may be abused by others.
Psychological abuse is an unwelcome act including
vilification, belittling, rejection, confinement, isolation,verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation or
any other behaviour which may diminish an individual’s
sense of identity, dignity or self-worth. This is at thecentre of most types of abuse as when these occur sodoes psychological abuse. This can often be seen as
bullying or cyber-bullying.
Physical abuse is any intentional or unwanted act
for example kicking, beating, biting or burning whichcauses injury or physical harm. It can include theforced consumption of alcohol or systematic doping
practices. It can also be any forced or inappropriate
physical activity such as training which is unsuitable forthe age or physique of the athlete. Forced or excessive
training may escape notice in a sporting environment
as the ambitions of both athletes and coaches, as wellas peer pressure, may induce one or both to impose
or take on excessive training loads and/or competitioncommitments. Dialogue among athletes and coaches
aimed at setting mutually agreed and achievable
performance goals can help define tolerable andacceptable training demands. It is up to coaches totemper ambitions that may run counter to an athlete’s
health and wellbeing.
Sexual abuse is any conduct of a sexual nature, either
contact (penetrative or non-penetrative) or noncontact, where consent is not given, cannot be given,is coerced or manipulated. This can involve individuals
looking at or making sexual images, watchingsexual activities, encouraging others to behave insexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a person in
preparation for abuse.
Grooming is the process (whether online or in person)
whereby an individual builds a relationship with anathlete encouraging them to trust them so that thegroomer can manipulate and exploit them for their own
advantage. Grooming an athlete’s family, entourageand friends often leads those individuals to believethat the groomer is dependable and trustworthy
enabling the groomer to have access to the athlete. By
manipulating the athlete and exploiting the relationshipthey will make the athlete believe they have to comply
with the groomer’s demands. The power a groomer has
over the athlete is used to isolate them from friends
and family who might otherwise warn or caution themfrom complying with the groomer’s demands.
Harassment is unwanted or unwelcome behaviour
which offends or makes the person feel humiliated or
intimidated. Power harassment is where someone ina position of power over another individual, usuallyin a workplace, uses that power to physically or
psychologically harass another person in a lower
position. Power harassment can include exclusion,
inappropriate work assignments (too little, too muchor of a lower level that acceptable) as well as intrusive
behaviour.
Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome
conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal
or physical. Examples of verbal sexual harassment
include unwanted or degrading intimate questions
relating to body, clothes or one’s private life, jokes

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
32

with a sexual innuendo and proposals or demands for
non-consensual sexual acts. These may be unwanted
text messages, telephone calls, letters or otherforms of communication with sexual content. Nonverbal examples may include staring, gesticulation,or sharing photographs or pictures with sexual
allusions. Examples of physical sexual harassment are
unnecessary physical contact with a sexual nature suchas pinching, attempting to kiss or caress or touching.
Exploitation is when someone exercises control overanother person and/or their assets for their own“personal gain” and without the fully informed consent
of the person. Personal gain may be psychological,
reputational or commercial and constitutes exploitation
when the rights of a person are sold or negotiatedwithout express and fully informed consent of theother person. Examples in athletics may be fraudulent
misrepresentation of an athlete’s age or nationality,
acting on behalf of an athlete fraudulently or taking an
unreasonable share of the proceeds of sponsorshipor funding arrangements. Exploitation comes in manydifferent guises. Examples include sexual exploitation,
financial exploitation and signing up athletes to longterm contracts while they are still children.
Neglect is the failure to provide a minimum levelof care either physical or emotional which causes
harm, allowing harm to be caused or creating an
imminent danger of harm. This usually relates to thecare given by parents or caregivers to children but
is also relevant to other people who have a duty ofcare towards another person such as a coach or teamleader towards an athlete. This can include the failure
to provide adequate water in high temperatures,
adequate clothing in cold temperatures, suitable food,accommodation or safe travel arrangements.
Abuse, harassment and exploitation may be based on
race, religion, colour, beliefs, ethnic origin, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status and athletic ability or a combinationof any of these characteristics. It can be a single
isolated incident or a series of events, in person or

online, deliberate, unsolicited or coercive. Bullying,hazing and negligence all other aspects of harassment,
abuse or exploitation and should be treated in thesame way under the terms of this Policy.
Any of these forms of abuse, harassment or
exploitation may include an aspect of financial abuse.
It may be that an individual may be coerced into
signing contracts or agreements which benefit others
financially but are not necessarily of financial benefit
to themselves. Any element of coercion may be
abuse, harassment or exploitation if the individual isa child, if the individual has not authorised someone
to act on their behalf or if the individual has not beenadequately advised by an independent professionalsuch as an accountant or lawyer on the impact of theterms of the agreement.
There may be times when actions which might not
be abusive to one person may be abusive or harmful
due to the vulnerability of the individual who is being
abused. This may be due to the persons age, ability orother form of vulnerability.
Abuse, harassment and exploitation often result froman abuse of authority by someone in a position oftrust, meaning the improper use of power by someone
in a position of influence, power or authority by anindividual against another person. This is often when
there is an age difference but it can also happen
between peers – people of similar ages. There can beabuse between athletes or indeed coaches, officials
or any others involved in athletics. This is sometimes
referred to peer-on-peer abuse. It should be dealt within the same way as any other type of concern. Abusecan also be perpetrated by family members such as
parents, partners and siblings.
Child - a “child” or “children” refers to an individual orgroup of individuals who have not yet reached the ageof 18 years old.
Safeguarding - is the process of protecting vulnerable
persons, children and adults from abuse, harassment

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
33

and exploitation. Creating a safe and welcoming
environment where everyone is respected and valued
is at the heart of safeguarding. Everyone involved withathletics has a role to play in making sure they actively
prevent abuse, harassment and exploitation, listen toaccounts from children and adults of their experiences
and respond safely and fully if there is a problem.

4.

Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to [Member Federation], it’s
athletes, officials, staff and any other person
associated with [Member Federation]. This includes
officials, volunteers, members of an athlete’s entourage,
parents, carers and anyone associated with athletics
within [country in which the Member Federation isbased]. All those to whom this Policy applies mustcomply with the Policy. Any breaches of this Policyby these individuals will be subject to potential
disciplinary action.

5.

the age of 12 is different from that of a child between
the ages of 12 and 18 and between a child an adult.
If an individual refuses to give consent the matter may
still need to be reported. [This may be an area thatis addressed by local legislation or procedures andshould be included in this Policy].
Concerns, allegations and other matters reported
to [Member Federation] should be investigatedby someone who is not connected to the matterin any way. It is not necessary for an investigatorto be entirely separate from [Member Federation]
if it is a “low level concern”. The more serious theconcern or allegation the more necessary it is for theindividual investigating it to be separate from [Member
Federation]. If a concern is referred to the police, thenthey will carry out an investigation. Any investigation[Member Federation] carries out for a serious concern
should be done by an individual who is not connected
to [Member Federation] and is contracted to do theinvestigation ensuring it will be carried out withoutbias, efficiently and as quickly as is possible.

Reporting of concerns

Everyone is responsible for ensuring that no one
suffers abuse, harassment or exploitation. Therefore,
if anyone has any suspicions that a child or adult may
have been subject to abuse, harassment or exploitation
in some form or about the behaviour of anotherperson they must report these concerns to [Member
Federation]’s Safeguarding Officer so that they canbe assessed and dealt with appropriately. It may also
be necessary for the police or social services to be
involved and [Member Federation]’s Safeguarding
Officer will do this and coordinate the actions required.
If an individual is at immediate risk of serious harm
there should be no delay in reporting a matter to theemergency services. There are occasions when theconsent of the individual to report a matter should
be sought, taking into account their age and mental
capacity. The capacity for consent of a child underWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
34

6.

Reporting Flowchart[This is a generic flowchart which needs to beamended to take local procedures into account.]

Concern or suspicion raised by an individual about someone associated with athletics

Is a child or adult in immediate danger
or in need of medical attention?

No

Consent

Yes

Referral form to be completed to ensure as muchinformation is gathered at this stage and copy sent
to MF Safeguarding Officer

Consent

If Safeguarding Officer is unavailable
contact police, law enforcement
or social care advising them of apotential child protection matter

Contact MF Safeguarding
Officer for assessment ofincident against definition of
abuse and harassment in policy

Contact emergency services,
police, law enforcement or otherassistance as appropriate

Analysis of information, intelligenceand liaison by Safeguarding Officer
with Local agencies and publicauthorities Safeguarding Officer toprovide support and follow up

Potential
unlawfulbehaviour

Consideration of Provisional
Suspension in accordance with
Safeguarding Rules

Potential
disciplinary
matterInvestigation carried out by appropriate independent individual in timely and efficient manner
Local procedures to be followed- MF to work with local agencies
and make sure that all parties are
kept informed as to the process
to be followed

Refer to law
enforcement
agencies

Preparation of
disciplinary caseby MF

Disciplinary procedures canhappen in parallel with thoseundertaken by local agencies
with their permission

Safeguarding Officer maintains contact with all parties to provide support and guidance on the process
Outcome of judicial process and/or disciplinary
process communicated to all parties

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
35

7.

Codes of Conduct

A Member Federation should have codes of conduct
for their staff, executive and any others involved
with the running of the organisation. They should
consider any other audiences such as coaches,
athletes, medical support staff, officials and event coordinators. They can be as specific or as wide as isconsidered to be necessary provided the audiences
are made aware of the codes and asked to confirm
they will comply with it.
The [Member Federation] has the following codes ofconduct:• coaches;• athletes; and• [any others which [Member Federation] has decided
to have].

8.

Recruitment

All applicants for any roles, whether staff or volunteers
that work closely with children will be required toundertake background checks/criminal records checks.
All applicants will be required to attend an interview,provide two references and once appointed willattend an induction session. An interview will include
questions about the individual and their experience aswell as their knowledge of safeguarding. References
will be verified for their veracity and should be froman employer, either current or previous, and anotherindividual who has experience of the applicant’s
work with children or in sport. Induction sessions will
ensure that the successful applicant is aware of theirrole and responsibilities as well as information aboutsafeguarding policy and procedures.

All these codes of conduct are about treating otherswith respect, dignity, equality and integrity and are basedon the principle that everyone has value and is worthyof respect. They are designed to provide everyone
associated with athletics with the behaviour that is
expected of them by [Member Federation]. These codesshould form part of any training programme for thesegroups to ensure that everyone is aware of the existenceof the codes, the expectations of [Member Federation] andthe possibility of disciplinary action if they are not adhered
to. The codes have been developed following consultation
with the groups involved and will be regularly reviewed.

9.

Codes of conduct will be made available to the relevantgroups and displayed on any noticeboards, websites oron paperwork such as membership renewal forms.

10. Disciplinary Procedure

If an individual is aware of any other individual
breaching the relevant code of code then this should
be referred to the Safeguarding Officer as a concern forinvestigation and potential disciplinary action. Breachesof any of the codes of conduct may be dealt with
under disciplinary procedures if there are no specificsafeguarding rules in use by [Member Federation].

Training and Education

All members of staff of [Member Federation],
volunteers and officials will be given safeguarding
training relevant to their role within the organisation.
Those working with children will be given specialist
training specifically relating to their responsibilities forthe children in their care.
Safeguarding training should be undertaken regularly
at least [annually/every two years].

Breaches of this Policy and [Member Federation]’s
Safeguarding Rules will be dealt with under [Member
Federation]’s Disciplinary Procedures and should bereferred to for further guidance.

11. Review of this Policy
This Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
36

12. Monitoring
The monitoring of this Policy and the implementationof it will be carried out regularly as appropriate by[Member Federation] or an independent safeguarding
authority with the necessary expertise to do this task.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
37

Appendix 2•

TEMPLATE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERFEDERATIONSThis Code of Conduct is a generic template which
may be adapted by an MF to their specific needs.
Where a point has been marked with an * this is
optional and can be removed if it is considered
to be unnecessary for the Member Federations
requirements
This Code of Conduct is a clear statement of thecommitment by [Member Federation] to everyone ofits values, the expected standards of behaviour andintegrity of their staff, coaches (by which we mean allathlete support staff), officials, volunteers or all those
associated with athletics including those running[Member Federation].

MF to decide if to include the following in any Codeof Conduct or indeed include any further examples of
behaviours the MF would like to encourage or prohibit.
•
•
•

•

•
The following rules apply to everyone associated withathletics:• Respect everyone, value everyone’s worth and treat
everyone with dignity. Celebrate difference andpromote inclusion. Treat everyone equally and avoid
having “favourites”.
• Discrimination against anyone on the basis of race,
colour, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability,
religion, ethnicity, marital status, beliefs or socioeconomic
status is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
• Co-operate with everyone involved in athletics
and promote an environment free from harassment,
abuse and exploitation.
• Zero tolerance of the use of any prohibited
substance to enhance performance. Promote clean
competition and report any suspected prohibited
drug use to the appropriate authority.
• Listen to those reporting concerns and report
those concerns, misconduct or injuries to theappropriate person swiftly.
• Comply with [Member Federation]’s safeguarding
policy and other rules and policies of the [Member
Federation].

Lead by example, behave appropriately and bea good role model particularly when in charge ofchildren.

•*Challenge those who do not obey the rules or
behave inappropriately.
*Listen courteously to those who are teaching,coaching or providing advice, support or guidance.
*Smoking and consuming alcohol should be
avoided when attending athletics events,
particularly when responsible for children or
supporting athletes professionally.
*Be responsible for one’s own behaviour, conduct
and actions. Be punctual, well prepared andcorrectly equipped.
*Follow the instructions of coaches (by which wemean all athlete support staff), officials, managers
and other volunteers.
*Be appreciative of everyone’s time, effort andskills. Encourage and support everyone’s athletic
endeavours.

COACHES AND OTHER ATHLETE SUPPORT STAFF
•
•

•

•

Be appropriately qualified with any backgroundcriminal checks completed.
Coaching should always be age appropriate
and meet the needs of the athlete in terms ofexperience and ability.
There must always be a suitable number of coaches,
appropriate to the number and age of athletes
involved, in a training session or event.
It is not appropriate to allow an intimate relationshipto develop between coaches and athletes. Strict
boundaries between a coach and an athlete should
be maintained; if this is allowed to blur it causes
difficulties for both individuals as well as teammatesand others in the community.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
38

An intimate relationship between a coach (or any otherathlete support staff or adult) and an athlete under theage of 18 may be illegal [this will depend on the law in
the Member Federation country] and should never beallowed to develop.
• It is strongly recommended that coaches andofficials are not allowed to develop intimate
relationships between themselves and/or athletes
over 18 years of age.
• Avoid being alone with a child athlete; do not takethem in a car on their own; do not take them to acoach’s home; do not share a bedroom with a child.
• If it is necessary when training a child-athlete
to touch them, an explanation must be given tothem and they must be asked for their consent
before the coach touches them. If possible, thechild’s parents, designated care-givers or another
responsible adult should be involved in this
discussion.
• If it is necessary to supervise changing areas, thenadults should do so in same-sex pairs.

ATHLETES••

MF to decide if to include the following in any Codeof Conduct or indeed include any further examples
of behaviours the MF would like to encourage or
prohibit.
•••
The following are examples which and MF may wish
to include in a code of conduct. An MF is to decide
whether to include the following in any Code of Conduct
or indeed include any further examples of behaviours
the MF would like to encourage or prohibit.

Maintain strict relationship boundaries with a coachor any other adult associated with athletics. It is
not appropriate to allow a relationship to develop
between a coach or an official (or indeed any otherathlete support staff) and an athlete.
Always report any concerns, injuries, misconduct or
distress to the appropriate person in the club or toa parent or carer.

•*Be aware of how to handle dangerous athletics
equipment.
*Keep coaches informed if it is necessary to leavean athletics training session or event before it iscompleted.
*Know the rules of competition, follow them, play
fairly and pursue athletic excellence.
*Uphold the values of sportsmanship - fairness,
respect and generosity towards others - on and off
the field of play.

PARENTS AND CARERS OF ATHLETES
•

•

•

•
•

*Ensure equipment is s properly maintained andthat athletes are aware of their responsibility forensuring their own safety. Make sure athletes
are taught how to manage dangerous athletics
equipment and always follow these rules.
*Make sure athletes understand the expectations
coaches have of them as well as what they, as
athletes, can expect to receive from coaches.
*If a coach is asked by an athlete, who is alreadybeing coached by someone else, to provide further
coaching, it is correct to contact that coach todiscuss the matter.
*Encourage good working relationships based on
mutual respect and trust with all athletes.
*Avoid being critical, demeaning or sarcastic or acting
in a way which might affect an athlete’s self-esteem.

•
•
•

•
•

•

Inform the appropriate individuals of any relevant
medical information about your child.
Attend your child’s athletics training or events
where possible and take an active interest.
Be positive and encourage; be aware that yourattitude and behaviour affect your child and otherchildren’s attitudes.
Know where your child is and who they are with at
all times.
Avoid asking a coach to give your child a lift in acoaches’ car, particularly if there is no other athlete
joining.
Avoid allowing your child to visit a coach’s house
unless a parent or carer is also present.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
39

MF to decide if to include the following in any Codeof Conduct or indeed include any further examples
of behaviours the MF would like to encourage or
prohibit.
•••*Be pro-active with your child’s athletics
participation; check the qualification of coaches,club policies and any other professionals your childis involved with such as medical professionals orteam managers.
*Inform coaches or volunteers if your child will beabsent from training or events.
*Make sure coaches are aware of any othercoaching your child is receiving as a matter orcourtesy as well as to ensure that all coaches canprovide your child with the best support between
them.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
40

Appendix 3
REPORTING FLOWCHART
This flowchart is generic - it should be read andproduced for the MF within the context of local
legislation and government guidance.

Concern or suspicion raised by an individual about someone associated with athletics

Is a child or adult in immediate danger
or in need of medical attention?

No

Consent

Yes

Referral form to be completed to ensure as muchinformation is gathered at this stage and copy sent
to MF Safeguarding Officer

Consent

If Safeguarding Officer is unavailable
contact police, law enforcement
or social care advising them of apotential child protection matter

Contact MF Safeguarding
Officer for assessment ofincident against definition of
abuse and harassment in policy

Contact emergency services,
police, law enforcement or otherassistance as appropriate

Analysis of information, intelligenceand liaison by Safeguarding Officer
with Local agencies and publicauthorities Safeguarding Officer toprovide support and follow up

Potential
unlawfulbehaviour

Consideration of Provisional
Suspension in accordance with
Safeguarding Rules

Potential
disciplinary
matterInvestigation carried out by appropriate independent individual in timely and efficient manner
Local procedures to be followed- MF to work with local agencies
and make sure that all parties are
kept informed as to the process
to be followed

Refer to law
enforcement
agencies

Preparation of
disciplinary caseby MF

Disciplinary procedures canhappen in parallel with thoseundertaken by local agencies
with their permission

Safeguarding Officer maintains contact with all parties to provide support and guidance on the process
Outcome of judicial process and/or disciplinary
process communicated to all parties

World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
41

Appendix 4
TEMPLATE SAFEGUARDING RULES FOR MEMBERFEDERATIONS
Note: This template sets out the principles required
for Safeguarding Rules to be established but they willneed to comply with local legislation and adapted towork alongside a Member Federation’s disciplinary
rules and the rules relating to the establishmentof any appeal panel. The name of the Member
Federation should be inserted in the [ ].
These Safeguarding Rules are based on a risk
assessment of an individual being carried out prior toa sanction being imposed by the Member Federation.
The intention is to reduce the workload involved
in dealing with concerns and allegations whilst still
ensuring that the environment for athletics is as safe
as possible.

from children’s or adult’s social care, probation,
police, legal or similar backgrounds with previous
experience of this type of work.
The case management group will consider all cases
where a sanction is being considered by the Member
Federation and are of a level of seriousness which
warrants such a consideration. The members of thecase management group may be required to meeturgently to consider an immediate sanction. They
may need to consider such matters either over the
telephone, remotely via appropriate platforms, or byemail to make a decision on the required sanction to
be imposed. Decisions should be recorded in writing
and minutes of all meetings kept, whatever platformor format is used for the meeting.

The term “clubs” is used throughout this document;
this can be adapted according to the constitutionof the Member Federation and its relationshipwith its members whether they are clubs or otherorganisations.
The Member Federation will need to establish a casemanagement group to review and decide on cases
which are referred to them. The group should bemade up of at least three individuals who are able
to carry out risk assessments on cases which arisein the Member Federation’s territory. It is advisedthat at least three people (minimum) are involved in
making any decisions but that there are at least fiveindividuals involved in the group. These individuals
will need to know and understand the sport ofathletics and how it is managed in the territoryof the Member Federation. Membership of thecase management group should therefore include
someone from the Member Federation (whether staff
or volunteer) and others ideallyWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
42

1.

GeneralWorld Athletics is committed to protecting all those towhom the World Athletics’ Safeguarding Policy applies
from abuse, harassment and exploitation, ensuring
everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
These Rules are aimed at protecting the welfare ofthose to whom [Member Federation]’s safeguarding
policy applies from abuse, harassment and exploitationand to establish procedures for concerns, suspicions or
allegations to be dealt with.
It should be noted that from time to time World
Athletics may request information from [Member
Federation] in relation to a particular matter which falls
under the scope of these Rules then if so, [Member
Federation] will need to provide such informationaccordingly.

2.

Scope

All Participants are bound by these Rules and agree:• not to engage in prohibited conduct as describedin section 3 below;• to comply with the relevant [Member Federation]’s
Code(s) of Conduct;• to comply with World Athletics’ safeguarding
policy;• to comply with [Member Federation]’s safeguarding
policy;• to be bound by the terms of these Rules even after
they are no longer a Participant in so far as any
obligations may continue to exist or for any mattersthat may arise after they are no longer a Participant
but occurred during a period before that date.
It is every Participant’s responsibility to understandand comply with the requirements of these Rules.
Ignorance of these Rules is no defence to proceedingsfor violation of them.

3.

These Safeguarding Rules (“these Rules”) apply to thefollowing:• members of staff of [Member Federation] and its
associated clubs;• officials on the Board of [Member Federation];• anyone who volunteers for [Member Federation]and its associated clubs;• parents of members of [Member Federation] and its
associated clubs who are under the age of 18;• other individuals who are part of an athlete’s
entourage or athlete support staff including
managers, medical personnel and family members; and• anyone else who agrees in writing to be bound bythese Rules.
These individuals are referred to in these Rules
as “Participants”. Associated clubs of [Member
Federation] are all those clubs which are within thejurisdiction of [Member Federation].

Prohibited Conduct

The types of conduct set out below are prohibited:• any criminal offence or breach of any otherapplicable laws or regulations;• any conduct that harms, or attempts or threatens
to harm the physical or mental welfare or safety of
any other person;• anything which constitutes a breach of World
Athletics’ safeguarding policy or [Member
Federation]’s safeguarding policy or its associatedclub’s safeguarding policy or codes of conduct;• failure to take action where any misconduct orsuspected misconduct is known about;• failure to report any concern, suspicion or allegationin accordance with [Member Federation] or its
associated club’s safeguarding policy; and/or• assisting, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up
or engaging in any behaviour which might involve a
breach or attempted breach of these Rules.

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Prohibited conduct may be a criminal offence and/or abreach of other applicable laws. These Rules are intended
to supplement such legislation with further rules ofconduct for those involved in the sport of athletics.
The [Member Federation] must consider whether any
prohibited conduct should (or must) be referred to the
local law enforcement agency. Such a referral should beconsidered when the report is first received by [Member
Federation] and whilst the matter is investigated.
Knowingly making a false report of possible prohibited
conduct is also a violation of these Rules.

4.

Case Management Group[Member Federation] will establish a group ofindividuals who are able to consider cases whicharise under these Rules (“the Case Management
Group”). The Case Management Group will meet as
often as is necessary and will have written Terms ofReference explaining what their purpose and roleis as well as outlining how often they will meet, theformat of the meeting and the individuals involved.
The Case Management Group is able to meet eitherin person, via email, remote platforms (such as Zoom,
Teams or Google Meet) or by telephone and may
have to do so quickly to consider urgent matters. The
Case Management Group will consider all instancesof potentially prohibited conduct, whether any
sanctions should be imposed and any applications
from individuals requesting their sanction to be variedor lifted. Minutes of all meetings and decisions will be
kept securely and confidentially for at least [ten] years
whether in written or digital format.

5.

Investigations and Risk
Assessment

has occurred, the matter will need to be investigated
and the Participant must be referred to the CaseManagement Group. The [Member Federation] orCase Management Group will appoint an appropriate
person to investigate who must be independent of
the incident. The Case Management Group has thepower to impose an interim sanction on a Participant
alleged to have engaged in prohibited conduct prior
to an investigation being conducted if the CaseManagement Group believes that the Participant
poses in immediate risk of harm to others in athletics.
The Participant must provide information requested by,or on behalf of, the [Member Federation] (for example
by an investigator acting on behalf of [Member
Federation]) and/or the Case Management Group
about the conduct which has raised concerns. On
occasion, Participants may be interviewed (in person or
online) to obtain information directly from them.
The Participant must be provided with details which[Member Federation] or the Case Management Grouphas gathered following any investigation that may
have been carried out and asked to respond to theconcerns, allegations or questions raised as a resultof the investigation. The Participant will be provided
with the information to be relied on by the CaseManagement Group in determining what to do. Allof this information must be kept confidential by theParticipant. They may only share it with professional
advisors if it is entirely necessary to do so.
The Participant will be given an opportunity torespond to the concerns following receipt of theinformation to be relied on by the Case Management
Group. Following receipt of the response from theParticipant all the information will be put to the CaseManagement Group to review and decide on theappropriate course of action.

If [Member Federation] is made aware of any
Participant engaging in prohibited conduct and there
are reasonable grounds to believe that the conduct

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6.

Sanctions

The Case Management Group has the power toimpose a sanction on a Participant who may haveengaged in prohibited conduct (a “Sanction”). Whenconsidering whether to impose a Sanction on someone
who is considered a potential risk of harm to others
involved in athletics, the Case Management Group may
only consider information provided to the Participant
and their response.
The Case Management Group also has the power tokeep a Sanction already imposed in place. If there isalready an interim Sanction imposed, it may be thatthe terms of the Sanction are varied to ensure theappropriate safeguarding measures are in place.
A Sanction may be one of the following:• removal from some or all athletics events (including
competitions, training, governance roles, social
activities, club activities, team and/or media
occasions) either for an interim period, a set periodof time or an indeterminate period;• a financial penalty;• training or education requirement(s); or• any other safeguarding measure which isconsidered to be appropriate to the situation.
A Sanction may be imposed when [Member
Federation] is notified that a Participant:• has been charged with a criminal offence;• is being or has been investigated by law
enforcement or any other authority relating tosocial care of children or adults;• has been convicted of an offence or been warned
about behaviour which would potentially harm an
individual; and/or• has behaved in such a way as to be considered apotential risk to anyone involved in athletics.

A Sanction must be reasonable, proportionate to the
conduct that has been alleged and must take thefollowing into account:• whether any Participant or any other person is, ormay be, at risk of harm;• the seriousness of the conduct alleged to havebeen committed;• the potential risk of harm the Participant poses toothers, both within the athletics’ community andthe wider population;• whether a Sanction is necessary or desirable toallow an investigation to be undertaken by [Member
Federation], the police or any other relevant agency
or authority to proceed unimpeded having regard forthe need for any Sanction to be proportionate; and• any other relevant circumstances.
In considering whether to impose a Sanction or not theabove criteria should be assessed, a note made of thedecision and the basis of the criteria upon which theSanction has been imposed.
When the Sanction has been imposed the Participantmust be informed of:• the decision;• the reasons for its imposition;• the terms;• the date it will take effect;• when it will end (if an end date has been prescribedor if it will remain in place until the end of aninvestigation, when that will be considered to haveended); and• the right to appeal against the Sanction within [21days] of the date of the Sanction.
The details of the Sanction will also be sent to theParticipant’s club and any other agencies, authorities
or individuals who it is believed should be made awareof the Sanction to ensure its enforcement. See section
8 below for information regarding decisions and how
and to whom they should be communicated.

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7.

Appeals

A decision of the Case Management Group may
be challenged by way of an appeal by [Member
Federation] or the Participant who is the subject of
the Case Management Group’s decision. The decisionof the Case Management Group shall remain in place
whilst any appeal is being considered.
For the avoidance of doubt an appeal may be broughtby either the [Member Federation] or the Participant
against a decision of the Case Management Groupto impose an interim Sanction and again following
a further decision of the Case Management Groupto impose a Sanction for a set period of time or anindefinite period.
Notice of appeal must be sent to [Member Federation]and received within [21] calendar days of thedecision by the Case Management Group. Within [14]calendar days of receipt of notice to appeal [Member
Federation] will appoint an appeal panel with nomembers of the Case Management Group on it (“theAppeal Panel”).
If [Member Federation] decides to appeal the decisionof the Case Management Group the Participantmust be informed by a Notice of Appeal. [Member
Federation] must also notify the appropriate person
within the organisation that the decision will beappealed. The Board of [Member Federation] mayon occasion be required to give permission for thedecision to be appealed.
The Appeal Panel will usually consider the appeal
on the papers. It will usually be a considerationof whether or not the original Case Management
Group considered the information either unfairly or
prejudicially to the appellant, misinterpreted or failed
to or wrongly applied these Rules or applicable law
or came to a decision no reasonable decision-makercould have come to (either in respect of liability,
sanction, safeguards or any other relevant matter). In
very exceptional cases will the Appeal Panel rule thatthe appeal shall be a hearing in person. It is only invery exceptional cases that a hearing will be re-heard
and considered to be a completely new hearing withnew panel members and if the hearing has been heldin person the witnesses will need to be heard again by
the new panel.
The original decision may be upheld or a new decision
may be issued to replace the original decision either
increasing or decreasing the original Sanction or thematter may be referred back to the Case Management
Group for further consideration.
If the Sanction is lifted or varied by the Appeal Panelor following referral back to the Case Management
Group, the Participant shall be notified and all those
who have previously been informed of its existence
shall be informed of its variation or lifting within [15days] of this occurrence.
Appeals will be held expeditiously and unless all theparties agree, or fairness dictates otherwise, the appeal
hearing will be started no later than [30] calendar days
after the appointment of the Appeal Panel.
Any decision made by the Appeal Panel shall be
the full, final and complete disposition of the matterand will be binding on all parties. All parties waive
irrevocably any right to any other form of appeal,
review or recourse by, or in any court or judicial
authority, insofar as such waiver may validly be made.

8.

Decisions

Any decisions (whether by the Case Management
Group or an Appeal Panel) will be made in writing andsent to all the parties involved.
Only in very extreme cases will the decision be madepublic. This may only be done with the agreement of
the individual who has been harmed by the prohibited
conduct and other agencies involved in the matter.
Any agencies and individuals who need to know

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46

the decision will be informed of the outcome of thematter but with clear rules about confidentiality anddisclosure of the information. The manner in which any
public disclosure is made must be made clear to theparties to the hearing.
If the Participant is exonerated of all the charges thenthe decision may only be made public with the consent
of the Participant who is the subject of the decision.
The fact that the charge has been dismissed may bemade public.
It may be necessary to share the decision with otherauthorities or agencies if [Member Federation] isrequired to inform another authority as a result of local
legislation. There may be other authorities who need
to be made aware of the outcome of the hearing even
if the decision is not to Sanction the individual but to
put other safeguards in place.
[Member Federation] may be required to inform therelevant Area Association and World Athletics about
any Sanction imposed.
If World Athletics requests the decision from [Member
Federation] it must be sent to World Athletics by[Member Federation] together with any further
information requested around the matter.

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Appendix 5
TEMPLATE SAFEGUARDING POLICY FOR CLUBSThis Template should be used to produce a
Safeguarding Policy for clubs who do not alreadyhave one; sections may be added which address
other issues specific to the club or that relate to local
legislation or guidance produced for safeguardingchildren or adults where appropriate. It is advisable
to consider any local safeguarding policies fromother organisations within the territory of the Clubto ensure that the Policy is culturally sensitive andrelevant. Insert the name of the Club and the Member
Federation in the appropriate [ ] throughout thisdocument.

CONTENTS

1.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

[Member Federation] is responsible for promoting
athletics within [country] and for making it a safe,
happy and positive environment for children andadults to develop their talents and achieve their goals;
these should be fun and enjoyable experiences. This
Safeguarding Policy (“this Policy”) establishes the
responsibilities of [Member Federation] and [Club] toensure that children and adults are able to participate
in athletics safely. [Member Federation] and [Club]
believe that everyone has the right to participate insport without fear of abuse, harassment or exploitation
and will ensure that this right is fully protected.

Introduction
Policy Statement of Commitment and Principles
Definitions
Scope of Policy
Reporting of concerns
Procedure flowchart
Codes of Conduct
Recruitment
Training & education
Disciplinary Procedure
Review of this Policy
Monitoring

Introduction

Abuse may be carried out by men or women, or
children. It happens in every area of the world, in every
sport and organisation. No area can consider itself tobe exempt or protected from its impact.
Abuse, harassment and exploitation occur when there
are power imbalances between individuals. When

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one individual is in a more powerful position, they
can take advantage of that and abuse, harassment
or exploitation may occur. The more vulnerable anindividual, whether because of age, disability, financeor status the more likely they are to be subject toabuse, harassment or exploitation.

••
By promoting best practice and upholding theprinciples of this Policy [Club] will be creating andworking towards establishing safe environments for allof its participants and its wider community.

2.

Policy Statement of Commitment
and Principles[Club] believes that everyone in athletics should betreated with respect and dignity and has the right toparticipate in athletics free from any abuse, harassment
or exploitation. [Member Federation] and [Club] work
together to protect everyone within the scope of
this Policy from such behaviour. [Club] believes that
this right is regardless of the individual’s race, colour,age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation,
ethnicity, religion or belief. [Club] is committed topreventing abuse, harassment or exploitation towards
those who fall within the scope of this Policy and tocreating safe environments for all to participate andenjoy the sport to the best of their abilities. Athletes,
coaches (by which we mean all athlete support
staff), officials, volunteers and board members are allprotected by this Policy; they must all understand theirrights as well as their duties in this arena.
The principles on which this Policy is based are:••Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity
and respect, and to be free from discrimination
whether it is based on sex, gender identity, race,
age, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, beliefs,
religious or political affiliation.
Everyone has the right to participate, enjoy anddevelop personally through athletics in a safe,
inclusive environment free from all forms of abuse,harassment, or exploitation.
Everyone, both children and adults, has the rightto have their voices heard particularly if raising a
concern about their own or another person’s welfare.
Everyone should know who to ask for help when
they have a concern about an individual’s behaviour.
Everyone is responsible for the care and protectionof children, making decisions in their best interests
as their welfare is paramount.

In order to achieve this [Club] will:
•

•

•

•
•

•

•
•

•

•

acknowledge their board members responsibility to
implement and enforce this Policy and will appointa “Safeguarding Champion” to incorporate theprinciples of this Policy into all aspects of theirprogrammes;
have a named member of staff or volunteer who
is responsible for leading on safeguarding a“Safeguarding Officer”;
ensure everyone knows this named member of staff
or volunteer is the individual they can turn to if
they are worried or have a concern about anotherperson and their behaviour;
ensure that everyone is aware of their rights and theprocess that will be followed if a concern is raised;
implement this Policy and produce procedures
including codes of conduct, rules and disciplinary
procedures and keep them up to date as appropriate;
provide support and guidance to anyone who
needs it following a concern, compliant or allegation
being made;educate and train all members of staff and volunteers
about how to deal with concerns and complaints;
all concerns, allegations and complaints will be dealt
with in a fair, transparent, timely and efficient manner
ensuring complainants are updated regularly;
carry out all investigations and adjudications ina manner that ensures an appropriate level of
independence to ensure there is no bias in the
resulting report or risk assessment;
all information about concerns, complaints or
allegations will be dealt with confidentially and kept
securely;World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
49

•

•

3.

recruit appropriate people to roles, carry out
background checks, follow up on references andensure that only suitable people are appointed; andwork with local agencies, NGOs and community
groups providing support and guidance for children’s
services to ensure that everyone is kept safe.

Definitions

Abuse, harassment and exploitation
Abuse, harassment and exploitation are described
below. They can be perpetrated by both men andwomen and is often where one party is in a position of
power over the other. Where one individual has powerover another in a relationship it can lead to situations
where abuse is easier to occur. Vulnerable individuals
need to be protected and those in authority should
ensure that appropriate safeguarding measures are put
in place. It is also important to understand that coaches,
officials or volunteers may be abused by others.
Psychological abuse is an unwelcome act including
vilification, belittling, rejection, confinement, isolation,verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation or
any other behaviour which may diminish an individual’s
sense of identity, dignity or self-worth. This is at thecentre of most types of abuse as when these occur sodoes psychological abuse. This can often be seen as
bullying or cyber-bullying.
Physical abuse is any intentional or unwanted act
for example kicking, beating, biting or burning whichcauses injury or physical harm. It can include theforced consumption of alcohol or systematic doping
practices. It can also be any forced or inappropriate
physical activity such as training which is unsuitable forthe age or physique of the athlete. Forced or excessive
training may escape notice in a sporting environment
as the ambitions of both athletes and coaches, as wellas peer pressure, may induce one or both to impose
or take on excessive training loads and/or competitioncommitments. Dialogue among athletes and coaches

aimed at setting mutually agreed and achievable
performance goals can help define tolerable andacceptable training demands. It is up to coaches totemper ambitions that may run counter to an athlete’s
health and wellbeing.
Sexual abuse is any conduct of a sexual nature, either
contact (penetrative or non-penetrative) or noncontact, where consent is not given, cannot be given,is coerced or manipulated. This can involve individuals
looking at or making sexual images, watchingsexual activities, encouraging others to behave insexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a person in
preparation for abuse. It can be perpetrated by both
men and women and is often where one party is in aposition of power over the other.
Grooming is the process (whether online or in person)
whereby an individual builds a relationship with achild encouraging them to trust them so that thegroomer can manipulate and exploit them for their own
advantage. Grooming an athlete’s family, entourageand friends often leads those individuals to believethat the groomer is dependable and trustworthy
enabling the groomer to have access to the athlete. By
manipulating the athlete and exploiting the relationshipthey will make the athlete believe they have to comply
with the groomer’s demands. The power a groomer has
over the child is used to isolate them from friends andfamily who might otherwise warn or caution them fromcomplying with the groomer’s demands.
Harassment is unwanted or unwelcome behaviour
which offends or makes the person feel humiliated or
intimidated. Power harassment is where someone ina position of power over another individual, usuallyin a workplace, uses that power to physically or
psychologically harass another person in a lower position.
Power harassment can include exclusion, inappropriate
work assignments (too little, too much or of a lower levelthat acceptable) as well as intrusive behaviour.
Sexual harassment is any unwanted or unwelcome
conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal

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or physical. Examples of verbal sexual harassment
include unwanted or degrading intimate questions
relating to body, clothes or one’s private life, jokeswith a sexual innuendo and proposals or demands for
non-consensual sexual acts. These may be unwanted
text messages, telephone calls, letters or otherform of communication with sexual content. Nonverbal examples may include staring, gesticulation,or sharing photographs or pictures with sexual
allusions. Examples of physical sexual harassment are
unnecessary physical contact with a sexual nature suchas pinching, attempting to kiss or caress or touching.
Exploitation is when someone exercises control
over another person and/or their assets for their“personal gain” and without the fully informed consent
of the person. Personal gain may be psychological,
reputational or commercial and constitutes exploitation
when the rights of a person are sold or negotiatedwithout express and fully informed consent of theother person. Examples in athletics may be fraudulent
misrepresentation of an athlete’s age or nationality,
acting on behalf of an athlete fraudulently or taking an
unreasonable share of the proceeds of sponsorshipor funding arrangements. Exploitation comes in manydifferent guises including sexual exploitation, financial
exploitation and signing up athletes to long term
contracts while they are still children.

socio-economic status and athletic ability or a
combination of any of these characteristics. It canbe a single isolated incident or a series of events, inperson or online, deliberate, unsolicited or coercive.
Bullying, hazing or negligence are all other aspectsof harassment, abuse or exploitation and should betreated in the same way under the terms of this Policy.
Any of these forms of abuse, harassment or
exploitation may include an aspect of financial abuse.
It may be that an individual may be covered into
signing contacts or agreements which benefit others
financially but are not necessarily of finical benefit
to themselves. Any element of coercion may to beabuse, harassment or exploitation if the individual isa child, if the individual has not authorised someone
to act on their behalf or if the individual has not beenadequately advised by an independent professionalsuch as an accountant or lawyer on the impact of theterms of the agreement.
There may be times when actions might not be abusive
to one person but may be abusive or harmful due tothe vulnerability of the individual who is being abused.
This may be due to the persons age, ability or otherform of vulnerability.

Neglect is the failure to provide a minimum levelof care either physical or emotional which causes
harm, allowing harm to be caused or creating an
imminent danger of harm. This usually relates to thecare given by parents or caregivers to children but
is also relevant to other people who have a duty ofcare towards another person such as a coach or teamleader towards an athlete. This can include the failure
to provide adequate water in high temperatures,
adequate clothing in cold temperatures, suitable food,accommodation or safe travel arrangements.

Abuse, harassment and exploitation often result froman abuse of authority by someone in a position oftrust, meaning the improper use of power by someone
in a position of influence, power or authority by anindividual against another person. This is often when
there is an age difference but it can also happen
between peers – people of similar ages. There can beabuse between athletes or indeed coaches, officials
or any others involved in athletics. This is sometimes
referred to peer-on-peer abuse. It should be dealt within the same way as any other type of concern. Abusecan also be perpetrated by family members such as
parents, partners and siblings.

Abuse, harassment and exploitation may be basedon race, religion, colour, beliefs, ethnic origin, sex,
gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability,

Child - “child” or “children” refers to an individual orgroup of individuals who have not yet reached the ageof 18 years old.

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Safeguarding - is the process of protecting vulnerable
persons, children and adults from abuse, harassmentand exploitation. Creating a safe and welcoming
environment where everyone is respected and valued
is at the heart of safeguarding. Everyone involved withathletics has a role to play in making sure they actively
prevent abuse, harassment and exploitation, listen toaccounts from children and adults of their experiences
and respond safely and fully if there is a problem.

4.

Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to [Club], it’s athletes, staff andany other person associated with [Club]. This includes
officials, volunteers, members of an athlete’s entourage,
parents, carers and anyone associated with athletics
at [Club]. All those to whom this Policy applies mustcomply with the Policy and adhere to its terms. Any
breaches of this Policy by these individuals will be
subject to potential disciplinary action.

5.

Reporting of concerns

Everyone is responsible for ensuring that no one
suffers abuse, harassment or exploitation. Therefore,
if anyone has any suspicions about that a child or
adult may have been subject to abuse, harassment or
exploitation in some form or about the behaviour ofanother person then they must be reported to [Club]
Safeguarding Officer so that they can be assessed anddealt with appropriately. It may also be necessary forthe police or social services to be involved and [Club]
Safeguarding Officer should coordinate with [Member
Federation] Safeguarding Officer to ensure that this isdone appropriately.

and [Club] Safeguarding Officers and any local law
enforcement agencies.
If an individual is at immediate risk of serious harm
there should be no delay in reporting a matter to theemergency services. There are occasions when theconsent of the individual to report a matter should
be sought taking into account their age and mental
capacity. The capacity for consent of a child under theage of 12 is different from that of a child between theage of 12 and 18 and between a child and an adult. If
an individual refuses to give consent the matter may
still need to be reported. [This may be an area thatis addressed by local legislation or procedures andshould be included in this Policy.]
Concerns, allegations and other matters reported to[Club] should be investigated by someone who is notconnected to the matter in any way. It is not necessary
for an investigator to be entirely separate from [Club]
if it is a “low level concern”. The more serious theconcern or allegation the more necessary it is for theindividual investigating it to be separate from [Club].
If a concern is referred to the police, then they will
carry out an investigation. Any investigation [Club]
carries out for a serious concern should be done by
an individual who is not connected to [Club] and iscontracted to do the investigation ensuring it will be
carried out without bias, efficiently and as quickly as ispossible. [Club] will report concerns and allegations totheir Member Federation; the Member Federation may
take on the investigation of the concern and should
ensure that it is investigated by an independent party.

In some situations, it may be necessary for the concern
to be reported to [Member Federation] Safeguarding
Officer for further advice and guidance about theappropriate course of action to be taken. Some cases
may be dealt with by [Member Federation] but thatwill be for discussion with the [Member Federation]

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6.

Reporting Flowchart

FLOWCHART FOR REPORTING A CONCERN OF
ABUSE AND HARASSMENT
This flowchart is generic - it should be read andproduced for [Club] with local legislation andgovernment guidance for child protection referrals

Concern or suspicion raised by an individual about someone associated with athletics

Is a child or adult in immediate danger
or in need of medical attention?

No

Consent

Yes

Referral form to be completed to ensure as muchinformation is gathered at this stage and copy sent
to MF Safeguarding Officer

Consent

If Safeguarding Officer is unavailable
contact police, law enforcement
or social care advising them of apotential child protection matter

Contact MF Safeguarding
Officer for assessment ofincident against definition of
abuse and harassment in policy

Contact emergency services,
police, law enforcement or otherassistance as appropriate

Analysis of information, intelligenceand liaison by Safeguarding Officer
with Local agencies and publicauthorities Safeguarding Officer toprovide support and follow up

Potential
unlawfulbehaviour

Consideration of Provisional
Suspension in accordance with
Safeguarding Rules

Potential
disciplinary
matterInvestigation carried out by appropriate independent individual in timely and efficient manner
Local procedures to be followed- MF to work with local agencies
and make sure that all parties are
kept informed as to the process
to be followed

Refer to law
enforcement
agencies

Preparation of
disciplinary caseby MF

Disciplinary procedures canhappen in parallel with thoseundertaken by local agencies
with their permission

Safeguarding Officer maintains contact with all parties to provide support and guidance on the process
Outcome of judicial process and/or disciplinary
process communicated to all parties

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7.

Codes of Conduct

A Club should have codes of conduct for their staff,
executive and any others involved with the runningof the organisation. They should consider any otheraudiences such as coaches, athletes, medical support
staff, officials and event co-ordinators. They can be as
specific or as wide as is considered to be necessary
provided the audiences are made aware of the codes
and asked to confirm they will comply with it.
[Club] has the following codes of conduct:• coaches;• athletes;• parents and carers; and• [any others which [Club] has decided to have].
All these codes of conduct are about treating otherswith respect, dignity, equality and integrity and are
based on the principle that everyone has value andis worthy of respect. They are designed to provide
everyone associated with athletics with the behaviour
that is expected of them by [Club]. These codesshould form part of any training programme forthese groups to ensure that everyone is aware of theexistence of the codes, the expectations of [Club] andthe possibility of disciplinary action if they are notadhered to. The codes have been developed following
consultation with the groups involved and will be
regularly reviewed.
Codes of conduct will be made available to therelevant groups and displayed on any noticeboards,
websites or on paperwork such as membership renewal
forms.
If an individual is aware of any other individual
breaching the relevant code of conduct then thisshould be referred to the Safeguarding Officer as aconcern for investigation and potential disciplinary
action. Breaches of any of the codes of conduct may
be dealt with under disciplinary procedures if there areno specific safeguarding rules in use by [Club].

8.

Recruitment

All applicants for any roles that work closely withchildren (whether staff or volunteers) will be required
to undertake background checks/criminal records
checks. All applicants will be required to attend aninterview, provide two references and once appointed
will attend an induction session. An interview will
include questions about the individual and theirexperience as well as their knowledge of safeguarding.
References will be verified for their veracity andshould be from an employer, either current or previous,and another individual who has experience of theapplicants work with children or in sport. Induction
sessions will ensure that the successful applicant
is aware of their role and responsibilities as well as
information about safeguarding policy and procedures.
[Club] recruitment may need to be done in accordancewith any local legislation and [Member Federation]requirements.

9.

Training and Education

All members of staff of [Club], volunteers and officials
will be given safeguarding training relevant to their role
within the organisation. Those working with children
will be given specialist training specifically relating totheir responsibilities for the children in their care.
Safeguarding training should be undertaken regularly
at least [annually/every two years].

10. Disciplinary Procedure
Breaches of this Policy and [Member Federation]
Safeguarding Rules will be dealt with under [Club/
Member Federation]’s Disciplinary Procedures andshould be referred to for further guidance.

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11. Review of this Policy
This Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and at
least once every three years by senior leaders and club
officers.

12. Monitoring
The monitoring of this Policy and the implementationof it. will be carried out regularly as appropriate by[Club] or an independent safeguarding authority with
the necessary expertise to do this task.

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Appendix 6
TRAINING COURSES AND RESOURCES
To follow at a later date.

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Appendix 7
TEMPLATE SAFEGUARDING CONCERN REPORTING FORM
Your information
Name
Role (Official/coach/parent)
Contact details:
Mobile phone number
Email address
Member Federation
Club
Date of report
Information about the child or adult to whom the concern relates
Name
Date of birthMale		

GenderFemaleOther

Name(s) of Parents/Carers
Contact details:
Mobile phone number
Email address
Have parents/carers been informed
about the incident? If not why not?
Have any actions been agreed withthe parents/carers?
Any other relevant/useful
information about the child or adultWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
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Details of the concern
Date and time of incident
Names of other persons involved
and any roles they have within
athletics
Nature of concern (sexual/financial/bullying/neglect)
Provide details of the concern/
incident
Details of any action taken and bywhom
Has the matter been reported to thepolice or social services?

Yes		

No

If yes, please provide contact details
Phone number
Email address
Details of the incident/concern
provided by child/adult in their own
words
Witness accounts of the incident/
concern
Contact details of Witness:
Mobile phone number
Email address
Declaration
Signature

Name
Date
Safeguarding Officer
DateWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations
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World Athletics Safeguarding – Guide to Safeguarding for Member Federations59

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