SAFEGUARDING
STARTER PACK
for Member Federations

www.worldathletics.org

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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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Contents
A. Introduction .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4B. Glossary  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4C. Starter Pack for Member Federations  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 7D. Checklist and Action Planning for Member Federations  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10

Appendices
Appendix 1  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
Appendix 2  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
Appendix 3  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 23
Appendix 4  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 24
Appendix 5  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 30
Appendix 6  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 38
Appendix 7  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 39

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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A. Introduction
Safeguarding is about creating safe environments
for everyone to be able to compete, train and enjoy
athletics. It is about respecting everyone and ensuring
everyone is treated equally and with dignity as wellas protecting everyone from abuse, harassment andexploitation. By promoting best practice, raisingawareness, educating and training the workforce
Member Federations (“MFs”) will create environments
in which everyone feels safe, happy and in a position toachieve their full potential.
MFs should ensure that safeguarding is discussed andtaken seriously by leaders of their organisation. MF’s
board members must understand and acknowledge
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 andthe culture of respect and dignity to be 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.
This document provides MFs with the informationneeded to produce their own safeguarding policy aswell as other safeguarding documents (often referred
to as procedures) needed to create a safe sporting
environment and to establish a framework for clubs tofollow to develop a safe culture. Using this document
alongside local advice, knowledge and guidance froma Member Federation’s National Olympic Committee,
public authorities or sports agencies, the local healthservice providers, non-governmental organisations
which specialise in child and adult safeguarding aswell as other local specialists will ensure a Member
Federation produces a safeguarding policy which isboth culturally sensitive and relevant to the audience it
speaks to.

MFs who already have a safeguarding policy shouldrefer to the “Guide to Safeguarding for Member
Federations” which gives detailed information on
procedures and areas they should consider developing
to improve their safeguarding culture as well as aframework for clubs.
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 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.
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 can also be perpetrated by peers and by
family members. Coaches, officials or volunteers may
be abused by others. It is important to ensure that thisis 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.

B. GlossaryChild/Children - this means anyone under the age of18 years.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations4

Safeguarding - is the process of ensuring that children
and adults are protected from abuse and have a safeand effective environment in which to participate insport. Creating a safe and welcoming environment,
where everyone is respected and valued, is at theheart of safeguarding. Everyone involved with athletics
has a role to play in making sure they do not harass,abuse or exploit others, that they actively prevent
abuse, harassment or exploitation, listen to accounts
from children and adults of their experiences andrespond fully if there is a problem.
Abuse, Harassment and Exploitation
Abuse, harassment, and exploitation are described
below:
Psychological abuse is an unwelcome act including
belittling, rejection, confinement, isolation, verbal
assault, humiliation, intimidation, infantilisation or any
other behaviour which may diminish an individual’s
identity, dignity or self-worth. This is at the centreof 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 of physique or 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
non-contact, where consent is not given or cannot
be given or is coerced or manipulated. This caninvolve individuals looking at or making sexual images,
watching sexual activities, encouraging others to
behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming aperson in preparation for abuse. It can be perpetrated
by both men and women and is often where one party
is in a position of power over the other.
Grooming is the process (online or in person) whereby
an individual builds a relationship with an athlete
encouraging them to trust them so that the groomer
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 include unwanted or degrading
intimate questions relating to body, clothes or one’s
private life, jokes with a sexual innuendo and proposals
or demands for non-consensual sexual acts. Thesemay be unwanted text messages, telephone calls,

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations5

letters or other form of communication with a sexual
content. They may also 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. Exploitation comes in many guises.
Examples include sexual exploitation, financial
exploitation and signing up athletes to long term
contracts while they are still children. Examples inathletics may be fraudulent misrepresentation of an
athlete’s age or nationality, facilitating a transfer ofallegiance without the full and informed consent of aperson (or their family in the case of a minor), acting
on behalf of an athlete fraudulently or taking an
unreasonable share of the proceeds of sponsorship or
funding arrangements.
Neglect is the failure to provide a minimum level ofcare either physical or emotional which causes harm,allowing harm to be caused or creating an imminent
danger of harm. This usually relates to the care givenby parents or caregivers to children but is also relevant
to other people who have a duty of care towards
another person such as a coach or team leader towards
an athlete. This can include the failure to provide
adequate water in high temperatures, adequate
clothing in cold temperatures or suitable food,accommodation or safe travel arrangements.
Abuse, harassment and exploitation may be associatedwith a person’s race, religion, colour, beliefs, ethnic
origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability,
socio-economic status and athletic ability or a
combination of any of these characteristics. It can be asingle isolated incident or a series of events, in personor online, deliberate, unsolicited or coercive. Bullying,hazing (or other initiation rituals with abusive aspects)
or negligence are all other aspects of harassment orabuse and should be treated 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 coerced into
signing contacts or agreements which benefit others
financially but are not necessarily of financial benefit
to themselves. Any element of coercion may beconsidered to be abuse, harassment or exploitation
if the individual is a child, if they have not authorised
someone to act on their behalf or if they have not beenadequately advised by an independent professionalsuch as an accountant or lawyer on the nature andimpact of the terms of the agreement.
There may be times when actions which might not beabusive to one person may be considered to be abusive
or harmful due to the vulnerability or inexperience of
the individual who is being abused. This may be due tothe person’s age, ability or other form of vulnerability.
In other instances, culture, values or convention may
lead to acceptance of certain behaviours by both theperpetrator and the victim. But these circumstances
should not lead to acceptance of the inappropriate
behaviours referred to in this document.
Abuse, harassment, abuse and exploitation often result
from an 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 may be 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 as “peer-on-peer” abuse. It should be dealt
with in the same way as any other type of concern.
Abuse can also be perpetrated by family members
such as parents, partners and siblings.

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C. Starter Pack for Member
Federations•
Everyone involved in sport is responsible for upholding
the principles of safe sport. This Starter Pack is aimed
at MFs who do not have any safeguarding documents
and explains the steps to follow to implement
safeguarding best practice in their MF. MFs who havesafeguarding policies in place may want to assess
their approach for completeness vis a vis the elementsof the World Athletics Starter Pack with a view tostrengthening their policies where needed.
Preventing abuse, harassment and exploitation in sportshould be considered to be one of the most important
aspects of a Member Federation’s work. By preventing
abuse, harassment and exploitation a Member
Federation will also be protecting itself, ensuring thatit does not receive negative publicity from allegations
and suspicions of abuse while helping to maintain anenvironment that will attract and retain participants.
The following documents are necessary for any
Member Federation to have:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Safeguarding Policy (Appendix 1)
Codes of Conduct (Appendix 2)
Reporting Flowchart (Appendix 3)
Safeguarding Rules (Appendix 4)

•
•

•

•

•

•

1. Safeguarding Policy
MFs must have a safeguarding policy in order to ensure
its athletes, staff, volunteers and officials are protectedfrom abuse, harassment and exploitation.

everyone (both adults and children) participating inathletics.
There are clear definitions of “safeguarding” and“abuse, harassment and exploitation” as outlined in
the Glossary at Section B above.
The policy identifies the individuals who are
required to comply with the policy.
The training courses which MFs expect all those
associated with athletics to attend should also beoutlined in the policy.
The recruitment of staff and volunteers includingcoaches, managers and officials should be included
in any safeguarding policy taking into accountlocal legislation. If a Member Federation has humanresources or personnel policies, then these shouldreflect the safeguarding policy.
It explains the procedure for reporting of concerns,
suspicions and allegations of abuse and theinvestigation of them in a timely and efficientmanner. A flowchart shows the process so it iseasily understood by everyone. There may belocal legislation dealing with the reporting ofabuse; some countries have mandatory reporting
requirements which must be included in thereporting process.
Codes of conduct setting out the expectedbehaviour of all individuals associated with athletics
may be included in a policy or should be referred toin it.
It explains how breaches of the safeguarding policy
and codes of conduct will be dealt with undera Member Federation’s disciplinary procedures.
There should also be safeguarding rules, specificmechanisms for dealing with breaches, but thepolicy should make specific reference to these rules
or the MFs disciplinary rules.

WHAT DOES A SAFEGUARDING POLICY DO?
••

A policy outlines the principles and approach tosafeguarding the Member Federation needs to taketo protect everyone from abuse, harassment andexploitation in athletics.
A safeguarding policy commits a Member
Federation to providing safe environments for

WHAT DOES THE MEMBER FEDERATION HAVE TO
DO TO ADOPT A SAFEGUARDING POLICY?
•

Hold a discussion with Member Federation leaders
about the proposal and agree to proceed withproducing a policy. It is helpful to have someone

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
7

•
•

•

•
•

•

•

•
•
•
•

research the matter prior to any meeting andprovide context for the leaders to help them tounderstand the reasons for producing a policy.
Have one individual responsible for taking the
proposal forward.
It may be necessary to hold training for leaders
and those who will be taking responsibility forsafeguarding to ensure they fully understand their
responsibilities in particular board members of theMember Federation
Take advice locally from the National Olympic
Committee, national or regional/local publicauthorities and sport agencies, local healthauthorities, other non-governmental organisations
who specialise in safeguarding or charities to assist
with local laws and requirements and to ensure thatthe policy is culturally sensitive and aware.
Prepare a draft policy using the Safeguarding
Policy template at Appendix 1 initially.
Circulate a draft policy to a small group within therelevant athletics community. It may be that there
is an athletes’ commission that will undertake thistask or the Member Federation might take thisopportunity to establish one. Consult with a groupfor their opinions; this will encourage engagementwith the issue and also empower them to help
to embed the policy in the community when it isfinalised.
Consult the “Guide to Safeguarding for Member
Federations” (Section 2) about writing anddeveloping a safeguarding policy.
Ask for feedback from a group of athletes includingchildren to find out from them how it would help
them to have the policy presented, so that it can beunderstood even by the younger members of thecommunity.
Ask for advice from the Area Association and World
Athletics.
Formally adopt the policy in accordance with theMember Federation’s constitution.
Prepare a plan to communicate the policy to awider audience.
Consider how to reach more difficult sections of
the athletics community.

•••

Consider if the Member Federation needs to recruita safeguarding officer to carry the implementationof the policy forward. This may be a volunteer ora paid member of staff who is accountable to thesenior leaders of the Member Federation. There is atemplate job description available in the “Guide to
Safeguarding for Member Federations” alongsidefurther information about recruitment.
Make it clear that the policy will be reviewed
annually.
MFs should consider if they should either mandate
or strongly encourage their clubs to establish
safeguarding policies. A template safeguarding
policy for clubs is at Appendix 5.

2. Codes of Conduct
These set out expectations of proper behaviour andbest practice as well as unacceptable conduct. It
is possible to have different codes of conduct fordifferent groups of individuals for example coaches,managers, athletes and parents. There is a templatecode of conduct at Appendix 2 that can be adapted
and used to produce codes of conduct for any ofthese groups as the Member Federation considers
appropriate.
For some MFs this may be a useful starting point asa simple code of conduct may work alongside an
existing set of disciplinary rules. A code of conduct
written for a Member Federation taking into accountthe specific characteristics of the territory and any
important cultural aspects is likely to be more usefulthan a lengthy set of safeguarding rules. MFs should
consider producing a code of conduct which isculturally relevant and sensitive before establishing
any safeguarding rules. This is also a sensible way ofeducating and raising awareness in a less draconian
manner.

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WHAT DOES A MEMBER FEDERATION HAVE TO
DO TO ADOPT A CODE OF CONDUCT?
•
•

•

•

•

Decide which groups need to have a written codeof conduct and consider the template(s).
Add to the codes of conduct any behaviour which
the Member Federation believe is necessary for anyof the groups.
Send out the codes of conduct to groups for
consultation and listen to the feedback to consider
how to incorporate it into the code. It is importantto take feedback into account to ensure that thevoices of participants are heard. This will help toachieve an atmosphere in which children and adults
feel that they are listened to and their welfare is
protected.
Display codes of conduct prominently andcommunicate them to everyone involved in theathletics community. Everyone should be aware of
all of the codes of conduct, not just the code of
conduct which applies to them to ensure they areadhered to and enforced.
Ensure that when a new person joins a club, they
are given the codes of conduct and asked to sign
up to the code which applies to them.

provisions relating to investigations, sanctions and theremoval of individuals who it is decided should not beallowed to participate in athletics.
The template Safeguarding Rules provide a simple
version for use by those MFs who do not have any
safeguarding rules or regulations. These need to beconsidered alongside the Member Federation’s own
disciplinary rules or regulations and its constitution toensure that they are all compatible with each other aswell as complying with local legislation. The template
can be adapted and extended to incorporate thesematters where necessary.
Where an MF does not have any disciplinary rules orprocedures it is suggested that as a first step, if it isconsidered more appropriate to do so, that a set of
disciplinary rules are produced and that these address
the issue of safeguarding. An MF may then develop
their codes of conduct and breaches of these may be
dealt with under the disciplinary process.

3. Reporting Flowchart
The flowchart at Appendix 3 is a generic one whichshould be amended to take into account local
legislation and any mandatory reporting requirements
for individuals which apply to the country the Member
Federation is in.
4. Safeguarding Rules
MFs need to have rules to protect participants’
welfare and to ensure that those who may harm orpose a risk of harm are not given unimpeded accessto participants. There is a template at Appendix 4 ofgeneric safeguarding rules that provide a frameworkand disciplinary suspension provisions. There areWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
9D. Checklist and Action Planning for Member Federations✓

Actions required

Read the starter pack and the guidance document
Consider who in the Member Federation is best placed
to take onto role of Safeguarding Officer for the Member
Federation (this may be a volunteer)
Is safeguarding training necessary for leaders to understandthe safeguarding requirements?
Who will be the board “Safeguarding Champion”?
Prepare a draft safeguarding policy using the template policy(Appendix 1)
Consult with athletes - both adults and children - about thesafeguarding policy
Take advice locally on safeguarding requirements
Consider how to support clubs within the Member Federation
to prepare safeguarding policies and carry out training
Prepare draft codes of conduct
Consult with groups within athletics - children, adults,
coaches, athletes, parents and other vulnerable groups
Prepare flowcharts with local procedures included
Prepare reporting forms to be used locally
Consider whether the Member Federation requires
Safeguarding Rules to be prepared to work alongside otherdisciplinary regulations
Prepare a communications plan for raising awareness of thesafeguarding policy
Formally adopt the final safeguarding policy and once
adopted publish this on the Member Federation website
Consider how to review and monitor the implementation of
the policy

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AppendicesWorld Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
11

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
12

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
13

•

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
14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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
15

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
16

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
17

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
18

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
19

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
20

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
21

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
22

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
23

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
24

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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
25

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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations26

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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations27

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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
28

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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
30

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
31

•

•

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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
33

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]

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
34

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

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
35

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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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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.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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Appendix 6
TRAINING COURSES AND RESOURCES
To follow at a later date.

World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
39

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 – Starter Pack for Member Federations
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World Athletics Safeguarding – Starter Pack for Member Federations41

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