Member Protection

Member Protection Information Officers play an important role in sport. They are the first point of call in the club for enquiries, concerns or complaints about harassment or abuse. And they also provide confidential information and moral support to the person with the concern or who is alleging harassment. You can found our current Member Protection Officer on the Our Committee page.

An Inclusive Club

The SWU Hockey Club ensures our club is welcoming, inclusive and safe for all our members. We follow a set of guidelines called the Codes of Conduct that we consider to be an acceptable standard of behaviour and conduct for all club members and our guests to adhere to. The Code of Conduct provides a guide to the expectations required by our club and we encourage every member to read and abide by these codes and commit to an ethical and moral behaviour standard.

WHAT IS AN MPIO


A Member Protection information Officer provides information about the rights, responsibilities and options available to an individual making a complaint in sport.  they can also inform and advise sport administrators and complain handlers in Member Protection Policy for specific sports.



DUTIES

  • Listen to complaints and concerns from members and visitors
  • Provide support for all members
  • Provide Information and options for member behaviour 
  • Keep up to date with information on harassment,discrimination and other forms of inappropriate behaviour
  • Understand and follow club policies and procedures in relation to Member Protection.
  • Be accessible and approachable to all club members.
  • Mediate complaints at a formal and informal level
  • Maintain confidentiality for all club members
  • Provide relevant persons with the appropriate reports/documentation resulting from hearing
  • carry out unbiased investigations and make reasonable recommendations.

This webpage is being updated.   If you need further information or assistance please phone Wendy on 0408879693.


BRISBANE WOMEN'S HOCKEY ASSOCIATION INC

MEMBER PROTECTION POLICY


Policy

BWHA adopts in its entirety, the Hockey Australia Member Protection Policy in its current form and 

any revisions that may from time to time be adopted.  this policy can be viewed at www.hockey.org.au


Where the document describes areas specific to Hockey Australia, only such references are to have 

effect to BWHA where applicable.




WORKING WITH CHILDREN  -  BLUE CARD.

As per the legislation all people who work with children are required to have a current blue card. To

gain full details of the legislation,  exemptions  and application  forms please refer to

www.bluecard.qld.gov.au


BWHA will ensure where legislation required that all workers (paid and volunteer) have blue cards


No BWHA staff member is to be with a child unaccompanied.


Parents must deliver and pick-up children at the designated time and place as BWHA staff are not

 responsible for children outside the designated activity time.


BWHA members who believe that some inappropriate activity may be happening involving BWHA 

staff are to reportage matter immediately to the BWHA Secretary.


Codes of Behaviour 

BWHA Codes of Behaviour are found in the Operations Manual 


SWU BLUE CARD INFORMATION

There have been a number of changes to the Queensland Legislation  in regard to application and exemptions forms.

Please see www.bluecard.qld.gov.au for information at this stage.



PLEASE  NOTE.    AN APPLICANT CANNOT TAKE PART IN ANY ACTIVITY UNTIL THEIR CARD HAS BEEN 

FINALISED.


ANYONE WHO HAS AN EXPIRED CARD NEEDS TO FILL IN THE SECTION “application for a new card” WHEN APPLYING ON LINE. 

YOUR CURRENT  CARD WILL BECOME INVALID


THE RULE THAT ALLOWS A PERSON TO COACH 7 TIMES IN 12 MONTHS. IS FOR 7 SESSIONS  NOT DAYS OR WEEKS..


PLEASE DO NOT ASK ANYONE TO “HELP OUT” AT TRAINING WITHOUT HAVING A CURRENT POSITIVE BLUE CARD.

THE ONLY  EXCEPTION IS A PARENT WHO HAS A PLAYER UNDER 18.





 

BULLYING

Every person in sport, in every role, has the right to participate in an environment that is fun, safe and healthy, and is treated with respect, dignity and fairness.


Bullying denies participants these rights and can result in feelings of disgrace, embarrassment, shame or intimidation.

Bullying can also affect an individuals athletic performance, level of enjoyment, work or school life, academic achievement and physical and mental health.


Research has shown that one in six Australian students are bullied every week and are three times more likely to develop depressive illness.


Bullying can occur both on and off the sports pitch and can involve athletes, parents, coaches, spectators or umpires. It is prohibited in most sporting organisations under their code of conduct and can result in penalties and punishments being applied.  Some forms of bullying constitute assault, harassment or discrimination under federal and state legislation and are therefore illegal.


What is Bullying?


Bullying is deliberately hurting a specific person either physically, verbally, psychologically or socially. It involves a power imbalance where one person's power or strength over another.  It can be carried out by one person or several people who are either or passively involved.  Ina sports context bully can take many forms


  • a parent telling their child that they are incompetent, hopeless, useless etc
  • a coach alienating an athlete (adult or child)
  • several people ganging-up on an individual team member
  • spectators verbally abusing players from the opposition
  • an athlete calling a referee names and using put-downs
a parent intimidating a young coach


Types of bullying 


Physical  - Pushing shoving punching, hitting, kicking, taking away a persons's belongings (this may also constitute assault).

Verbal - name calling, banter, threatening, teasing, intimidating, yelling abuse, using put-downs

Psychological - ganging -up, preventing a person form going somewhere, taking a person's possessions, sending hostile or nasty emails or test messages.

Socially - excluding, alienating, ignoring, spreading rumours.


Bullying behaviour is damaging to all involved : the bully, victim, family member, those that witness the behaviour and the sporting organisation involved.  Athletes, parents, coaches, administrators and sporting organisations all have an ethical (and Possibly a legal responsibility to take action prevent bully occurring in sport and manage it should it occur.


The effects of bullying

People who bully may

  • pick a victim randomly, or carefully choose their victim.
  • find that they get what they want by bullying (power, acceptance, admiration)
  • have been bullied them selves
  • be arrogant, aggressive or impulse
  • enjoy having power over others
  • believe that some people deserve to be bullied
see their behaviour as justified or 'pay-back  for some treatment they have received.


Signs a person is being bullied


A person , especially a child, may not always ask for support when being bullied They may feel afraid, ashamed or embarrassed and that the person they tell will think they are weak.  victims of bullying may thing that they deserve to be bullied or are 'robbing' by telling someone what is happening to them


the following are signs that a person may be being bullied


  • Finds excuses for not wanting to attend training or games (e.g feeling sick, has an injury, has too much work to do)or talking about hating their sport
  • wants to be driven to training or matches instead of walking
  • regularly the last one picked for team or group activities
  • alienated from social or shared activities.
  • has bruising or other injuries
  • becomes uncharacteristically nervous, worried shy or withdrawn
  • repeatedly 'loses money or possessions
  • suddenly prone to lashing out at people physically or verbally

MANAGING BULLYING



THE LAW

Bullying that involves physical assault is against the law.  Bullying that involves, harassment or discrimination can be against the law under certain circumstances (e.g. racial and sexual harassment) because bullying can contribute to psychological injury it may be covered under occupational health and safety legislation.


(Play by the rules www.playbytherules.com.au)


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