Central Highlands Pickleball Club Child Safety & Junior Participation Policy
1. Purpose
Central Highlands Pickleball Club Incorporated (CHP) is committed to providing an environment in which children and young people are safe, respected, supported and able to participate fully in pickleball.
CHP has zero tolerance for child abuse, grooming, neglect, exploitation, harassment or other conduct that places a child or young person at risk of harm.
The purpose of this policy is to:
Establish CHP's commitment to child safety and wellbeing.
Promote a child-safe culture throughout the Club.
Establish expectations for adults interacting with children and young people.
Support appropriate junior participation in CHP activities.
Identify and manage child-safety risks.
Ensure concerns are taken seriously and appropriately reported.
Support children and young people to have a voice in matters affecting them.
Support parents and guardians to understand and participate in CHP's child-safety approach.
This policy is intended to support CHP's implementation of the Victorian Child Safe Standards and applicable safeguarding requirements.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all people participating in or associated with CHP activities, including:
Committee members.
Coaches.
Session managers.
Tournament Directors.
Referees and officials.
Volunteers.
Members.
Players.
Parents and guardians.
Contractors.
Visitors and spectators.
It applies to interactions with children and young people:
At CHP sessions.
At coaching and training.
At competitions and tournaments.
At Rumbles.
At social activities.
During travel connected with CHP activities.
Through CourtFlow.
Through Discord.
Through social media.
Through email, messaging and other electronic communication.
In other circumstances materially connected with CHP.
For the purposes of this policy, a child or young person means a person under 18 years of age.
3. CHP's Commitment to Child Safety
CHP is committed to creating a culture where the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is everyone's responsibility.
CHP will seek to:
Put children's safety and wellbeing first.
Treat children and young people with dignity and respect.
Take concerns seriously.
Encourage children to speak up.
Listen to children and young people.
Involve parents and guardians appropriately.
Maintain appropriate adult-child boundaries.
Identify and manage risks of harm.
Support volunteers to understand their responsibilities.
Respond appropriately to suspected or disclosed harm.
Continually improve CHP's child-safety practices.
The Committee is responsible for promoting and modelling this commitment.
Victoria's Child Safe Standards specifically require child safety to be embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
4. Cultural Safety and Inclusion
CHP is committed to providing an environment in which every child and young person is respected and supported.
CHP recognises that children have different backgrounds, identities, abilities, experiences and needs.
Particular attention should be given to creating safe and inclusive participation for:
Aboriginal children and young people.
Children and young people with disability.
Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Children who may be experiencing vulnerability.
Children with differing communication or support needs.
CHP will not tolerate racism, discrimination, bullying, harassment or exclusion directed towards a child or young person.
The Victorian Standards specifically require organisations to create culturally safe environments for Aboriginal children and to uphold equity and respect diverse needs.
5. Children Have a Voice
Children and young people participating in CHP have the right to:
Feel safe.
Be treated respectfully.
Ask questions.
Express concerns.
Say when something makes them uncomfortable.
Be listened to.
Participate in decisions that directly affect their involvement where appropriate.
Know who they can speak to if they are worried about something.
Adults should not dismiss a concern merely because it is raised by a child.
CHP should provide opportunities for junior participants to give feedback about activities and their experience within the Club.
Where appropriate, information concerning child safety should be explained in language that children and young people can reasonably understand.
This reflects the Victorian requirement that children be informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and have child-friendly ways of raising concerns.
6. Parents, Guardians and Families
CHP recognises parents and guardians as important partners in keeping children safe.
CHP will seek to:
Communicate openly about junior activities.
Provide access to relevant child-safety policies.
Inform parents or guardians about matters materially affecting their child's participation.
Provide reasonable opportunities for parents or guardians to raise concerns.
Involve parents or guardians in significant decisions concerning their child's participation where appropriate.
Keep appropriate emergency contact information.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to:
Familiarise themselves with CHP's child-safety expectations.
Provide relevant information required for safe participation.
Raise concerns promptly.
Encourage their child to speak up if something makes them uncomfortable.
Support appropriate standards of behaviour.
Victorian Standard 4 specifically requires families to be involved in decisions affecting their child and informed about the organisation's child-safety approach.
7. Expected Behaviour Around Children
Adults participating in CHP activities must:
Treat children with respect.
Use appropriate language.
Maintain appropriate physical and interpersonal boundaries.
Model good sportsmanship.
Avoid bullying, humiliation, intimidation or degrading behaviour.
Avoid inappropriate sexualised comments, jokes or conversations.
Avoid inappropriate physical contact.
Avoid favouritism that creates inappropriate relationships or dependency.
Take reasonable steps to ensure children are not placed in unsafe situations.
Respect a child's privacy while recognising safeguarding responsibilities.
Respond appropriately when a child raises a concern.
Adults must never use their role, age, authority, coaching position or standing within CHP to exploit or improperly influence a child.
Sport Integrity Australia's safeguarding framework similarly identifies child abuse, grooming, harmful training practices, sexual/adult comments, inappropriate touching, asking children to keep communications secret, and supplying alcohol/drugs as prohibited conduct.
8. One-to-One Interactions
CHP should avoid unnecessary isolated one-to-one interactions between an adult and a child.
Where individual coaching, assistance or conversation is appropriate, it should, wherever reasonably practicable:
Occur in an open or observable location.
Be visible to other people.
Occur within the normal sporting environment.
Avoid unnecessary isolation.
Respect appropriate physical boundaries.
Where a private conversation is reasonably required because a child is raising a sensitive concern, the child's safety and privacy should be balanced with appropriate safeguarding practices.
9. Physical Contact
Physical contact with a child must be appropriate to the circumstances.
Appropriate contact may include:
Contact necessary to prevent immediate injury.
Appropriate first aid.
Normal sporting acknowledgements such as a high-five.
Coaching-related physical guidance where reasonably necessary, appropriate and understood by the child.
Adults should explain coaching-related physical contact before it occurs where practicable.
Physical contact must never be:
Sexual.
Punitive.
Unnecessary.
Intimidating.
Excessive.
Intended to embarrass or humiliate.
A child's request not to be touched should be respected except where immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect safety.
10. Electronic and Online Communication
Communication with junior players must remain appropriate and related to legitimate CHP activities.
Where reasonably practicable:
Club or group communication channels should be used.
Parents or guardians should be included in significant direct communication, particularly for younger children.
Adults should avoid unnecessary private or secret communication with junior players.
Messages should relate to legitimate Club, coaching or participation matters.
Communication should occur at reasonable times.
Adults must not send sexual, suggestive, inappropriate or exploitative material.
A child should never be asked to keep communication with a CHP adult secret from their parent, guardian or other appropriate adult.
These expectations apply to platforms including CourtFlow, Discord, email, SMS, social media and messaging applications.
Safe online environments are expressly part of Victorian Child Safe Standard 9.
11. Photography, Video and Social Media
CHP may photograph or record Club activities for legitimate purposes such as:
Club promotion.
Event reporting.
Coaching.
Competition coverage.
Social media.
Historical Club records.
Appropriate consent arrangements should be followed.
Images or recordings of children must not be:
Sexually suggestive.
Degrading.
Exploitative.
Taken in inappropriate private environments.
Used in a manner that could reasonably place a child at risk.
Where a parent, guardian or child raises a reasonable concern about photography or publication, CHP should appropriately consider that concern.
12. Change Rooms, Toilets and Private Areas
Adults must respect children's privacy in toilets, change rooms and similar private areas.
Adults should not enter or remain in a private area with a child unnecessarily.
Photography or recording in toilets or change rooms is prohibited.
Where assistance is genuinely required because of age, disability, injury or another legitimate reason, appropriate safeguarding arrangements should be used.
13. Transport
Parents and guardians should ordinarily be responsible for transport arrangements for junior players.
Where transport by a CHP volunteer or other adult is necessary:
The parent or guardian should be informed and provide appropriate agreement.
The arrangement should be transparent.
Unnecessary isolated transport arrangements should be avoided where reasonably practicable.
Appropriate behaviour and boundaries must be maintained.
CHP participation does not automatically create an obligation for Club volunteers to transport junior players.
14. Alcohol, Tobacco, Vaping and Drugs
Adults must not provide a child or young person with:
Alcohol.
Tobacco products.
Vaping products.
Illegal drugs.
Other substances that cannot lawfully or appropriately be supplied to them.
Adults must not encourage junior participants to engage in age-inappropriate alcohol or drug-related behaviour.
Where alcohol is present at an adult Club activity attended by juniors, adults remain responsible for maintaining appropriate behaviour and a safe environment.
15. Coaching and Training Practices
Coaching should promote:
Skill development.
Enjoyment.
Confidence.
Appropriate challenge.
Safety.
Positive sporting behaviour.
Coaches must not use:
Humiliation.
Threats.
Physical punishment.
Degrading treatment.
Dangerous training practices.
Pressure to continue playing while injured or unwell where doing so would be unsafe.
A child's physical and emotional wellbeing takes priority over sporting results.
16. Working With Children and Screening
CHP will comply with applicable Victorian Working with Children Check and other screening requirements.
People undertaking roles involving children may be required to:
Hold a current Working with Children Check where legally or organisationally required.
Provide relevant details to CHP.
Maintain their eligibility while performing the role.
Participate in appropriate induction.
Understand CHP's child-safety expectations.
Notify CHP where circumstances affect their suitability or legal eligibility to perform the role.
CHP may apply screening requirements beyond the statutory minimum where reasonably considered appropriate for a child-related role.
The Victorian Standards require relevant staff and volunteers to have current Working with Children Checks or equivalent checks, along with appropriate induction and support. Pickleball Australia likewise states that people working with children and young people through PA are required to hold valid checks in accordance with relevant state or territory legislation.
17. Recruitment and Appointment of Volunteers
When appointing people to roles involving regular or significant interaction with children, CHP should consider child safety as part of the appointment process.
Depending upon the role, this may include:
Working With Children Check verification.
Relevant qualifications.
References.
Experience.
Appropriate induction.
Understanding of CHP policies.
Assessment of suitability for the role.
A person's pickleball ability alone does not establish their suitability to work with children.
18. Junior Participation
CHP supports junior participation throughout the Club where it is safe and appropriate.
Junior players may participate in:
Junior-specific activities.
Coaching.
Social play.
Competitions.
Tournaments.
Rumbles.
Development sessions.
Adult/open-age sessions where appropriate.
Participation may be subject to:
Age.
Playing ability.
Maturity.
Session requirements.
Safety.
Capacity.
Supervision.
Applicable competition rules.
Parent or guardian involvement where appropriate.
Being a junior does not automatically prevent a player from participating in an adult activity.
19. Young Athletes in Adult Sessions
Where a player under 18 participates in an adult or open-age CHP session, the CHP Young Athletes in Adult Sessions Policy applies.
A junior participating at an adult or advanced playing level remains a child for safeguarding purposes.
Adults must maintain appropriate child-safe standards regardless of the junior's:
Playing ability.
Physical maturity.
Competitive experience.
DUPR rating.
Participation in adult competition.
20. Reporting Child Safety Concerns
Any concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child involved with CHP should be taken seriously.
Concerns should be reported promptly to an appropriate CHP Committee or designated child-safety contact.
This may include:
A disclosure by a child.
Suspected abuse.
Grooming concerns.
Inappropriate adult behaviour.
Bullying or harassment.
Unsafe coaching practices.
Inappropriate online communication.
Significant boundary concerns.
Other conduct that may place a child at risk.
A person does not need to prove that abuse or harm has occurred before raising a genuine concern.
21. Responding to a Child Who Raises a Concern
Where a child discloses harm or raises a serious safety concern, the adult receiving the information should:
Listen calmly.
Take the child seriously.
Avoid blaming or criticising the child.
Avoid making promises of absolute confidentiality.
Avoid conducting their own detailed investigation.
Record relevant information appropriately.
Report the concern through the appropriate pathway.
Take reasonable immediate action where necessary to protect safety.
CHP's role is not to independently determine whether criminal abuse has occurred where that determination properly belongs to relevant authorities.
22. External Reporting and Authorities
Nothing in CHP's internal reporting processes prevents or replaces reporting to an appropriate external authority.
Where required or appropriate, a child-safety matter may be referred or reported to:
Victoria Police.
Child protection authorities.
Pickleball Victoria.
Pickleball Australia.
Sport Integrity Australia.
CHP's insurer.
Another appropriate authority.
Legal reporting obligations must be complied with regardless of CHP's internal complaint process.
23. Immediate Protective Action
Where there is a reasonable immediate concern for a child's safety, CHP may take precautionary operational action while the matter is assessed or referred.
This may include:
Separating individuals.
Stopping an activity.
Contacting a parent or guardian.
Removing an adult from a child-related activity.
Changing supervision arrangements.
Contacting Police or emergency services.
Taking another reasonable action necessary to protect the child.
Precautionary action does not, by itself, constitute a finding of misconduct.
Where CHP subsequently proposes formal disciplinary action against a member, the disciplinary requirements of the CHP Rules of Association apply.
24. Child-Focused Complaints
Children and young people must be able to raise concerns without unnecessary barriers.
CHP should provide reasonable ways for a child to:
Speak to a trusted CHP adult.
Speak through a parent or guardian.
Raise a concern directly with the Committee.
Seek assistance from an appropriate external organisation.
Complaints involving children should be handled sensitively and in a manner appropriate to the child's age, circumstances and communication needs.
Victoria's Child Safe Standards specifically require complaint processes to be child-focused.
25. Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Child-safety information must be handled sensitively.
Information should only be shared where reasonably necessary to:
Protect a child.
Assess or respond to a concern.
Comply with legal obligations.
Make a required report.
Obtain appropriate professional advice.
Support an investigation by an appropriate authority.
A request for confidentiality cannot prevent CHP or another person from making a report where reporting is legally required or reasonably necessary to protect a child.
26. Records
CHP should maintain appropriate records of significant child-safety:
Concerns.
Reports.
Incidents.
Actions.
Referrals.
Decisions.
Records should be stored securely and access appropriately restricted.
27. Education and Awareness
CHP will seek to ensure that people with child-related responsibilities understand:
This policy.
Appropriate behavioural boundaries.
How to recognise potential child-safety concerns.
How to respond when a child raises a concern.
How and where concerns should be reported.
CHP may provide or require additional safeguarding information or training appropriate to a person's role.
Victorian Standard 8 specifically requires relevant staff and volunteers to be equipped through ongoing education and training.
28. Risk Management
Child safety should be considered when CHP plans:
Junior programs.
Coaching.
Events.
Travel.
Adult sessions involving juniors.
Online activities.
Photography and media.
New venues.
Volunteer appointments.
Other activities involving children.
CHP should identify reasonably foreseeable child-safety risks and implement proportionate controls.
29. Continuous Improvement
CHP will periodically review its child-safety arrangements.
The Committee should consider:
Feedback from junior players.
Feedback from parents and guardians.
Complaints and incidents.
Changes to legal requirements.
Changes to Pickleball Victoria or Pickleball Australia requirements.
Changes to CHP activities.
Identified risks.
Lessons from previous incidents or concerns.
Where appropriate, CHP will update its policies, procedures and practices.
This reflects Victorian Standard 10, which requires regular review and improvement and consideration of complaints, concerns and incidents to identify systemic issues.
30. Relationship With Other CHP Policies
This policy should be read together with:
CHP Rules of Association.
CHP Code of Conduct.
CHP Member Protection Policy.
CHP Complaint Handling Process.
CHP Committee Protection Policy.
CHP Injury Prevention Policy.
CHP Membership Policy.
CHP Young Athletes in Adult Sessions Policy.
CHP Sunday King of the Court Participation Policy.
CHP Thursday Advanced King of the Court Participation Policy.
Applicable Pickleball Victoria policies.
Applicable Pickleball Australia safeguarding requirements.
Pickleball Australia currently maintains a safeguarding framework including its Participant Code of Behaviour, Member Protection arrangements, Code of Conduct and screening requirements.
31. Relationship With the Rules of Association and Law
This policy operates subject to:
The CHP Rules of Association.
Applicable Victorian and Commonwealth law.
Applicable child-safety requirements.
Applicable governing-body requirements.
Nothing in this policy limits or replaces a legal obligation to protect a child or make a required report.
Where formal disciplinary action against a CHP member is proposed, the applicable disciplinary procedure under the Rules of Association must be followed.
Immediate action reasonably necessary to protect a child may be taken before a disciplinary process is completed.
32. Responsibility
Child safety is a shared responsibility.
The CHP Committee has overall responsibility for promoting and overseeing CHP's child-safe culture.
Coaches, volunteers, officials, parents, members and other adults involved with CHP also have responsibilities to:
Model appropriate behaviour.
Follow CHP's child-safety requirements.
Identify and report concerns.
Support a safe environment.
Put the wellbeing of children ahead of sporting outcomes.
33. Policy Review
This policy will be formally reviewed at least annually, or earlier where:
Child-safety legislation or standards change.
Governing-body requirements change.
A significant incident occurs.
CHP materially changes its junior activities.
A review identifies an opportunity to improve CHP's practices.
Our Commitment
Every child and young person participating in Central Highlands Pickleball Club has the right to feel safe, welcome, respected and heard.
CHP wants young people to enjoy pickleball, make friends, develop their skills and challenge themselves in an environment where adults understand that protecting children is everyone's responsibility.
Child safety comes before competition, results or convenience.
Central Highlands Pickleball Club Incorporated (CHP)
Version: 1.1
Effective Date: September 2025
Last Review Date: August 2026
Responsible Body: CHP Committee
Approved by: CHP Committee
Review: Annually or as required