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national integrity framework

Sport should be a safe and fair place for all participants.  At Australian Athletics we offer a safe place for people to raise concerns about behaviour they have witnessed or experienced in sport as well as find more information if they have an integrity question.

Integrity in sport means that participants, coaches, officials, athletes and supporters can participate in and enjoy sport, confident in the knowledge that they are part of a safe, fair, and inclusive environment.

We work with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), the federal agency established to prevent and deal with integrity threats in sport. For more information on their responsibilities, including anti-doping, visit the Sport Integrity Australia website.

NSW Athletics have adopted the National Integrity Framework (click here to view) with the following policies in place.

  • Member Protection       
  • Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy 
  • Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy 
  • Competition Manipulation and Sports Gambling Policy
  • Complaints, Disputes & Discipline Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Anti-doping - The Australian Athletics anti-doping policy is the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy, effective from 1 January 2021, and found here on the Sport Integrity Australia website. All members, participants, and non-participants in the sport of athletics are bound by these rules.  

To view the policies - here

Not everyone likes reading policies. Take a look at these videos and resources:

OTHER POLICIES AND INFORMATION

  • Whistle blower policy.
  • Anti-doping - For high performance athletes or support staff, visit the  Australian Athletics anti-doping website page for information on testing, whereabouts, WADA, Therapeutic Use Exemptions, etc.
  • Governance - All of our governance policies can be found on  Australian Athletics website HERE or on NSW Athletics website HERE.
  • Historical complaints - If you wish to submit a complaint about an incident that occurred before 1 July 2022, you may need to refer to an older policy in operation at that time. For example, see the ANSW Member Protection Policy (March 2017).

Anything that may constitute Prohibited Conduct in a integrity policy must be reported to Sport Integrity Australia. The full list of Prohibited Conduct is available here but includes things such as:

  • Abuse
  • Bullying
  • Harassment
  • Sexual Misconduct
  • Unlawful Discrimination
  • Victimisation
  • Misconduct with a Child
  • Grooming
  • Supply of Drugs or Alcohol to a Child
  • Match fixing and other types of Competition Manipulation
  • Supplying inside information for the purposes of gambling
  • Betting on Volleyball events
  • Unlawful use of over the counter or prescription drugs
  • Inappropriate use or provision of supplements
  • Illicit drug use
  • Concealing information about Prohibited Conduct
  • Doping 

Everyone including athletes, parents, coaches, support personnel, administrators and supporters play a role in protecting the integrity of our sport. Complaints received will be evaluated and either managed by Australian Athletics, referred to SIA or an appropriate external agency, or passed back to complainant with suggested pathways for them to pursue where the complaint is out of scope.

We work closely with Sport Integrity Australia, the national coordination agency for sport integrity threats. For more information about Sport Integrity Australia, visit their website. Athletics specific questions about any integrity related matters should be directed to your club's Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) or Development Officer in the first instance, otherwise click here for NSW Athletics MPIO.

More Information on Raising a Concern

When it comes to sport integrity, it is critical that our athletes, coaches, support personnel and volunteers are aware of their rights and responsibilities. There are a range of tools and resources available to help keep participants informed.

  • The Sport Integrity Australia website contains a range of RESOURCES available for everyone 
  • Download the Sport Integrity Australia App to access the online education. The app is also a free one-stop shop for all sport integrity needs, designed with athletes in mind. The app allows users to check whether their medications are banned in sport, find low risk supplements and check whether they need a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). 
  • Australian Athletics promotes the Play By The Rules website for helpful advice for club committees and volunteers.

 

AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS EDUCATION PLAN

Sport Integrity Australia eLearning offers a variety of online courses relating to sport integrity, including doping, match fixing, child safeguarding and ethical decision making courses. See the below courses either required or recommended for athletes, coaches, support personnel, administrators and volunteers.

When it comes to sport integrity, it is critical that our athletes, coaches, support personnel, leaders and volunteers are aware of their rights and responsibilities and continue to build knowledge in this area. There are a range of tools and resources available to help keep participants informed.

Education Plans

Australian Athletics and Sport Integrity Australia annually co-design an education plan to set the required and recommended education modules for various cohorts.

Education opportunities

Upcoming Australian Athletics webinars:

Australian Athletics can also deliver workshops and webinars to improve your understanding of the National Integrity Framework and engage more readily with bringing it to life - here.

The main education offerings are:

  • The National Integrity Framework (NIF)
    • NIF policy awareness
    • What is prohibited conduct and how would I know?
    • Complaints and report processes and scenarios
    • Challenges to implementation
  • Complaints & Culture
    • Complaints and reports process
    • Power imbalance and other challenges to making complaints in athletics
    • Bystander behaviour
    • Whistleblower protections

All sessions can be tailored to suit your audience or address salient issues in your group. Contact Briar Sefo, General Manager of Integrity for more information integrity@athletics.org.au.