The objective of developing and implementing this Code of Conduct is to help increase the safety of the children involved in the STORM FC organization. The Code of Conduct to Protect Children serves to establish boundaries for all Team Officials, Managers, Coaches, and Volunteers of STORM FC during all interactions with children, to assist individuals in identifying concerning behaviour, and clarify the steps they should take to address such behaviour.
INTRODUCTION
STORM FC has developed the following Code of Conduct to Protect Children as a guide for our staff and volunteers in their interactions with children. The safety, rights and well-being of children we serve are at the core of our programs. We nurture supportive relationships with children while balancing and encouraging appropriate boundaries.
STORM FC is committed to ensuring all children are protected and safe. The Code of Conduct to Protect Children is an important part of creating safe environments for children. The safety, rights, and well being of children participating in our programs is a priority.
SCOPE
The intent of the Code of Conduct to Protect Children is to guide all STORM FC Team Officials, Managers, Coaches and Volunteers in developing healthy relationships with the children involved in sport programs delivered by our organization and to model appropriate boundaries for children.
TERMS & DEFINITIONS
1. The following terms have these meanings within this policy:
a) “Designated Person” means the person designated by STORM FC to act as the primary person to investigate and appropriately deal with questionable conduct or behaviour of any STORM FC Team Officials, Managers, Coaches, and Volunteers.
b) “Inappropriate Behaviour” includes, but is not limited to,
i. Inappropriate Communication. Communication with a child or his/her family outside of the context of duties for the organization, regardless of who initiated the exchange. For example:
a. Personal phone calls not tied to duties with the child;
b. electronic communications (email, text message, instant message, online chats, social networking including “friending”, etc.) not tied to duties with the child;
c. personal letters not tied to duties with the child, and
d. excessive communications (online or offline)
TERMS & DEFINITIONS (cont’d)
ii. Inappropriate Contact. Spending unauthorized time with a child outside of designated duties with the organization.
iii. Favouritism. Singling out a child or certain children and providing special privileges and attention. (for example, paying a lot of attention to, giving or sending personalized gifts, or allowing privileges that are excessive, unwarranted or inappropriate.)
iv. Taking Personal Photos/Videos. Using a personal cell phone, camera or video to take pictures of a child, or allowing any other person to do so, as well as uploading or copying any pictures you may have taken of a child to the Internet or any personal storage device. Pictures taken as part of your job duties are acceptable, however, the pictures are to remain with the organization and not be used by you in a personal capacity.
v. Engaging in or expressing behaviour that leads to embarrassing a child.
vi. Engaging in or expressing behaviour that leads to shaming a child.
vii. Engaging in or expressing behaviour that leads to blaming the loss of a game on a child.
viii. Harassing a child as defined in STORM FC’s Violence & Harassment Policy.
ix. Telling sexual jokes to a child or making comments to a child that are or is in any way suggestive, explicit or personal.
x. Making comments regarding a player’s physical appearance including comments regarding a player’s weight, height, physical capabilities, and physical attributes.
xi. Exhibiting behaviour that would be perceived by a reasonable observer to be culturally insensitive or discriminatory towards a child.
xii. Showing a child material that is sexual in nature, including, signs, cartoons, graphic novels, calendars, literature, photographs, screen savers, or displaying such material in plain view of a child or making such material available to a child.
xiii. Intimidating or threatening a child
xiv. Exhibiting any on-field behaviour that would be considered to express racism if observed by a reasonable person.
xv. Making comments that would be deemed to be emotionally damaging or potentially emotionally damaging to a player if observed by a reasonable person.
xvi. Engaging in or expressing any behavior that would be deemed to be verbally abusive if observed by a reasonable person.
c. “Team Official” means any person who has been properly registered and is not under suspension, who is engaged in the role of coach, assistant coach, and/or team manager for a team during the current soccer season.
d. “the Club’’ refers to the STORM FC organization
TREATING CHILDREN WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT WHILE MAINTAINING BOUNDARIES
2. All STORM FC Team Officials and Volunteers must;
a. Treat all children with respect and dignity;
b. establish, respect, and maintain appropriate boundaries with all children and families involved in activities or programs delivered by the organization, and
c. only engage in appropriate physical contact with a child if the child requests and/or consents to such appropriate physical contact.
3. It is important that all STORM FC Team Officials and Volunteers monitor their own behaviour towards children and pay close attention to the behaviour of their peers to ensure that behaviour is not considered Inappropriate Behaviour and is respectful and will be perceived as such by others.
4. All STORM FC interactions of Team Officials and Volunteers with children shall:
a. be known to, and approved by the board, where applicable, and the parents of the child;
b. be related to the duties of their involvement with the Club, and
c. be focused on the development of the child’s soccer-related skills and experiences in STORM FC.
5. (1) All Team Officials and Volunteers shall always consider the child’s reaction to any activities, conversations, behaviour, or other interactions and carefully be aware of whether such behaviour may be deemed by the Club as inappropriate behaviour.
(2) If, at any time, a Team Official or Volunteer is unsure about the appropriateness of their behaviour or the behaviour of others, they shall discuss it with the Designated Person.
GENERAL RULES OF CONDUCT
6. Team Officials and Volunteers must not:
a. Engage in any sort of physical contact with a child that may make the child, or a reasonable observer feel uncomfortable, or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries;
b. engage in any communication with a child within or outside of duties arising out of their role and involvement in STORM FC, that may make the child uncomfortable or that may be seen by a reasonable observer to be violating reasonable boundaries;
c. engage in any behaviour that contravenes or would appear to a reasonable observer to contravene STORM FC’s mandate, policies, or Code of Conduct to Protect Children, regardless of whether or not they are discharging the duties and obligations that their involvement in STORM FC requires at that moment,
d. conduct independent investigations of allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal or Inappropriate Behaviour. All Team Officials and Volunteers have a duty to report the matter to the Designated Person, parents of the child, or local police services, not to investigate.
7. Inappropriate Behaviour will not be tolerated, especially as it relates to the well-being of the children involved in activities or programs delivered by the organization.
8. Whether or not a particular behavior or action constitutes Inappropriate Behaviour will be a matter determined by the Club having regard to all of the circumstances, including past behaviour, and allegations or suspicions related to such behaviour.
9. All coaches of STORM FC registered teams are required to complete Respect in Sport Activity Leaders Training. Please visit ontariosoccer.net for more information.
10. (A) All registered Team Officials are required (regardless of occupation) to have a valid Vulnerable Sector Check on file at STORM FC prior to being eligible to participate in any event.
(B) Vulnerable Sector Checks are valid for thirty six (36) months
11. The Designated Person shall be listed as the Club’s primary contact for child protection and their contact information shall be provided to all club members on their website.
12. (A) There must at all times be two NCCP-trained or certified coaches with a player in situations where the player is potentially vulnerable. One-on-one interactions between a coach and a player, without another individual present, must be avoided in all circumstances except medical emergencies.
(B) If two NCCP-trained or certified coaches are not available, screened volunteers including managers, support personnel, chaperones, and Directors of STORM FC may be substituted instead.
(C) If the individuals prescribed in subsection A are not available, parents of players on the team shall be asked to temporarily substitute.
(D) If there are no adults specified in subsections A and B available, there shall always be more than one player with the coach at all times.
(E) The following situations specify circumstances in which a player is considered potentially vulnerable for the purposes of section 12(A);
a. In the locker room or changing area;
b. travel involving commutes longer than thirty (30) minutes, and
c. overnight travel including situations in which Members stay anywhere other than their home addresses
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
13. All Team Officials and Volunteers must report suspected child sexual abuse, Inappropriate Behaviour or incidents that they become aware of, whether the behaviour or incidents were personally witnessed or not.
14. All Team Officials and Volunteers have an independent duty to report all suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour directly to our local police service.
15. Circumstances in which Team Officials and Volunteers are required to report and the respective agencies they must report to
include, but are not limited to;
a. All allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour (for example, child sexual abuse) that a Team Official or Volunteer witnesses first-hand, must be promptly reported to the local police services.
b. To ensure the protection of all children in STORM FC care, all allegations or suspicions of potentially illegal behaviour that a Team Official or Volunteer learns of must also be promptly reported to local police services. The Police services will make the determination as to whether the allegation or suspicion requires further investigation.
c. All allegations or suspicions of Inappropriate Behaviour that a Team Official or Volunteer learns of or witnesses first-hand, must be reported to the Designated Person.
d. All allegations or suspicions of Inappropriate Behaviour that a Team Official or Volunteer learns of or witnesses first-hand, must be reported to the parents of the child involved in the suspected or alleged Inappropriate Behaviour.
e. Potentially Illegal behaviour or Inappropriate Behaviour by a Team Official or Volunteer.
f. Potential Illegal behaviour or Inappropriate Behaviour by a third party, such as a Parent, Teacher, Babysitter, Coach.
16. Team Officials and Volunteers must keep in mind that they may learn of potentially illegal or Inappropriate Behaviour through the child involved in the behaviour, a third party, or through witnessing the behaviour first-hand.
17. If a Team Official or Volunteer is unsure whether a situation they have witnessed or otherwise became aware of, involves potentially illegal behaviour or Inappropriate Behaviour, they shall discuss the issue with the Designated Person who will support them through the process
REPORTING FOLLOW UP PROCESS
18. When an allegation or suspicion of potentially illegal behaviour is reported, the local police service will be notified. STORM FC shall follow up internally as deemed appropriate.
19. When an allegation or suspicion of Inappropriate Behaviour is made, STORM FC shall follow up on the matter and gather information about the circumstances to determine what, if any, formal or other disciplinary action is required.
20. In the case of Inappropriate Behaviour STORM FC shall report the matter to local police services if:
a. Multiple behaviours were reported;
b. inappropriate behaviour is recurring, or
c. the reported behaviour is of serious concern
21. If a Team Official or Volunteer is found to have engaged in Inappropriate Behaviour by STORM FC, they are subject to permanent prohibition from future Club membership.
APPEALS
22. If a Team Official or Volunteer that is subject to disciplinary action under section 20 of this Code of Conduct to Protect Children wishes to appeal a decision made by the Club, they may request a review of their conduct and the disciplinary decision by the STORM FC Board of Directors