Safeguarding Policy - Cape Town Archery Federation

Cape Town Archery Federation (CTAF) Safeguarding Policy

Version 1, 2025

In accordance with the terms of both the Cape Town Sports Council Safeguarding Policy and the Cape Town Archery Federation Code of Conduct, Cape Town Archery Federation acknowledges its obligation to implement a safeguarding policy which shall be easily accessible to all member clubs.

Cape Town Archery Federation strongly contributes to the protection of everyone involved in archery. CTAF believes that all athletes, coaches, officials, staff and volunteers who wish to participate in the sport of archery have a right to participate in a safe and inclusive environment, free from all forms of harm, discrimination, abuse, violence and neglect.

CTAF has developed this policy (based on SANAA policy) to set forth the efforts it will undertake to promote a safe environment, both independently and in partnership with other necessary parties, including associate members, provincial federations, parents (or legal guardians), athletes, and the archery community.

1Definitions

Abuse — includes, but is not limited to, psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, neglect and bullying.
Adult — a person over the age of 18 years.
Athlete — any archer of all ages who may or may not be a member of CTAF.
Athletes with disabilities — those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments that, on interaction with certain barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Bullying / Cyberbullying — unwanted, repeated and intentional, aggressive behaviour usually among peers, involving a real or perceived power imbalance, including threats, spreading rumours or falsehoods, physical or verbal attacks, and deliberate exclusion.
Child / Adolescent — every person below the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.
Harassment — the various forms of harassment and abuse as set out in the IOC Consensus Statement 2016, which can occur in combination or isolation, in person or online, and often results from an abuse of authority or power by one person against another.
Hazing — an organised, usually team-based, form of bullying in sport, involving degrading and hazardous initiation of new team members by veteran members.
Homophobia — antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion or hatred towards lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals.
Disciplinary Committee of CTAF — the relevant body of CTAF to lead the disciplinary procedure in case of violation of this Safeguarding Policy.
Neglect — the failure of parents or care givers (and equally coaches and athlete entourages) to meet a child’s physical and emotional needs or to protect a child from exposure to danger.
Negligence — the failure of a coach or another person with a duty of care towards the athlete to provide a minimum level of care, causing harm, allowing harm to be caused, or creating imminent danger of harm.
Non-Accidental Harm — any unwelcome sexual harassment and/or abuse, financial abuse, bullying and emotional abuse, hazing, neglect, physical abuse and child exploitation.
Officials — members of the team involved in archery events, including but not limited to technical official, medical support, management, volunteer, coach and any other member of the team’s entourage at an archery event.
Physical Abuse — non-accidental trauma or physical injury caused by punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning or otherwise harming an athlete, including forced or mandated inappropriate physical activity, forced alcohol consumption, or systematic doping practices.
Psychological Abuse — a pattern of deliberate, prolonged, repeated non-contract behaviours within a power-differentiated relationship, at the core of all other forms of abuse.
Safe Sport — an athletic environment that is respectful, equitable and free from all forms of non-accidental violence to athletes.
Sexism — the belief that one sex or gender is superior to another.
Sexual Abuse — any conduct of a sexual nature, whether non-contact, contact or penetrative, where consent is coerced/manipulated or is not or cannot be given.
Sexual Harassment — any unwanted and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal or physical.
Volunteers — people working or assisting CTAF during team preparation and delivery at archery events.
Young Adults — young persons over the age of 18 transitioning from childhood to adulthood, who may be more at risk of exploitation, harm or abuse.

2Introduction

Safeguarding is considered to be the responsibility of organisations to make sure their staff, volunteers, operations and programmes do no harm to children or vulnerable adults, or expose them to harassment, abuse or exploitation.
CTAF is committed to promoting a safe environment for its members, athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, volunteers and staff in all disciplines.
Consistent with the objectives and principles of CTAF, the welfare of the archery community, especially minors and vulnerable adults, is of paramount concern.
Everyone has the right to participate in archery in an environment free from non-accidental harm, discrimination, bullying, harassment, abuse, violence and neglect irrespective of their race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth or athletic ability.

3Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this Safeguarding Policy is to ensure that archers and all athletes taking part in archery within the City of Cape Town Metropolitan and Western Cape Province can do so without fear of harassment or abuse. The key objectives of the policy are to:

Ensure everyone in archery understands that all forms of harassment and abuse are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Enable anyone who has witnessed or experienced harassment or abuse within the sport of archery to report the incident without fear of victimisation or retaliation.
Ensure an appropriate and co-ordinated response to any incidents of harassment or abuse, irrespective of whether they arise at club, district, provincial, national or international level.
Implement effective measures that minimise the likelihood of incidents of harassment and abuse arising.
Ensure all reasonable steps are taken during the recruitment of staff and volunteers to prevent unsuitable individuals from working in the sport of archery.

4Violations of this Safeguarding Policy

The following acts shall be considered a violation of this policy (but not limited to):

Any form of abuse.
Any form of harassment.
Neglect.
Complicity — assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving a violation of this policy.
Failure to cooperate — failing to cooperate with any CTAF investigation, or obstructing or delaying an investigation, including concealing, tampering with or destroying relevant documentation.

5Retaliation, Reporting and Confidentiality

Members should report to Safeguarding Officers, at the first available opportunity, full details of any incident, fact or matter that comes to their attention that could amount to a violation of this policy.
Safeguarding Officers will report any behaviour which, in the reasonable opinion of CTAF Exco, amounts to potentially criminal behaviour to the appropriate legal authorities.
Retaliation by a CTAF member against a person for making an allegation, supporting a reporting party, or providing information relevant to an allegation is a serious violation of this policy.
Reports may be made in whatever way is most comfortable for the person — anonymous, in-person, verbal, or written. Individuals may complete an Incident Report Form, and CTAF will withhold the complainant’s name upon request, to the extent permitted and required by law.
Confidentiality: to the extent permitted and required by law, CTAF will handle any report confidentially and discreetly and will not make public the names of complainant(s), potential victim(s), or accused person(s), except as needed to conduct an investigation or as required by law.
Anonymous reporting is available — without including a name on the Incident Report Form, or by expressing concerns verbally or in writing to the Chairperson at info@ctaf.org.za. Please be aware that anonymous reporting may make it more difficult to investigate or address allegations.

6Investigation and Notification

Following the receipt of an allegation of misconduct or violation of this policy, CTAF may consider the circumstances in which it will notify other athletes, members and/or the parents (or legal guardians) of athletes with whom the accused individual may have had contact.
At CTAF’s discretion, and as appropriate or required by law, CTAF may notify relevant persons — competition managers, staff members, contractors, volunteers, parents (or legal guardians), and/or athletes — of any allegation that law enforcement authorities are actively investigating, or that Provincial Federations are investigating.

7Duty to Inform

Athletes, members and/or the parents (or legal guardians) of athletes, coaches and staff shall promptly inform CTAF of any allegations (where possible) and/or sanction(s) imposed on any person under their jurisdiction relating to any harassment and/or abuse case(s).
CTAF shall promptly inform the Provincial Federations of any allegations (where possible) and/or sanction(s) imposed relating to any harassment and/or abuse case(s).

8Opening a Disciplinary Procedure and Sanctions

Following an investigation, CTAF shall evaluate all the evidence and decide whether or not to open a disciplinary procedure by referring the matter to the Provincial Federations Disciplinary Committees.
Any case referred pursuant to this policy will be dealt with according to the procedures set out in the Constitution, Rules and Regulations of CTAF. Where appropriate, CTAF may wait until the outcome of any related criminal or civil proceedings is known before deciding whether to refer a case.
The CTAF Disciplinary Committee shall have jurisdiction to decide on alleged breaches of this policy in the first instance, and may stay proceedings pending the outcome of any related criminal or civil proceedings.
In the event of non-accidental harm, discrimination, bullying, harassment, abuse, violence and neglect, the CTAF Disciplinary Committee will be the only relevant body to sanction or punish any infraction of this policy.
Where such conduct is also a criminal offence, the disciplinary procedure will start after any sanction taken by the relevant authorities. The Disciplinary Committee is only allowed to take sporting sanctions after any other sanctions taken by the relevant authorities, respecting the principle of impartiality, right of defence and equality.
Sanctions and measures shall be proportional to the infringement, taking into account: the nature and severity of the violation; whether it is a first offence or one of several; the age/vulnerability of the abused or harassed person; the relationship between the parties; and any other relevant circumstances.
Sanctions and measures the Disciplinary Committee may impose, singly or in combination, include: written or verbal apology; formal warning; risk assessment; training and/or supervision; temporary suspension; termination of membership, licence, agreement or contract; financial sanction; competition ban; banishment of any National Federation; or any other sanction referred to the Provincial Federation or Confederation for final approval.
An appeal may be lodged against a decision of the CTAF Disciplinary Committee in accordance with the CTAF Rules and Regulations.
The Disciplinary Committee may impose provisional measures, including a provisional suspension on a member, who shall be entitled to apply for relief against such provisional measures.

9Mutual Recognition

Subject to the right of appeal, any decision taken by the CTAF Disciplinary Committee pursuant to this policy must be recognised and respected by all members and Provincial Federations. Where CTAF is informed that a member has been convicted of a criminal offence, or held by another competent sports governing body to have committed a violation, which would constitute a violation under this Safeguarding Policy, CTAF shall recognise the applicable conviction/decision imposed. Where appropriate, CTAF reserves the right to open a separate disciplinary procedure against the member in relation to his/her CTAF-related activities.

10Safeguarding Officer(s)

CTAF, through its Exco, shall appoint two suitably qualified persons to serve as Safeguarding Officers for the association, preferably one man and one woman, each acting individually or in collaboration as required.
To respect impartiality during any procedure, the Safeguarding Officers cannot be a member of the CTAF Committee.
The Safeguarding Officers’ role and duties include: being the main point of contact for anyone reporting suspected non-accidental harm, discrimination, bullying, harassment, abuse, violence and neglect at any time; being the main point of contact for members about the Safeguarding Policy; managing the reporting and investigation procedure; informing the CTAF Disciplinary Committee in case of a disciplinary or ethical procedure; providing support to anyone who reports a case or who has been subject to harassment and abuse; and implementing and upholding this Safeguarding Policy.

11Safe Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers

All reasonable steps are taken during the recruitment of staff and volunteers to prevent unsuitable individuals from working in or being involved in the sport of archery, particularly roles involving “regular contact” with children, young people, persons with a mental and/or physical disability, or other vulnerable adults.
All individuals with significant access to these groups must be vetted to establish whether they have any criminal convictions or other past behaviour suggesting unsuitability or risk, whether paid staff or volunteers.
CTAF and its Member Clubs have a statutory duty to vet staff and volunteers who have regular contact with children and/or persons with a physical or mental disability, and cannot employ a person whose name appears on the National Register for Sexual Offenders if there is any likelihood of contact with children or persons who are mentally disabled.
Under the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (as amended), no person whose name appears in Part B of the National Child Protection Register may manage, operate, or participate in managing or operating a school, club or association providing services to children; failure to disclose such an entry is misconduct.
Under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 (as amended), CTAF and its Member Clubs are employers as defined, and all staff and volunteers with regular contact with children and persons with a physical or mental disability are employees as defined, in respect of the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
Measures that may be used when interviewing for a role involving contact with children, young people, or vulnerable adults include: considering qualifications and experience for the role; identifying a timeline of previous relevant roles; assessing attitudes and commitment to safeguarding; assessing previous experience of working with children; giving the applicant a safeguarding scenario (e.g. a child not being collected after a session) and asking how they would respond; and asking whether the applicant has ever been refused work involving contact with these groups.
In line with best practice, CTAF recommends that the minimum standards for vetting of applicants are renewed every three years.

12Responsibilities of Member Clubs Affiliated to CTAF

It is the responsibility of every Member Club of CTAF to:

Ensure that this Safeguarding Policy or their own safeguarding document is available, either online or in hard copy, for any archer in South Africa to view.
Ensure that they, at all times, have two appointed designated Safeguarding Officers (preferably one male and one female).
Ensure that all adult coaches, administrators and technical officials, whether paid staff or volunteers, are cleared against the Sexual Offences Register (Sexual Offences Amendment Act of 2007) and the Child Protection Register (Children’s Act of 2005).
Assist communities in which CTAF (or Member Associates) may have clubs to understand CTAF’s commitment to safeguarding, including all relevant processes and protocols.
Ensure that every person — including club Exco, club members, club athletes, parents of athletes, administrators and/or technical officials — has the ability to report anonymously on any challenges they may be facing, and is encouraged to use the anonymous reporting platform if they feel they need to.

13Retention of Records

Any information relating to complaints of harassment or abuse will be stored securely and in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Information about poor practice or complaints that may indicate a participant in a position of trust is unsuitable to work or volunteer in the sport will be retained for as long as the participant remains active in archery, or for 10 years, whichever is longer — even if it was not possible at the time to instigate a formal proceeding.
Any other records relating to other complaints will be retained for a period of 3 years, unless a similar complaint arises within that period.
Any records relating to disciplinary action taken by CTAF will be retained in accordance with the retention periods set out in the CTSC or WCPSC Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Procedure.

Reporting a Concern

If you have witnessed or experienced harassment, abuse, neglect or any other violation of this policy, please contact a CTAF Safeguarding Officer or the Chairperson at info@ctaf.org.za as soon as possible. Reports can be made anonymously, verbally, in writing, or via the Incident Report Form (available from CTAF on request), and will be handled confidentially in line with the policy above.