[Club Name] is committed to the safety and wellbeing of every child and young person who participates in its programs. This Policy sets out how [Club Name] meets its child safety obligations, including those arising under the NSW Children's Guardian Act 2019 and the NSW Child Safe Standards, and how it uses the Jugazo Platform to support that commitment.
This commitment applies to every person engaged by [Club Name] in any capacity involving contact with children — including paid staff, volunteer coaches, committee members, and any other adult granted a role within the Club on the Platform.
This Policy applies to all interactions between [Club Name] staff/volunteers and children, whether occurring on the field, at Club events, or through the Jugazo Platform's communication features (Family, Parents-only, Team social, and Staff development threads). It applies equally to conduct occurring outside the Platform where it relates to a person's role at the Club.
[Club Name] must appoint a Safeguarding Officer at all times, recorded within the Jugazo Platform. The Safeguarding Officer must not simultaneously hold the Club Owner role, to preserve independence in handling concerns that may involve Club leadership.
Every staff member and volunteer coach holding a role involving contact with children must hold a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 (NSW), or the equivalent scheme in their home state or territory, before commencing that role.
The Safeguarding Officer is responsible for verifying each WWCC against the Platform's five-state lifecycle tracking (for example: not started, submitted, verified, expiring soon, expired) and for suspending a staff member's access to children-facing features where a check lapses and is not promptly renewed.
All staff and volunteers engaging with children through [Club Name] or the Platform must:
Any staff member, volunteer, parent, or Player may raise a safeguarding concern with the Safeguarding Officer, including through the Platform's escalation workflow. Concerns will be treated seriously and confidentially, on a need-to-know basis, regardless of who is involved.
Where a concern involves conduct that may meet the threshold of "reportable conduct" under the Children's Guardian Act 2019 (NSW) — including allegations of a sexual, physical, or other serious nature involving a child — the Safeguarding Officer must notify the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian within the required timeframe, in addition to any obligation to notify NSW Police where a criminal offence may have occurred.
The Platform's immutable chat and audit trail (see the Jugazo Terms of Service, Section 9.2) supports an investigation by preserving a reliable record of Platform-based communication. It does not replace the Club's obligation to investigate, respond to, and report concerns under this Policy and applicable law, including conduct occurring outside the Platform.
Pending the outcome of an investigation, the Safeguarding Officer may recommend that [Club Name] suspend a staff member's coaching duties or Platform access, and may request that Jugazo apply a Compliance/Safety Suspension where the concern relates to conduct occurring on or facilitated by the Platform.
Records of safeguarding concerns, their investigation, and their resolution must be kept by the Safeguarding Officer in accordance with [Club Name]'s record retention obligations and, where relevant, guidance from the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. Platform-based records (chat history, escalation notes) are retained automatically per the Jugazo Privacy Policy and are not to be deleted.
[Club Name] will ensure the Safeguarding Officer and relevant staff receive child safety training appropriate to their role, and will review this Policy at least annually or following any significant safeguarding concern, to ensure it remains consistent with current law and the relevant football association's member protection requirements.