INTEGRITY AND COMPLAINTS
Sport is an Australian way of life. It brings people together, regardless of any differences in language, ability, culture, and beliefs, and provides physical, social and economic benefits.
For those reasons, it’s critical that we keep Special Olympics sport safe and fair, for everyone who participates.
Threats to sports integrity include things like illicit drug use, doping, competition-manipulation, and behaviours that impact people’s positive experience of sport, such as discrimination or abuse.
Integrity in sport means that athletes, supporters, and fans can participate and celebrate sport, confident in the knowledge that they are part of a safe, fair and inclusive environment.
Special Olympics Australia takes integrity seriously.
All our members and participants have an obligation to protect and maintain the integrity of sport, as well as the health and wellbeing of people who participate.
We work closely with Sport Integrity Australia, the national agency established to protect sport against integrity threats. For more information visit the Sport Integrity Australia website.
Everyone from athletes, parents, support personnel, administrators and supporters play a role in protecting the integrity of our sport.
In 2022, Special Olympics Australia signed up to the National Integrity Framework, which is a suite of integrity policies developed by Sport Integrity Australia, and an independent complaint handling process. This means that from 30 June 2022, concerns or complaints about alleged integrity breaches can be reported directly to Sport Integrity Australia by filling out the webform on the Sport Integrity Australia website.
Special Olympics Australia also have suite of policies to handle integrity and complaints that sit outside of the National Integrity Framework.
You can find more information about the conduct which is prohibited under the National Integrity Framework on the Sport Integrity Australia page by clicking here.
If you’re unsure about where to report your matter of concern or complaint, please look at the table below.
Click here to view the full list
Click here to make an integrity complaint or report.
Click here to make a complaint or report to Special Olympics Australia.
Still unsure, please contact Sport Integrity Australia. Click here to contact Sport Integrity Australia
A parent or guardian can submit a complaint to Sport Integrity Australia on behalf of a child, even if they are over 18, however Sport Integrity Australia would need the consent/agreement of the person you are submitting the complaint on behalf of if they are over the age of 18.
To assist Sport Integrity Australia in this process, please ask the child to complete the “Authority for Another Person to Act on My Behalf form” and attach it to the online form, or send it to the email or PO Box address listed on the online form.
Anti-doping rules apply to all participants of our sport from elite down to grassroots.
All members must be aware of, and have a basic understanding of, their obligations regarding anti-doping. The Sport Integrity Australia website has a range of information and resources to assist, including:
This Policy protects the health and wellbeing of athletes by ensuring sports science and medicine staff are appropriately qualified.
It prohibits the misuse and administration of injections and medicine in the sporting context, including supplement use. This Policy also sets clear rules regarding the use and distribution of illegal drugs by anyone in sport.
The improper use of drugs and medicine in sport, including the use of supplements and the provision by unqualified and unauthorised people are a risk to the health of athlete and the integrity of sport.
To counter these risks, we have put in place an Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy which ensures:
For more information, check out the Improper Use of Drugs and Medicines Fact Sheet.
Click here for information to help 13-17 year old’s understand the Improper Use of Drugs and Medicines Policy
This Policy protects the integrity of sporting competitions by prohibiting conduct like match-fixing, corruption, betting on your own sport and disclosing inside information.
Manipulating sports competitions, commonly known as ‘match-fixing’ is when someone alters a sporting competition to remove the unpredictable nature of the competition to obtain an undue advantage, or benefit.
People are motivated to manipulate competitions for a variety of reasons such as to get a better draw in a round-robin tournament (often referred to as tanking) or to avoid relegation to a lower competition. Another reason people manipulate competitions is to profit through betting markets by underperforming intentionally.
In Australia, the manipulation of sporting competitions can also result in a criminal conviction and up to ten years in jail. Participants of a sport involved in manipulating competitions will also likely face a long ban from sport. More information can be found on the Sport Integrity Australia website.
For more information, check out the Competition Manipulation & Sports Wagering Fact Sheet.
Click here for information to help 13-17 year old’s understand Competition Manipulation and Sports Wagering Policy
Participation in sport should be safe for all. We are committed to ensuring that people in sport, including children, are treated with respect, dignity, and are protected from bullying, discrimination, harassment, or abuse.
The Child Safeguarding and Member Protection highlight the important legal and governance responsibilities in relation to child safety and member protection.
This Policy sets out processes and practices to ensure children are safe and protected from all forms of abuse, harm, and neglect while participating in sport.
For more information on Child Safeguarding check out the Child Safeguarding Fact Sheet.
Click here for information to help 7-12 year old’s understand the Child Safeguarding Policy
Click here for information to help 13-17 year old’s understand the Child Safeguarding Policy
This Policy sets out expectations and behaviours to ensure everyone involved in your sport is treated with respect and dignity.
For more information on Member Protection check out the Member Protection Fact Sheet.
Click here for information to help 7-12 year old’s understand their rights in sport
Click here for information to help 13-17 year old’s understand their rights in sport
Click here for information to help 13-17 year old’s understand the Member Protection Policy
All alleged breaches in relation to our National Integrity Framework and associated integrity policies will be managed under the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy.
This Policy sets out the process for managing allegations of prohibited conduct under the National Integrity Framework that may lead to possible disciplinary action.
Complaints in relation to breaches under the National Integrity Framework will be managed independently by Sport Integrity Australia.
There are five steps in the complaints process under the Complaints, Disputes, and Discipline Policy. For more information on the process, check out the Complaints Process: Step By Step.
For more information on what a breach under the National Integrity Framework is, check out the Prohibited Conduct Fact Sheet
For more information on the Complaints, Disputes and Disciplines Policy check out the Complaints, Disputes and Disciplines Fact Sheet.
Below are some simple tips to remember when considering lodging a complaint with Sport Integrity Australia.
To report a breach of an integrity policy, submit directly to Sport Integrity Australia via:
Sport Integrity Australia eLearning offers a number of online courses relating to sport integrity, including child safeguarding, doping, match fixing, illicit drugs and ethical decision-making courses. There is also a new course specifically about the National Integrity Framework. Specific anti-doping courses are also available for coaches, support persons, medical practitioners and parents.
Visit Sport Integrity Australia eLearning by clicking here.
The Sport Integrity app is a one-stop shop for all sport integrity needs, downloaded by more than 50,000 Australian athletes and support staff.
The app allows users to check whether their medications are banned in sport, find low risk supplements to reduce their change of testing positive accidentally, and check whether they need a Therapeutic Use Exemption. The app also provides direction on how to raise concerns about things like doping, match-fixing, harassment or illicit drug use. It features further information on eLearning modules, whereabouts and testing information and gives users the opportunity to provide feedback to Sport Integrity Australia.
The app is free and can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores.
The Prohibited List outlines the substances and methods that are prohibited in sport. It is updated annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Remember that individual products or brands are not named on the Prohibited List. Athletes should check the status of all medications before they use them on Global DRO.
You can view the prohibited list by clicking here.
Global DRO allows users to check whether the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medicines in Australia are permitted or prohibited in sport.
If an athlete requires use of a prohibited substance to treat a medical condition, the athlete needs to be aware of the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) requirements. For more information on a Therapeutic Use Exemptions visit Sport Integrity Australia’s website.
Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, inclusion and integrity issues in sport.
You can view the Play by the Rules website by clicking here.
Keep up to date with all that is happening in sport integrity by following Sport Integrity Australia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or listen to On Side, the official podcast of Sport Integrity Australia.