HomeChild safety
Our commitment to child safety
Athlete Matter Pty Ltd, and every brand we run including Hoop Matter, is committed to the safety, wellbeing and rights of every child and young person we work with. We have zero tolerance of child abuse and harm in any form, whether it comes from an adult or another young person, and whether it happens in person or online.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 000 now.
To report a child at risk of significant harm in NSW, call the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111. To raise a concern with us, email [email protected].
Why it matters to us
Our programs are built for young athletes, and Hoop Matter is designed for players aged 10 to 14. Children of this age are building their identity, values and confidence, often through the adults who coach and mentor them. That trust is exactly why we hold ourselves to a high standard. Child safety is not a compliance task for us. It is the condition on which we are allowed to do this work at all.
What we promise
We commit to the 10 Child Safe Standards in the Children's Guardian Act 2019 (NSW) and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. In practice, we promise to:
- make child safety the first item in every business decision we make, and hold ourselves accountable for it
- listen to children and young people, involve them in decisions that affect them, and take what they tell us seriously
- keep parents, carers, partner academies and communities informed and involved
- respect and include every child, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disability, and children of every gender and sexuality, and make sure our programs are culturally safe
- only engage people who are suitable to work with children, check their Working with Children clearances, and train and supervise them
- make it easy and safe for anyone, especially a child, to raise a concern, and act on every concern quickly and fairly
- design our physical spaces, our digital content and our online channels to minimise the opportunity for harm
- report every concern that the law requires us to report to Police, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice or any other authority, and cooperate fully with them
- review and improve how we keep children safe, at least once a year and after every incident
Who this applies to
This commitment applies to our directors, employees, contractors, subject matter experts and presenters, coaches, ambassadors, volunteers, students on placement, and any partner organisation that delivers or promotes our programs. It applies in every state and territory we work in.
Athlete Matter is a small business run by one person: our founder and director, Anika Brown. She is our Child Safe Lead and holds a current NSW Working with Children Check. Because one person leads the business, we are appointing an Independent Child Safe Adviser who is not connected to the company, so any concern about the Athlete Matter team or our collaborators, including our founder, has somewhere independent to go. Until then, these concerns can go straight to the outside organisations listed on this page.
How we keep children safe
- Everyone who works with players holds a verified Working with Children Check, signs our Code of Conduct and completes child safe training before they start.
- We never message a player privately, and neither does anyone who works with us. Any contact includes a parent, carer or second adult.
- At every in-person session, clinic or event, a second adult with a Working with Children Check is present, usually a partner academy coach, a venue official or a parent. Our founder is never alone and out of sight with a player.
- Matter Minis has no chat, comments or messaging features.
- Parents and carers buy our products and hold the login. We talk to adults, not children, in our marketing.
- We never take or publish a photo of a child without written consent from a parent or carer, and the child's own agreement.
- Every kit and video includes support contacts, and our self-rating questions do not ask children to write about personal experiences.
- Our [email protected] inbox is checked every day, including at events. Once appointed, our Independent Child Safe Adviser will also have access, so a concern is never stuck waiting for one person. If we are away, an automatic reply gives emergency and support contacts straight away.
What happens when you raise a concern
You do not need proof. A reasonable concern is enough.
- We listen and keep the child safe. We remove any immediate risk.
- We report. Our founder, as Child Safe Lead, decides within 24 hours whether to report to Police or the Child Protection Helpline, and makes the report. We never delay a report to gather more information.
- We protect. Anyone in the Athlete Matter team or our collaborators who the concern is about, including our founder, steps back from all contact with players while it is looked into. The concern is then managed independently of them, by our Independent Adviser once appointed or by the relevant outside organisation.
- We keep you informed. We confirm we have your concern within 2 business days and tell you what happens next, as far as privacy and the law allow.
- We learn. Every concern is reviewed with our Independent Adviser so we can do better.
If your concern is about anyone in the Athlete Matter team or our collaborators, including our founder, you can go straight to Police, the Child Protection Helpline or the Office of the Children's Guardian at any time. We are appointing an Independent Child Safe Adviser and will add their details here. See our Complaints page for full details.
Code of Conduct
Our Code of Conduct sets out how everyone in the Athlete Matter community behaves.
Young athletes
As a Hoop Matter or Athlete Matter player, I agree to:
- treat other players, coaches, presenters and officials with respect, on and off the court
- include others, and never bully, tease, exclude or harass anyone, in person or online
- not share photos or videos of other players without their permission
- listen to instructions that keep me and others safe
- tell a trusted adult if I feel unsafe, or if I see someone else being hurt or treated badly
- look after my journal, cards and planner, and keep my private reflections private if I want to
If a player breaks this Code, we will talk with them and their parent or carer first. Our response focuses on learning and repairing harm, not punishment.
Parents, carers and partner organisations
- Model positive, respectful behaviour toward all players, coaches, officials and other families.
- Support your child's participation without pressure, criticism or comparison.
- Supervise your child's use of our digital programs, and keep account details and access codes secure.
- Do not photograph or film other people's children at our sessions without their parent's consent.
- Raise concerns through our Complaints page, and report any child safety concern straight away.
Partner organisations will apply their own child safe policies, share relevant concerns with us promptly where the law allows, and agree with us in writing who leads the response to any incident during joint activity.
A breach by a parent or partner may lead to suspension of attendance or of the partnership. Conduct that may be a crime is always reported to Police.
Help and support
| Service | For | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency | Anyone in danger | 000 |
| Kids Helpline | Young people aged 5 to 25, any time | 1800 55 1800 |
| NSW Child Protection Helpline | Reporting a child at risk in NSW | 132 111 |
| Lifeline | Anyone in crisis, 24 hours | 13 11 14 |
| eSafety Commissioner | Reporting online abuse or image-based abuse | Online form |
| Athlete Matter | Any concern about a child in our programs | [email protected] |
Our policies
Our director has formally adopted our full child safe policy suite, and reviews it at least once a year with our Independent Adviser. Partner academies receive the full suite before any joint activity. To request a copy, email [email protected].
- Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
- Child Safe Policy
- Code of Conduct
- Complaint Handling Policy and Procedure
- Human Resources Policy
- Risk Management Plan
For young athletes
You matter. Your safety matters most.
You have the right to feel safe, to be treated with respect and to be listened to, on the court, online and everywhere else.
Every adult who works with Hoop Matter, including our founder, has been checked and has promised to keep you safe. They will never message you privately or ask you to keep a secret.
If something does not feel right, even if it seems small, tell someone you trust: a parent, a coach, a teacher or any adult at our sessions. You can also email [email protected].
You will not get in trouble for telling. We will listen, take you seriously and tell you what we are doing to help.
Want to talk to someone now? Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. It is free, private and open any time, day or night.
If you are in danger, call 000.
More policies
The fine print, in plain English.
Child safety comes first
We work with young people, so we follow the NSW Child Safe Standards. Everyone who works with us is screened, trained and signs our Code of Conduct.
To raise a concern, email [email protected]. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000.
Athlete Matter acknowledges the Awabakal and Worimi peoples, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and pays respect to Elders past and present.
