U SPORTS SAFE SPORT
U SPORTS SAFE SPORT OVERVIEW
U SPORTS recognizes its responsibility and role in fostering a sports environment that ensures positive and healthy experiences free from maltreatment. In addition to U SPORTS, there are four conferences and 58 universities within the University sports landscape. U SPORTS is committed to having clear direction and information about safe sport responsibilities within our jurisdiction as defined by the U SPORTS constitution and bylaws. U SPORTS is also committed to collaborating with and supporting conferences and member institutions for efforts related to matters that fall within their jurisdictions.
To commit to the Safe Sport initiatives and respect the jurisdictional limitations, U SPORTS provides a combination of policies and guidelines to enhance Safe Sport principles and behaviours throughout the system. These strive to create consistency in behaviour expectations and minimum education levels, while complaints may have a process unique to the jurisdiction.
THREE PILLARS OF SAFE SPORT:
EXPECTATIONS - Adoption or Integration of UCCMS
The Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) is a National multi-sport document created by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. It is intended to provide a coordinated implementation strategy for all participants to prevent and address maltreatment across all levels of the Canadian sports system. The UCCMS results from an extensive consultation process that sought insight and expertise from within the Canadian sport system and from external subject matter experts.
The UCCMS includes behaviour expectations as well as procedural elements. All student-athletes and sport leaders are expected to adhere to the behaviour expectations.
A Sport Leader is any individual who has direct interactions while supporting Student-Athletes, including paid and volunteer coaches, administrators and program support personnel, trainers, therapists and other medical personnel and volunteers.
The link to the UCCMS is here: https://sportintegritycommissioner.ca/uccms/
EXPECTATIONS – U SPORTS |
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Registered UCCMS participants include U SPORTS Board members, Employees and Committee Volunteers. They are subject to all elements of the UCCMS document. |
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EDUCATION- Minimum requirements
U SPORTS will implement “Requirements” for those within its jurisdiction and guidelines for those not directly within it.
EDUCATION - U SPORTS Requirements |
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Student-athletes:
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Sport Leaders:
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COMPLAINTS and RESPONSE
Each level of organization, U SPORTS, Conferences (4), and Institution (58), has different jurisdictions in the complaint process and unique approaches. U SPORTS and Conferences maintain the ability to manage complaints and address concerns in competition and within their jurisdiction, and manage complaints against their designates (staff, volunteers, committee members).
RSEQ has a provincially managed system, and complaints at all levels utilize the “Integrity Protection Policy.”
For U SPORTS, AUS, CW and OUA;
UCCMS complaints involving sport leaders or student-athletes who are members of an institution may initially be addressed using the conference policies and then referred to the Institutions to determine if further steps are required. This allows U SPORTS and the Conferences to deal with items that occur in competitions while allowing Institutes to address the concerns of their members. Many possible sanctions for UCCMS violations can only be applied at the Institutional level, so the complaint must be managed there.
Any complaint received by U SPORTS, AUS, CW, or OUA deemed out of their jurisdiction will be referred to the appropriate institution.
COMPLAINTS – U SPORTS |
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Complaints against Registered UCCMS participants (U SPORTS Board members, Employees and Committee Volunteer) |
Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner – Abuse Free Sport Helpline: Email - info@abuse-free-sport.ca Phone – 1-888-837-7678 |
Complaints using U SPORTS policies 90.20A/90.20B |
Independent Third Party Investigator – Jeffrey Raphael Email: jraphael@raphaelbar.com Phone: 416-594-1812 |