Momentum Triathlon Academy

Social Media & Online Safety Procedure (Junior Programs)

Approved by: Committee | Effective: 09 September 2025 | Review cycle: Annual

Purpose

To create safe, respectful and age‑appropriate online environments for junior members and to manage the club’s social media in line with our Child Safe Policy and Code of Conduct.

Scope & Platforms

  • Applies to all online communications about or with junior members (Team App, email, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, websites, video calls and collaboration tools).

  • Only **approved club platforms** may be used for communications with children.

Roles

  • Page/Admin Owners (appointed by Committee): manage settings, access and content calendars; ensure two‑factor authentication.

  • Moderators: monitor comments/messages; escalate concerns; enforce this Procedure.

  • Coaches/Team Managers: communicate via approved channels and follow the ‘rule of two’.

  • Child Safety Officers: advise on incidents and online risks; hold the incident log.

Communication Rules (Two-Deep & 1-to-1 Exceptions)

Default (Two-Deep): Club communications with junior athletes are open and observable. Wherever practicable, messages are in group channels and at least two adults (e.g., coach + team manager) can view and moderate.

When 1-to-1 contact is allowed: urgent welfare/logistics (e.g., stranded athlete) and scheduled mentoring/coaching sessions approved by the club and covered by parent/guardian consent (seasonal consent permitted).

  1. Approved channels only (club phone/email, Team App or other club-approved platform). No disappearing messages.

  2. Time-of-day: between 07:00–21:00 local time (emergencies excepted).

  3. Transparency: Text/IM — coach copies a parent or sends a same-day summary (e.g., “10-min check-in re Sunday race plan — Coach Alex”). Calls/video — scheduled in the club calendar with the parent on the invite; note the duration & purpose afterward.

  4. Environment: neutral, observable setting (no bedrooms); athlete located where a parent/guardian is aware and nearby.

  5. Boundaries: coaching topics only; no private/sexualised discussions; no gifts/favours; no recording unless specifically consented by a parent, with secure storage and a defined deletion date.

  6. Record keeping & audit: basic contact logs (date, time, type, purpose, length) kept 12 months; CSOs conduct monthly spot-checks of calendars and sample message logs.

  7. Escalation: if 1-to-1 contact reveals a risk of harm or potential offence, stop and follow the reporting pathway (Police/SIA/CSO).

Ride requests: Requires parent approval first, compliance with the Travel & Team Management Procedure (direct route, child in back seat, log entry), and CSO notification.

Red flags — pause and notify a CSO: secrecy requests, repeated late-night contact, personal/sexual topics, or patterns of exclusive contact with one coach.

Breaches of these rules may result in removal of admin rights, suspension or other action under the Code of Conduct and applicable law.

Content & Posting

  • Use positive, sport‑related content; no personal details (school, exact routines, real‑time location).

  • Images/video only where **media consent** is recorded; maintain a no‑consent list for reference.

  • Do not tag children’s personal accounts unless permission has been granted; avoid close‑up images that identify individual children without explicit consent.

  • Correct errors promptly and remove content on request.

Comment Moderation & DMs

  • Set profanity/keyword filters; hide or remove bullying, discriminatory or sexualised comments/messages.

  • Escalate suspected grooming, harassment or image‑based abuse to CSOs; preserve evidence (screenshots/exports).

  • Block/report offending accounts where necessary and document actions.

Cyber Safety & Security

  • Admins use strong passwords and multi‑factor authentication; access is removed when roles change.

  • Use club‑owned email addresses for admin accounts; keep a register of admins and access levels.

  • No geotagging of junior training locations in real time; delay posts until after events when appropriate.

Responding to Online Harm

  1. If a child is at immediate risk, call 000. Preserve evidence (URLs, screenshots, timestamps).

  2. Notify CSO; consider contacting Sport Integrity Australia for NIF matters or eSafety for cyber abuse pathways.

  3. Contact parents/guardians as appropriate; implement interim measures (mute, block, remove content).

  4. Record in the incident log and review controls.

Data & Privacy

  • Store admin credentials securely; rotate periodically.

  • Retain chat history/settings where available; export logs for serious incidents and store securely.

  • Comply with privacy and image consent requirements; only collect minimal necessary data.

Training & Awareness

  • All admins, coaches and volunteers complete online safety training on induction and annually thereafter.

  • Publish a child‑friendly ‘How we stay safe online’ summary for juniors and parents.

Breach Management

  • Breaches may result in removal of admin rights, suspension or other action under the Code of Conduct and applicable law.

  • The Committee reviews serious incidents and improvements to controls.

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