Everyone has a unique range of skills and knowledge that they bring to sport. An effective organisation recognises this and values its diversity. It acknowledges the benefits of different cultures, abilities and lifestyles in helping to develop the sport and achieve organisational objectives. In terms of recruitment of employees and volunteers, an effective organisation recruits, selects and develops people according to the needs of the organisation and the capacity to undertake the work required. In terms of participation an effective organisation promotes and welcomes the range of talent and knowledge of all individuals involved in the sport and in the wider community.
sportscotland promotes diversity and is supportive of individuals and organisations who take forward positive action towards increasing diversity.
Corporate Governance
sportscotland recommends that all sport organisations take a committed approach to ethical behaviour through carefully constructed constitutions, disciplinary procedures and employment procedures. It is vital that an organisation clearly reflects the organisational values within its key aims and structures. This can most easily be achieved through an ethics or quality programme that underpins all your operations. This can easily be achieved but takes a long-term approach and serious consideration alongside all other key areas of the organisation. It simply means a new approach and dedication to what could potentially create the biggest positive impact in your organisation.
sportscotland provides support for governing bodies through a range of contacts and links depending on the area requiring assistance. For governing bodies seeking general corporate governance advice and guidance contact your sportscotland Partnership Manager. Please contact the main enquiry line if you are unsure who the Partnership Manager is for your Governing Body: library@sportscotland.org.uk
- Human Rights
Ensuring human rights are upheld means organisations and individuals taking responsibility for establishing what behaviour is acceptable and what behaviour is not, and putting in place a way to address behaviour that is not acceptable. Examples of reinforcing behaviour can include reward systems such as fairplay awards, voluntary dedication to sport awards and referee of the day award, while examples of methods to address unacceptable behaviour or allegations of such include an organisational complaints procedure and an organisational disciplinary and appeal process.
- Human Rights Act 1998
sportscotland is currently developing guidance for governing bodies of sport and other sports organisations on the implications of the Human Rights Act and what the Act means in practice. This guidance will include a model disciplinary process including founding principles which governing bodies and sport organisations can use as a template or consider in terms of an existing disciplinary process.
General advice about and support on organisational procedures and practices is also available for Scottish Governing Bodies from their sportscotland Partnership Manager. Please contact the main enquiry line if you are unsure who the Partnership Manager is for your Governing Body: library@sportscotland.org.uk
Anti-Doping
Doping in sport is condemned by sportscotland. It is crucial to the enjoyment of sport that all individuals that participate in Scottish sport also condemn doping in sport to ensure it is eliminated from the sporting environment. Doping is cheating; it fundamentally harms the essence of sport – enjoyment and fair competition. sportscotland wants to promote the best athletes; athletes who have worked hard and got to the top without taking drugs to cheat. sportscotland works with UK Sport to provide a comprehensive programme of testing and education for Scottish athletes.
sportscotland also works with the Scottish Institute of Sport to ensure Scottish governing bodies and athletes subject to testing receive resources and training appropriate to their sport. This includes drug-advice cards, various promotional resources such as posters for training venues, and anti-doping information seminars.
For more information on projects in partnership with UK Sport and the Scottish Institute of Sport you can link to the anti-doping education section on the UK Sport website or contact the Scottish Institute of Sport: info@sisport.com
Sports Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is often the forgotten part of sports participation. Athletes, referees, umpires, coaches and other participants are often considered and supported while they are participating but ignored, forgotten or dismissed as soon as they are unable to put in a performance. It is vital that individuals involved in sport, including those who promote sport, take some responsibility for the athlete after a life-changing incident in their sport, such as premature retirement through a sports injury or illness, or after disciplinary action for misconduct.
sportscotland can provide general advice and links to organisations who can assist in the development of a rehabilitation programme for participants in their sport. If you are a governing body contact your sportscotland Partnership Manager
Data Protection
All sports organisation administrators need to ensure that they protect the personal data they process as required by the Data Protection Act 1998. ‘Processing’ under the Act includes a wide range of activities such as sending an email, looking at data on a screen, opening or reading a paper file or storage of electronic and paper files.
- Office of the Information Commissioner
The Office of the Information Commissioner provides information for organisations including guides to achieving compliance, templates for audits and other practices required to assess your compliance with the Act. Their website is a wealth of information and the best place to start for a sport organisation. Click on the "see also" box.
sportscotland can also provide information on data protection within the sporting context.
Child Protection
sportscotland has a Child Protection in Sport Programme that supports sport organisations with developing programmes that enable a positive environment for children and lobbies for appropriate child protection policy. Projects within the Programme include:
- Provision of a Child Protection in Sport Policy and Procedures Template
This template developed as part of the sportscotland Ethics Programme provides sport organisations with a good practice model, which through a comprehensive child protection programme, can be implemented. It is a good place to start when designing your programme and determining what needs to be done in your organisation, as it comes with step by step guidance and a comprehensive set of forms and information sheets you can use in your organisation. Click on "see also" box for the guidelines.
- Implementation of the Protection of Children Act
sportscotland sits on the Voluntary Sector Support Group for the implementation of this Act when it comes into force at the end of 2004. As a result of strongly lobbying by Scottish governing bodies together with the Scottish Sports Association and sportscotland for the consideration of sport in the development of the Act, sportscotland now sits on the Group that has been responsible for the management of a support package for all volunteers across Scotland, including volunteers in sport. Currently there are a series of workshops that sport organisations can attend to find out information about the support package and the Act itself. These are being carried out by Children in Scotland in September and October across the country and are open to all organisations with volunteers. For more information on the workshops please click on the Children in Scotland website link.
As the Volunteer Sector representative, Rose Challies also sits on the Board for the Implementation of the Act along with representatives from the Scottish Executive, the Police, Local Authorities and Disclosure Scotland. The Board has had the difficult task of putting forward an implementation plan that is realistic in its timeframes and does not unduly burden organisations whilst also achieving the overall goal of protecting children. Considerable work is still being carried out by the Scottish Executive to deal with the issues in this area including problems with the disclosure check process. Any new information on the Act will be published under this section of the website as soon as it arises.
For further information or feedback regarding the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act please click on the link to the Act or contact sportscotland.
- Scottish Governing Body Support: Implementation of a child protection policy and procedures
sportscotland provides a programme of support for Scottish governing bodies through sport specific Partnership Managers and a dedicated Child Protection in Sport Development Worker, in partnership with Children 1st. The child protection specific post came about as a result of the development of the sportscotland Child Protection Programme and has been working to achieve governing body support objectives within the programme since May 2002.
For enquiries contact your sportscotland Partnership Manager or the CPSDW, Kathleen McInulty: kathleen.mcinulty@children1st.org.uk
- Child Protection Tutor Training Courses
sportscotland and Children 1st have an ongoing programme of tutor training that is offered to identified staff within governing bodies to enable them to deliver the Sports Coach UK Good Practice and Child Protection workshop to their own coaches. For enquiries contact Moira Timmins: moira.timmins@sportscotland.org.uk
- Good Practice and Child Protection Workshops
sportscotland co-ordinates a programme of Sports Coach UK workshops throughout Scotland for sports coaches, in partnership with local authorities and governing bodies. This workshop emphasises good practice, enables participants to gain a basic awareness of child protection in sport and helpful skills to help children enjoy sport in a positive environment. The workshop has a fee to cover resources and training.
For enquiries contact Moira Timmins: moira.timmins@sportscotland.org.uk
Women, Girls and Sport
sportscotland has identified women and girls as a target group for positive action programmes that directly address issues of participation, performance and leadership. Positive action means taking evidence of a situation (not making assumptions) and addressing the cause through committed attention. It is not about being ‘PC’; it is about being fair and respectful to all individuals.
- Sport 21
Sport 21 identifies eleven targets of which increasing the participation of women and girls is an important theme, with target three specifically identifying girls as critical to the achievement of increased participation of 13 to 17 year olds. sportscotland has identified a range of activities to support these targets and related targets as set out below.
- UK Women and Sport Strategy
sportscotland has worked with the home country sports councils and partners such as CCPR and the Women’s Sports Foundation to publish a UK Strategy for women and sport. The strategy aims to co-ordinate work within the home countries and across the UK as a whole in order to achieve UK-wide targets. sportscotland’s Action Plan (see below) uses the template designed for the UK strategy to identify key areas of action and achievement. The template can be used by other sport organisations; for a blank template see link on the "see also" box to the UK Strategy Document.
- sportscotland Women, Girls and Sport Action Plan
sportscotland have developed an action plan for women, girls and sport, which will be published early 2005. Please watch this space for the link.
- New Women Girls and Sport Officer
sportscotland are recruiting a Women Girls and Sport Officer who will take the lead in the development and delivery of sportscotland targets for women and girls. In particular the person in post will play a vital role in the effective delivery of the Active Schools Programme.
- Research Projects
sportscotland has, in order to make sound and evidenced decisions on action, investigated key issues within the area of women, girls and sport in Scotland. With a strong focus on participation sportscotland carries out comprehensive participation surveys including data on women and girls participation. One of the most recent studies carried out by sportscotland was in the area of women and sports leadership. This study aimed to identify how many women hold positions of responsibility in sport in Scotland in order to identify whether it was an area of imbalance. The results of this study have been published and can be downloaded from the "see also" box or ordered in hard copy.
Current projects include a study into girls demand for sport and physical activity. This study will be published by December 2004 – watch this space for links.
Gender Reassignment and Sport
When people decide to change their gender they do not make the decision lightly. They make the decision knowing that what lies before them will change their lives forever. To go through the process of changing gender is extremely difficult on the person emotionally and physically and requires great strength from the person involved.
sportscotland supports a sporting environment that encourages a diversity of participants and where negative discrimination is addressed seriously and fairly. It is unacceptable for sport organisations or participants to negatively discriminate against people who have changed their gender.
- Gender Recognition Act
Currently guidance is being developed for sport organisations on gender recognition/transsexuals and sport. The guidance will identify the legal framework with regard to transsexual people and provide some practical suggestions on best practice in this area. The guidance will cover access to facilities, participation in sports by transsexual people and the issues of drug testing and gender verification. sportscotland will provide the link for this guidance publication due out December 2004 – check this page.
Sexuality and Sport
The main issue within this area is negative discrimination on the basis that someone is gay, lesbian or bisexual and can include a range of verbal and sexual harassment and abuse. This type of discrimination is frequently not considered within the sport environment but this does not mean it does not exist. Sexuality discrimination does occur in sport and is often hidden or brushed aside and not dealt with seriously or condemned as it should be.
It is also important to remember that because someone may laugh off a joke that puts down a person’s sexuality it does not mean it has not offended them or that it is acceptable to joke in this way. All individuals have a duty to act responsibly and treat people with respect. Homophobia is not acceptable and must be challenged in the sport environment.
- UK Equity Standard
sportscotland supports respect and fairness for all participants in sport and encourages sport organisations and participants to do the same. For organisations that recognise and identify this area as an area requiring attention within their sport, specific and positive steps forward can be taken. The UK Equity Standard will assist sport organisations to do this within a wider framework. See the Equity section above for more information.
Race, Ethnicity and Sport
In Scotland we are fortunate to have a diverse population where it is possible to celebrate and be proud of a variety of cultures and ancestry. As it has been over the ages, the 21st century sees a number of families and individuals travelling abroad to other countries and families and individuals from abroad travelling to Scotland. The wealth of this variety and new experience adds to the distinctiveness and vibrancy of Scottish life, including sport.
Race, ethnicity and sport is not about isolating people by colour or belief but embracing the backgrounds and experiences of people all over Scotland. sportscotland condemns racism or the negative discrimination of an individual on the basis of their race. sportscotland is proud to be an organisation that embraces the variety of cultures that make up Scotland and encourages participation in sport for all.
- UK Equity Standard
Sport organisations can take a range of steps to educate participants about appropriate behaviour and to take advantages of opportunities that embrace all of Scotland, including its many cultures. The UK Equity Standard will help address race, ethnicity and sport within a wider framework. See the Equity section above for more information.
For links to agencies that support activities that embrace a range of culture see organisation links on this page.
Ageism and Sport
In the same way that other equity areas can be addressed, a commitment to diversity is vital for a sport organisation hoping to attract and benefit from participants across a range of ages. Having a mix of ages within a sport community can provide participants opportunities to socialise with and compete against a range of people. Of course there are times when health and safety may prevent the mixing of ages and where an age grouping may actually benefit the sport’s environment. However care must be taken to ensure age groupings have been carefully investigated and can be easily justified.
- sportscotland Research
sportscotland supports diversity and encourages people of all ages to participate in sport, whether it be as a team player or a referee or helping out in the clubrooms or being active on a committee. To discover what some of the benefits are to people of an older age, sportscotland has carried out a Scottish study. The results of this study will be available in December 2004. A link to the document will be made available on this page – watch this space.
Disabilities and Sport
sportscotland is totally supportive of inclusion in sport where the individual with a disability participates at an appropriate level with relevant support. There are many examples of athletes who participate fully in the competition, training and social programme of a mainstream club. It is, however, possible for an athlete with a disability to be integrated into mainstream sport but not fully included. For more information contact heather.lowden@sportscotland.org.uk or Scottish Disability Sport.
- Disability Discrimination Act
The Disability Discrimination Act requires organisations to take measures to ensure a person with a disability can access facilities and take opportunities offered to the public. From October 2004 all organisations will need to comply with the Act and be able to easily evidence changes made.
sportscotland encourages all sport organisations to ensure they are compliant with the Act but also to really take stock and think of innovative ways to help encourage diversity within their community.
For more information on the Disability Discrimination Act, click on the "see also" box.
- Scottish Disability Sport
sportscotland funds Scottish Disability Sport through the lottery programme and is proud to be a supporter of this positive and proactive organisation. SDS is committed to widening physical activity opportunities for individuals with a disability, particularly juniors and has a role to play in creating sport specific pathways for individual sports people with a disability. SDS organises Scottish teams to participate in national and international events at home and overseas. Participation at Paralympic level is the goal of many Scottish sports people with a disability and SDS is there to offer support and advice when appropriate. Please see the link on this page to contact you directly to the Scottish Disability Sport website.
- Disabilities and Youth
sportscotland has a dedicated Development Manager for Disability Sport who works to develop effective partnerships between Scottish Disability Sport, national governing bodies of Sport, local authorities and other key agencies. A key part of this post is the construction and implementation of disability targets as part of a National Governing Body Development Plan with a particular focus on youth, local and sport specific development. For more information contact emma.ocallaghan@sportscotland.org.uk
- UK Equity Standard
Organisations aiming to address disabilities and sport within a wider framework can use the UK Equity Standard. It is a tool for sport organisations to address the wider issue of equity in order to identify and focus key areas for attention and development. See the Equity section above for more information.
Faith, Religion and Sport
Faiths and religious beliefs can be a very important part of people’s lives. Scotland with its many cultures and diverse population has a great number of recognised religions and faith denominations. In sport it is important that a persons religious or faith beliefs do not stop them from participating. It is vital that people are not discriminated on the basis of their beliefs and that any prejudice is treated as unacceptable behaviour and is dealt with in a serious manner. Equally it is important that sports organisations and sports participants do not encourage an environment that negatively discriminates on the basis of faith or religious beliefs.
sportscotland celebrates the diversity of Scotland and its contribution to sport and encourages sport organisations and sport participants to do the same. Religion and faith should not be a barrier to sports participation but another area of diversity that is welcomed and acknowledged within a positive community.
Sport organisations can use the UK Equity Standard to address negative discrimination or sectarianism in their sport or simply to create a positive environment for people of all faiths. See the Equity section above for more information.
