Child Safeguarding Policy

1. Who this policy covers

Anyone under the age of 18 who uses the portal — including learners, young athletes, junior referees, and learners participating through schools — is covered by this policy. So is any adult who interacts with minors through the portal: coaches, educators, parents, guardians, medics, and federation/club staff.

2. Our principles

• The welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in every decision.
• Every child has the right to participate in sport free from harm, neglect, abuse, or exploitation.
• Children have the right to be heard, to have their views taken seriously, and to have their privacy respected.
• Adults working with children have a duty of care and must act on safeguarding concerns.

3. Account creation and parental consent

• A child under 13 may not create an account. A parent or legal guardian must register and manage the account on the child’s behalf.
• A child aged 13 to 17 may create an account only with verified parental or guardian consent. The portal links the child’s record to the consenting adult’s account.
• Parents and guardians can review, correct, or remove their child’s information at any time. Some records (e.g. official competition results) may be anonymised rather than deleted.
• Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Continued participation may then require a separate adult consenting to participation.

4. Information we limit on minors

• Full date of birth, contact details, address, and identity numbers of minors are never shown on public pages.
• Only first name and last initial are displayed publicly for minors in default settings.
• Photographs of minors are only shown publicly where parental consent has been recorded and where the image is appropriate.
• Contact between adult users and minors through the portal is restricted to authorised channels (federation/club delegate, coach of record, parent, educator).

5. Image and media use

• Parents/guardians explicitly opt in to media use during registration via the “Consent to media use” field. Without that consent, the child’s image will not be used in marketing, news, or social-media content.
• Where photographs of minors are published, they will not be paired with personally identifying information beyond what is necessary for the sporting record (e.g. surname and federation in an event recap).
• Bulk distribution of minors’ images is not permitted without express written parental consent.

6. Code of conduct for adults working with minors

• Treat all children with dignity and respect; never behave in a way that could be seen as inappropriate.
• Avoid one-on-one private contact (in person or online) with a minor outside the activities of the relevant federation, club, or school.
• Coaches, medics, and officials working with minors must hold a current background-check clearance where required by their federation or by Namibian law.
• Any concern, allegation, or disclosure must be reported immediately through the channel below.

7. How to report a concern

If you believe a child is at risk of harm or has been harmed, take action immediately.

• If a child is in immediate danger: call the Namibian Police on 10111 (or the GBV Protection Unit on 106).
• To report concerns about adult conduct on the portal or at a sanctioned event: email safeguarding@namibiasport.org. We will treat your report confidentially and respond within 2 working days. Until that mailbox is provisioned, send to info@namibiasport.org with subject line SAFEGUARDING.
• National helpline: the GBV/Child Protection helpline (Lifeline/Childline Namibia) on 116.
• Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare — for statutory child-protection concerns.

8. How we handle reports

• Reports are received by the NSC safeguarding lead and treated as confidential.
• Where appropriate, we refer matters to the Namibian Police, the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, or the relevant federation’s disciplinary process.
• Anyone reporting in good faith will not be penalised, even if the concern turns out to be unfounded.
• Account holders alleged to pose a risk may be suspended pending investigation.

9. Related policies

• Privacy Policy — covers retention and security of minors’ data.
• Terms of Service — eligibility and use by minors.
• Federation-specific safeguarding policies, where adopted, sit on each federation’s page.

10. Review

This policy is reviewed annually, and after any material safeguarding incident or change in Namibian law.