Child Safety

At Inner West Gymnastics, we want every gymnast to feel comfortable in our gym, confident to speak up and supported as they learn.

Our approach to child safety reflects our motto: Breathe, Build, Belong.

We want children to feel at ease in our environment, build their skills and confidence through safe and appropriate coaching, and know that they belong and will be listened to.

We take our responsibility to protect children and young people seriously. Abuse, grooming, neglect, harmful behaviour and inappropriate conduct are not accepted at IWG.

Our Child Safety Standards at IWG

To help create a safe, respectful and inclusive environment, we expect our coaches, staff and volunteers to:

Treat gymnasts respectfully and use age-appropriate language.
Listen when a gymnast says they are uncomfortable, in pain or unsure about an activity.
Explain coaching instructions and physical contact wherever practicable.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Use approved communication channels when communicating with athletes.
Avoid private or concealed one-to-one situations wherever reasonably practicable.
Respond appropriately when a child or family raises a question or concern.
Report behaviour or circumstances that may place a child at risk.
Promote respectful behaviour between gymnasts and respond to bullying, intimidation, sexualised behaviour or other unsafe conduct between children.
Never humiliate, threaten or body shame a gymnast.
Never use excessive physical conditioning as punishment.
Never pressure a gymnast to continue training through a genuine injury or significant pain.

These standards reflect our belief that children’s safety and wellbeing should come before competition results and performance outcomes.

Physical Contact and Spotting

Gymnastics is a hands-on sport. Our coaches may need to physically support or spot a gymnast to teach a skill safely, correct positioning, provide first aid or prevent an injury.

Any physical contact must have a legitimate coaching or safety purpose and be appropriate to the gymnast’s age, skill and circumstances. Wherever practicable, coaches should explain what they are doing before making contact.

If a gymnast says or shows that they are uncomfortable, the coach must listen and modify the activity unless immediate physical contact is required to prevent an injury.

Our gymnasts are always encouraged to ask why a particular type of contact or spotting is needed if they are curious, uncertain or would like to understand more.

An Open and Observable Environment

Parents and carers are welcome to remain at the venue and watch classes from our parent viewing deck.

The viewing deck overlooks the gymnastics floor without a glass barrier, allowing parents and carers to see and hear what is happening during classes.

Visible CCTV cameras operate in designated internal and external common areas of the premises. CCTV supports safety, security, child safeguarding and the review of incidents or concerns. Access to CCTV footage is restricted to authorised management personnel.

CCTV supports but does not replace appropriate staff supervision, and footage may not capture every activity or area of the premises.

CCTV does not operate in toilets, change rooms or other prohibited private areas. Children’s privacy is respected in these spaces. Staff only enter a toilet, change area or other private space where there is a genuine safety or emergency reason and must follow IWG’s supervision and safeguarding requirements.

Supervision, Arrival and Collection

Parents and carers remain responsible for following IWG’s arrival and collection arrangements and ensuring that emergency contact details are kept current.

Children must only leave in accordance with their approved collection arrangements. If a child has not been collected at the expected time, they will remain in an observable area with an appropriate staff member while their parent, carer or emergency contact is contacted.

Transport connected with IWG activities must not be arranged informally or kept secret. Any approved transport arrangement requires prior approval from both the child’s parent or carer and an authorised IWG decision-maker.

Professional Boundaries and Communication

Everyone working at IWG must maintain an appropriate professional relationship with children and young people.

IWG staff must not create secrets with children, encourage inappropriate emotional dependence or develop private relationships with athletes outside their role at the gym.

Private social-media contact and secret or inappropriate messaging between staff and athletes are not permitted. Communication with athletes must take place through approved channels and include a parent, carer or approved organisational account where appropriate.

Images and recordings of gymnasts may only be taken or used for an approved IWG purpose and in accordance with our privacy, consent and child-safety requirements.

Parents and carers can ask questions about, or request an update to, their child’s photography and media permissions by contacting IWG.

Behaviour Between Gymnasts

We expect gymnasts to treat one another respectfully.

Bullying, intimidation, violence, harassment, discrimination, coercion, harmful sexual behaviour and other conduct that may cause physical or emotional harm are not accepted at IWG.

Concerning behaviour between children will not be dismissed as joking, banter or an ordinary disagreement when it may affect a child’s safety or wellbeing.

When responding to harmful behaviour between gymnasts, IWG will consider the age, development, circumstances and support needs of all children involved. Serious, repeated or escalating behaviour will be managed as a child-safety concern.

How We Support Child Safety

All adult coaches, staff and other adults engaged by IWG to undertake child-related work must hold a current Working with Children Check verified by IWG.

Our recruitment and onboarding processes also consider a person’s suitability to work with children, relevant experience, professional boundaries, references and appropriate gymnastics qualifications or accreditations.

Coaches, staff and volunteers receive information about IWG’s child-safety expectations, Code of Conduct and reporting responsibilities.

Young and trainee coaches receive supervision and support appropriate to their age, experience and responsibilities. They are not used to replace required adult supervision.

We also consider child-safety risks when planning classes, events, competitions, travel, digital communication and other activities involving children.

Our child-safety practices are reviewed regularly and when an incident, concern or change to our programs identifies something that may need to be improved.

Medical Needs, Inclusion and Participation

Parents and carers are encouraged to tell us about medical conditions, injuries, disabilities, communication needs or other circumstances that may affect their child’s safe participation.

We will work with families to consider reasonable adjustments and determine how a child can participate safely within the program.

We recognise that children communicate in different ways. Our staff are expected to notice and respond appropriately when a child verbally or non-verbally communicates pain, discomfort, distress or concern.

Raising a Concern or Making a Complaint

If you see, experience or hear about something that concerns you, we would rather you raise it with us than feel that it is too small or wait until you have proof.

You do not need proof to ask a question or raise a concern.

Please contact us about matters such as:

A gymnast feeling unsafe, frightened, humiliated or repeatedly uncomfortable.
Inappropriate physical contact, behaviour or language.
Bullying, intimidation or harmful behaviour between gymnasts.
Body shaming, threats or inappropriate punishment.
Pressure to train through an injury or significant pain.
Private messages, secret communications or inappropriate online contact.
A staff member attempting to spend unnecessary time alone with a child.
Inappropriate photography, filming or sharing of images.
Grooming behaviour, favouritism or blurred professional boundaries.
Unsafe supervision, collection or transport arrangements.
Retaliation against someone who has raised a concern.
Any other behaviour or situation that does not feel appropriate or safe.

A child, parent, carer, staff member or community member may raise a concern verbally or in writing.

You can:

Speak with an IWG staff member you trust.
Ask to speak with the Child Safety and Compliance Lead.
Ask to speak with the Owner.
Email info@innerwestgymnastics.com.
Contact an appropriate external authority directly.

A concern does not have to be raised with the gymnast’s usual coach. If the concern involves the person you would normally approach, please use another IWG contact or report the matter externally.

nonymous reports are accepted, although anonymity may sometimes limit the action we can take.

When a concern is raised, we will listen, consider whether anyone requires immediate protection, record the information appropriately and explain the next steps wherever possible.

Information will only be shared with those who need it to protect a child, respond to the matter or meet a legal or reporting obligation.

No person will be disadvantaged for raising a genuine concern.

Emergency and External Reporting

If a child is in immediate danger or urgent Police or medical assistance is required, call 000.

If you believe a child or young person is at risk of significant harm, contact the NSW Child Protection Helpline on 13 21 11.

For non-urgent Police assistance or suspected criminal conduct, contact NSW Police on 131 444.

Concerns covered by gymnastics integrity policies may also be reported through Gymnastics Australia or Sport Integrity Australia.

Raising a matter with IWG does not prevent anyone from contacting an external authority directly.

Our Policies and Standards

IWG’s child-safety practices are informed by applicable NSW child-safety legislation, the NSW Child Safe Standards and guidance from the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian.

As an affiliated gymnastics organisation, we also operate in accordance with applicable Gymnastics Australia and Gymnastics NSW requirements, including the:

National Integrity Framework.
Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy.
Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy.
Member Protection Policy.

These requirements operate alongside IWG’s Child Safe Policy, Codes of Conduct, reporting arrangements and risk-management practices.

Further Information

If you have questions about child safety at IWG, would like further information about our child-safety policies and practices, would like to request a copy of our Child Safe Policy, or need this information in another format, please email info@innerwestgymnastics.com.

Last updated: September 2026