Home / Child safety
Our commitments
Child safety & policies
Basketball Victoria and the Bacchus Marsh Basketball Association have zero tolerance to child abuse in any form. The Panthers operate under that framework, and this page sets out what it means in practice.
If a child is in immediate danger
Call 000. Don't wait to contact the club or the association first.
Child safety
Our commitment
Every child and young person who plays basketball in Bacchus Marsh has the right to take part in an environment where they feel safe, encouraged and heard.
Basketball Victoria and the BMBA have zero tolerance to child abuse in any form. As a member club of the association, the Panthers operate under that framework and under the Victorian Child Safe Standards, which apply to sporting organisations providing services to children in Victoria.
What that means in practice
- Working with Children Checks. Anyone in a role at the club that involves child-related work must hold a current Victorian Working with Children Check. It's free for volunteers.
- A Child Safety Officer who sits outside the coaching structure, so a concern about a coach never has to be raised with that coach.
- Codes of conduct for players, coaches, officials and spectators — including parents in the stands.
- Children are told they can speak up, in words they understand, and who they can speak to.
- We act on concerns about adults connected to the club, not just concerns about strangers.
Our Child Safety Officer is Catherine Huntley.
Reaching the Child Safety Officer
The Child Safety Officer address published on the BMBA club listing is currently mistyped and will not deliver. Until it's corrected, contact the CSO through the club's general address, marking your email "Child Safety Officer — confidential":
bmpanthersbasketballclub@gmail.com
Or contact the BMBA directly at secretary@bmbasketball.org.au.
Raising a concern
How to make a complaint
You may raise any matter — a child safety concern, conduct on the sideline, or a decision you believe was wrong. You do not need to be certain before raising something, and no person will be disadvantaged for having done so in good faith.
On game day
Anything that happens during a game should be reported immediately to the Referee Supervisor at the venue.
A club matter
Contact our Child Safety Officer for anything involving a child's wellbeing, or the Secretary for everything else.
A formal complaint
Under the BMBA By-Laws, formal protests and complaints must be made in writing by the club to the BMBA Committee within seven days of the incident. Appeals go to the BMBA Secretary, also within seven days.
If you'd rather not come to us
You're entitled to go straight to an external body, and sometimes that's the right thing to do.
Basketball Victoria child safety: child.safety@basketballvictoria.com.au · 03 9837 8025
Victoria Police: 000 in an emergency, or your local station.
What happens next
Most matters are settled quickly and locally. Serious child safety matters are escalated to Victoria Police, Basketball Victoria and the relevant authorities — regardless of what the person raising it would prefer.
The BMBA may also refer any matter to Basketball Victoria or other authorities.
Volunteering with us
Working with Children Checks
If you're coaching, managing a team, or in any other child-related role at the club, you need a current Victorian Working with Children Check.
It's free for volunteers. You apply online, verify your identity at a participating Australia Post outlet, and the card is posted to you. Once you have it, you list the Panthers as an organisation you volunteer with.
A WWCC is not a substitute for good practice — it's a floor, not a ceiling. It sits alongside our codes of conduct and the association's supervision requirements.
The policies we operate under
The BMBA has adopted all Basketball Victoria policies unless specifically stated otherwise, and the Panthers operate under those as a member club.
The Victorian Child Safe Standards are published by the Commission for Children and Young People: the 11 Child Safe Standards.
Codes of conduct
What we expect
The full codes are Basketball Victoria's, adopted by the association. In plain terms, they come down to this.
Players
Play by the rules. Never argue with an official. Treat every opponent the way you'd want to be treated. Turn up when you say you will, because nine other people are counting on it.
Coaches & team managers
Development before winning, at every grade. Give every player genuine court time. Never ridicule a player for a mistake. Hold a current WWCC. Model the behaviour you expect.
Parents & spectators
Applaud good play from both teams. Never abuse a referee — most are teenagers, and associations lose them to sideline abuse. Leave the coaching to the coach. Set the standard you'd want your own child to follow.
Breaches are handled by the club and, where required, the association. The BMBA also operates a Technical (Behavioural) Foul Policy. Abuse of a referee or official is treated as a serious matter on the first occasion.
Respect The Game
The Panthers support Respect The Game, a movement led by Basketball NSW built around the idea that respect, safety and enjoyment shape every part of basketball — for referees, coaches, players, administrators, parents and spectators alike.
Privacy
Your information
We collect only what we need to run teams and contact families. This website has no analytics, no trackers and no cookies, and the club never sells or trades personal information.