Policies

Our Commitment

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people who participate in our chess lessons and competitions. We have zero tolerance for child abuse and harm.

Everyone involved in our club, from the committee to coaches and volunteers, shares responsibility for keeping children safe.

We are dedicated to upholding the rights of the child and will act in the best interests of children at all times.

Universal Principle: Cultural Safety

We are committed to creating an environment that is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. and this is demonstrated by our Welcome to Country and expression of appreciation at each event. We also enjoy the very ethnic, religious and culturally diverse communities in the areas in which we work.  Historically, chess is a game which has been played and embraced throughout the world's diverse cultures for centuries.  We actively work to ensure that diversity is welcomed, valued and respected, and that the cultural identity of our students is celebrated. We will prevent and address any form of racism or discrimination.

Our Principles

•  All children have the right to feel safe and be safe.

•  The welfare of the child is paramount.

•  We will listen to children and take their views seriously.

•  We will promote fairness and equity for all children, respecting their diverse backgrounds and needs.

•  We will ensure all people working with children are suitable and supported.

All Adults (Coaches, Volunteers, Committee Members, Arbiters) Must:

• Treat every child with respect and dignity.

• Listen to children and value their input in club activities.

• Provide positive guidance and encouragement.

• Maintain professional boundaries (e.g., avoid private or one-on-one online contact with children outside of official club appointed platforms).

• Ensure physical contact is appropriate, brief, and for safety or instruction only (e.g., demonstrating a piece move).

• Report any concerns about a child's safety or a person's conduct to the Club's Child Safety Officer immediately.

• Hold a current valid Blue Card linked to our organization and adhere to the "No Card, No Start" policy.

• Wear respective uniforms.

Adults Must NOT:

• Use any form of physical punishment or humiliating language.

• Develop "special" relationships with children that could be seen as favouritism or grooming.

• Engage in rough physical play.

• Take photos or videos of children without parental consent, and never in private settings.

• Communicate with children via private social media or messaging apps.

Children and Young People Are Encouraged To:

• Follow their school's Code of Conduct as well if they are attending our After-school Chess Program in their school.

• Treat other classmates, players, coaches, arbiters and volunteers with respect.

• Speak up if they feel unsafe, worried, or upset about anything.

• Play fairly and follow the rules of chess.

• Act friendly, NO large body touch/No bullying.

• Speak kindly, NO bad words.

• Play peacefully and safely during the break of class or between rounds in the tournaments.

• Respond properly to any potential harm or conflict.

• Listen carefully when adults, especially your coach or arbiter is speaking.

• Go to bathroom before the lesson.

• Flush the toilet after using it.

• Stay FOCUSED during the lessons.

• Keep quiet when PLAYING CHESS and ANALYZING GAMES.

• Put all rubbish in the bins. 

• Help us keep the campus clean and tidy.

Children/students must adhere to the following rules.

• NO loud speaking in the classroom after game.

• NO eating in the classroom at any time.

• NO running, climbing and other types of dangerous games during the break of class or between rounds in the tournaments.

• NO arguments and fighting at any time.

• NO writing/drawing on the table, wall or any school property.

• Never bully others—if you see bullying, tell an adult.

Parents and Carers Are Expected To:

• Respect the Code of Conduct.

• Supervise their children before and after lessons/competitions.

• Supervise their children who are under 12 years old on site during the competitions.

• Communicate respectfully with coaches, arbiters, volunteers, and other parents.

• Support their child's positive participation.

Others:

• Students (or their parents) are responsible to cover the cost of replacement if they damage school property.

• Both parents/ guardians and students are responsible for their personal belongings. The school and club take no responsibility for their lost property.

• Flyers, business cards or any commercial advertisements can only be displayed with the approval of the tournament organizer.

• For online coaching sessions, it is required that a parent or guardian could be present or within sight/hearing. 

• Never take screenshots of children during online sessions without parental permission.

• Club communications with juniors should occur through official channels (e.g. club email).

• Members of the Chess community including and not limited to players, students, coaches, arbiters and parents are prohibited from negative, hateful, discriminatory or racist rhetoric towards other members of the chess community or comments made by other members of the chess community on any shared platforms including and not limited to WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook, email, text and online forums. Any member of the Chess community found to have breached this code will be held accountable.

Key Roles

Child Safety Officer: Peter Xing/COO of Queensland Chess School Pty LTD. This is the primary contact for any concerns.

What to Report?

• Any disclosure of harm by a child.

• Suspicion of harm or risk of harm to a child.

• Any breach of the Code of Conduct by an adult or child.

• Any inappropriate behavior, even if it seems minor.

How to Make a Complaint:

1. Listen and Stay Calm: If a child discloses something to you, listen carefully, reassure them they did the right thing, and let them know you will need to tell someone who can help.

2. Report Immediately: All concerns must be reported to the Club's Child Safety Officer on the same day. If the concern involves the Child Safety Officer, report to the Club President.

3. Document: The Child Safety Officer will make a confidential written record of the complaint, including dates, times, and factual details. Avoid including personal opinions.

Our Response Process:

1. Acknowledgment: we will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 48 hours.

2. Initial Assessment: The Child Safety Officer will assess the urgency and risk to the child. The immediate safety of the child is the priority.

3. Action: The club will manage the complaint according to its nature. This may involve an internal investigation, suspension of a person pending investigation, or referral to external authorities.

4. External Reporting: The club will report any concerns about significant harm or a child being in a life-threatening situation to Police (000) immediately. Concerns about sexual abuse must be reported to Police. We will also follow our legal obligations under the mandatory reporting laws.

5. Support: We will provide appropriate support to the child and their family throughout the process.

What Constitutes a Complaint?

Complaints can include:

• Concerns about abuse or harm to a child.

• Breaches of the Code of Conduct.

• Discrimination (racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc.).

• Bullying between children.

• Conflicts between parents and volunteers.

• Unsafe practices or environments.

Your Rights When Making a Complaint

Everyone involved in our Chess club/event has the right to:

• Be in a safe, fair and inclusive environment.

• Have complaints taken seriously, no matter how they are communicated.

• Be treated with dignity and respect.

• Not be victimized for making a complaint.

• Tell their story if they are the person named in a complaint (procedural fairness).

Detailed Complaint Handling Process

Step 1: Informal Resolution (First 14 Days)

• For lower-level concerns (e.g., minor disagreements, misunderstandings), encourage the parties to discuss the issue directly.

• The Child Safety Officer can facilitate an informal conciliation if needed.

• Aim for a quick apology and assurances the behavior won't recur. 

Step 2: Formal Complaint (If Informal Resolution Fails)

• Complainant submits a written complaint to the Child Safety Officer or Committee.

• Include: what happened, when and where, who was involved, witnesses, and any evidence (emails, texts).

• Committee must meet within 28 days to discuss and resolve.

Step 3: Investigation

The Club will:

• Acknowledge receipt of complaint within 48 hours.

• Assess urgency and immediate safety risks.

• Listen to both sides of the story. 

• Maintain confidentiality (only share information with those who need to know).

• Focus on facts, not assumptions. 

• Take appropriate disciplinary action if breach is found.

Step 4: Appeals

• If either party is unsatisfied, they may appeal to the Committee.

• If further appeals for the chess tournament may be directed to the state chess association-CAQ. 

Step 5: External Referral

Serious matters must be reported immediately to:

• Police (000): If a child is at immediate risk or if sexual abuse is suspected 

• Child Protection Authorities: For significant harm concerns 

Mandatory Reporting Obligations

Under Queensland law:

• Failure to report: All adults who reasonably believe a child is being or has been sexually abused must report it to Police—unless they have a reasonable excuse. 

• Failure to protect: Adults in institutional settings (including sport clubs) must protect children from known risks of sexual offending. 

Our club must ensure all volunteers understand these legal duties.

Wellbeing Support for Complainants

Making a complaint can be stressful. Consider providing these resources:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

• 13YARN (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): 13 9276

See attachment🔗 here

Welcome your child/children to join our (School) Chess Program at any time!

• Before your child starts a chess program with us, an online enrolment form must be completed via the link on our website. Payment for the term is required after a confirmation letter for your child’s place.

• If your child is joining us during the school term, the tuition fee will be calculated based on the remaining number of weeks.

• Once students are enrolled in our chess program, it means that they will be available to attend all lessons during the term and we do not expect them to miss any lesson without reason, otherwise they will fall behind the group progress. However, we fully understand that there might be some school events or unpredictable situations such as illness. Therefore, maximum credit for two missed lessons can be given in one term except in the case that prior planning in written has been agreed with us before the new term starts.

• Lessons missed through non-attendance or insufficient notice will be charged.

• If you are attending our online program, both sides(student(s) and coach) please login to the meeting on time and set up the internet and equipment ready before the lesson, so that we could respect both sides' time.

• Please ensure you follow the policies for student’s absentee, makeup lessons and credit on the website so that we can arrange them for you accordingly.

• Usually there are 9-10 lessons for each group every term. Some terms may see 8 lessons for some specific classes if they clash with public holidays.

• All payments should be transferred online to our club, and our coaches on site will not accept any payment.

• When enrolments are made, it is important that we are advised of any medical, custodial or other factors of which we need to be aware.

• If your lessons are in the after-school time, we expect your child to be collected upon the completion of the lesson. We reserve the right to charge a late fee.

We want every child to feel safe, respected, and happy at our chess program.

We believe children learn best when they feel safe and supported, so we encourage positive behavior just like in a classroom.

We expect all children to:

·       Treat coaches, volunteers, and other players with respect

·       Follow instructions from coaches and helpers

·       Use kind words and good sportsmanship, whether they win or lose

·       Help create a calm and focused learning environment for everyone

If Behaviour Becomes a Concern

Sometimes children may need extra support to meet these expectations. If this happens, here is our approach:

1.    We Talk to You

We will let you know if we notice your child is having difficulty. We will work together to understand what might be causing the behaviour and find solutions that help your child succeed.

2.    We Make a Plan Together

We will agree on some simple steps to support your child. This might include small goals, extra encouragement, or changes to help them feel more comfortable. We ask that families work with us on these steps.

3.    Temporary Break (if needed)

If behaviour continues to be challenging or if there is a serious incident, we may need to give your child a short break from the club. This gives everyone time to reset and think about the best way forward.

4.    Longer Break (if needed)

In rare cases, if the behaviour is very serious or if earlier steps haven't helped, we may need to remove your child from the program for the rest of the term or year. This decision is made carefully, always with your child's wellbeing in mind.

Our Commitment to Fairness

Throughout this process, we promise to:

• Listen to your child's perspective and take their feelings seriously (this supports Standard 2 – Voice of Children)

• Treat your family with respect and involve you in decisions

• Keep our focus on helping your child learn and grow, not on punishment

• Only remove a child from the program as a last resort, when other steps haven't worked or when safety is at risk

About Refunds

If a child is removed from the program due to ongoing behaviour concerns or a serious incident, we may not provide a refund. This helps us cover the costs of running the program and ensures fairness for all families.

We will always explain our decision and discuss any concerns you may have.

Lesson Cancellation

If lessons are cancelled due to force majeure, such as teacher strikes, extreme weather etc., we will issue credit to students for use in the next term.

♟️🔗Information for Parents and Carers 

♟️🔗A child-friendly version of the complaints process 

♟️🔗Volunteer Application Form 

♟️🔗New Volunteer Induction Checklist  

♟️🔗Parent Consent Form (Photography & Online Coaching)

♟️🔗Pickup Authorisation Form

♟️🔗Absentee Notification Form

♟️🔗Special Request Form

♟️🔗Incident Report Form

♟️🔗Privacy Policy