Policies & Guidelines
A Culture of Inclusion and Safety
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Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) is committed to providing appropriate and safe environments for its athletes, volunteers, and employees. The health and safety of all Special Olympics participants are of paramount importance.
All participants should feel that every Special Olympics event is an inclusive, safe, and positive experience. We have created a multi-faceted safety program. Everyone (including staff, volunteers, coaches, parents, caregivers, and athletes) has a role in ensuring its success.
Aspects of the program include, but are not limited to, the following:
Organizational Policies and Procedures
Special Olympics Northern California implemented several organizational policies and procedures to promote a safe environment for all participants. The Housing Policy applies to all SONC athletes, program participants, and Unified Partners traveling to overnight events. Housing arrangements for overnight events involve considering various factors, including the varying abilities, ages, maturity, and athletes and program participants’ behavior.
Although it is not possible to avoid all risks associated with sports training, competition, travel, and other activities, we always consider ways to prevent or minimize risks when practical, including in housing athletes and program participants during overnight events.
Please review the following Policies and Procedures:
Volunteer Screenings
Background checks are conducted on prospective volunteers who will have close contact with athletes or serve in positions of authority, trust, or access to sensitive personal information.
Mandatory Protective Behaviors Training
Volunteers who have close contact with Special Olympics athletes are required to participate in MUST COMPLETE the Volunteer Orientation and Training course. This training helps volunteers learn to identify inappropriate behavior, recognize the signs of abuse, and determine what to do if abuse or inappropriate behavior is suspected.
Behavior Expectations for All Participants
All participants, including staff, volunteers, athletes, and spectators, are expected to conduct themselves appropriately at Special Olympics events and engage in Special Olympics activities. These expectations include, but are not limited to, good sportsmanship and appropriate interactions with others. Inappropriate behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Depending upon the severity of any violations of these expectations, suspension or dismissal from SONC-sponsored activities may result.
Resource Guides to Increase Knowledge and Awareness
Below are role-specific guides to help prepare all SONC participants to meet our shared responsibility to create and maintain an inclusive, safe culture.
- Parents/CareGivers. This guide was created to help you understand our Policies and Procedures and help identify signs of abuse.
- Additional Resources developed specifically for parents of children with disabilities to keep children safe from sexual abuse can be found at http://www.stopitnow.org/parents-children-disabilities. While Special Olympics Northern California did not create these materials, we reference this information to promote and foster abuse prevention.