Safe Sport

The Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (Boccia Canada) has a fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the health and well-being of the organization and its participants. We believe that athletes, coaches, sport assistants, officials, staff and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive environment that is free from abuse, harassment, bullying and/ or discrimination. CCPSA takes any situation involving misconduct very seriously and is committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and consistent policies, procedures and processes for addressing misconduct, in our commitment to safe sport.

Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner

CCPSA (Boccia Canada) has joined Abuse-Free Sport, the independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport. Boccia Canada and its stakeholders at the national level will have access to the services of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub of Abuse-Free Sport for matters relating to alleged breaches of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) by Boccia Canada UCCMS Participants.

In line with our commitment to create a safe environment for all our participants, on February 7, 2023, CCPSA signed the Office of Sport Integrity Commissioner(OSIC) Agreement and become a Program Signatory. This means that effective upon signing, any allegation of maltreatment or other prohibited behavior, as defined in the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), against a UCCMS participant of CCPSA must be filed directly with the OSIC.

As a Program Signatory, we were required to determine who is a UCCMS Participant within our organization. All UCCMS Participants then signed a Consent Form, agreeing to comply with the UCCMS and the jurisdiction of OSIC.  All National level stakeholders (officials, technical delegates, athletes, performance partners etc) were designated as a UCCMS Participant.

If you or someone within your organization are asked to sign a consent form, please download the English form here. The forms are intended for a parent or legal guardian to complete on behalf of an athlete, or for national team stakeholder.

Independent Third Party (Safe Sport Officer)

CCPSA (Boccia Canada) has appointed an Independent Third Party (ITP) Safe Sport Officer who any person can contact to report misconduct under CCPSA policies.

CCPSA has contracted RS Legal for this role. They may be reached directly and independently through the email address [email protected].

Only the Independent Safe Sport Officer has access to this email account.

Reporting A Complaint

Complaints will now be filed with either Abuse-Free Sport or the Independent Third Party depending on the nature of the complaint and the jurisdiction of the respondent for CCPSA (Boccia Canada).  The table below provides some detail as to which independent authority would receive the complaint.  For any questions please refer our CCPSA Policy Suite, this flowchart, or to the Canadian Sport Helpline to help guide you through this process. If you want to submit a complaint to our independent third party, please complete this form.

WhatUCCMS Participant (defined in CCPSA policies)Individual/Other
Alleged UCCMS breachAbuse-Free SportIndependent Third Party
Any other misconduct allegation under CCPSA (Boccia Canada) policiesIndependent Third PartyIndependent Third Party

Safe Sport Training and Screening

Training and screening are essential elements of ensuring our boccia community is safe and free of harassment and abuse for all participants.

The CCPSA (Boccia Canada) Screening Policy contains required training and screening for individuals based on the risk level associated with their role.  All individuals associated with Boccia Canada in positions of trust or authority will be required to submit screening documents and/or complete training.

To complete the Training portion for those roles identified in CCPSA Screening Policy click the link below:

  1. CAC Safe Sport Training

Abuse-Free Sport Helpline

An anonymous, confidential and independent national toll-free sport helpline has been established to offer assistance to victims or witnesses of harassment, abuse or discrimination.

Anyone with a concern should feel comfortable reaching out to this free and confidential service. Information on their services and how to contact them can be found at; abuse-free-sport.ca. The abuse free sport phone and texting line is accessible at 1-888-83-SPORT, and is monitored from 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time, 7 days a week.

The Abuse-Free Sport Helpline is run in partnership with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Mental Health in Sport, and is funded by the Government of Canada.

The Abuse-Free Sport Helpline has been created to ensure that Canadian sport participants at all levels compete in safe sport! Visit https://abuse-free-sport.ca/helpline for more information!

Additional Resources