Safe Sport - Wrestling Canada Lutte - Wrestling Canada Lutte

OVERVIEW

Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is putting in place processes, procedures and policies to help create a safe environment for all participants. We believe that athletes, coaches, officials, staff and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive training and competitive environment that is free from abuse, harassment, bullying and/ or discrimination. We are committed to making our culture better and are putting in place inclusive processes to help support our commitment to safe sport.

WCL Triage Process

Helpline

The Canadian Sport Helpline is here to provide you with advice, guidance and resources on how to proceed / intervene appropriately in the circumstances.

Complaints & Appeal Officer

Role of the Complaints & Appeal Officer

The role is established to receive, review, and to try to resolve appeals and complaints in six specific areas, which are established in WCL’s Appeal Policy.

The six areas where the Officer has jurisdiction are:

Appeals of eligibility decisions (athlete & staff);
Appeals of nomination and selection decisions (athlete & staff);
Athlete appeals of carding nominations (Athlete Assistance Program);
Disputes related to conflict of interest;
Complaints of violations of WCL’s Discipline Policy & Code of Conduct and related appeals;
Disputes and appeals related to WCL Membership.

DOWNLOAD COMPLAINT PROCESS INFOGRAPHIC

To file a complaint about Conflict of Interest, Discipline, Code of Conduct, and Membership issues, please complete this NOTICE OF COMPLAINT FORM.

DOWNLOAD APPEAL PROCESS INFOGRAPHIC

To request an appeal of eligibility, nomination, selection, carding and disciplinary decisions, please complete this REQUEST FOR APPEAL FORM.

The Complaints & Appeal Officer has a great deal of discretion in the way they conduct an appeal or complaint review and resolution process. They will work with the parties by providing information, using active listening skills, and by providing suggestions, options or alternatives towards resolution of issues. While the Complaints & Appeal Officer may make final and binding decisions in some cases, they may also use alternative dispute resolution techniques to resolve complaints, where it is appropriate to the circumstances, and the needs and interests of the parties.

The Complaints & Appeal Officer will be responsive to the needs of the parties, based on issues such as language, gender sensitivity, ensuring the lack of bias, etc.

In all appropriate cases the Complaints & Appeal Officer will consider the possibility of mediation, which may be conducted by a Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada resolution facilitator.

The Complaints & Appeal Officer may appoint an outside and independent investigator when they feel independent fact finding is necessary to help clarify the issues or the circumstances concerning a code of conduct complaint.

NOTE: The Complaints & Appeal Officer will only address appeals and complaints effective October 01, 2020. All ongoing complaints and appeals will continue to be addressed by the processes already underway.

Statement on Neutrality and Independence, Email Security and Privacy

The Complaints & Appeal Officer is not an employee of WCL and is neutral and independent of WCL. They are appointed as an outside consultant or contractor to act as an independent Complaints & Appeal Officer whose main function relates to complaints resolution. They are selected based on their knowledge of sport, experience in law or dispute resolution, and sport specific dispute resolution, mediation, or arbitration; as well as geographic, gender, and language balance considerations.

The Complaints & Appeal Officer will avoid cases where there could be a real or perceived conflict of interest.

WCL maintains a specific email address for the Complaints & Appeal Officer. While this email address is hosted through WCL’s email business account, no one has access to the emails except the Officer. WCL follows all of the rules established for data security and privacy under federal and provincial laws. The email address for the Complaints & Appeal Officer is: [email protected].

About the Complaints & Appeal Officer:

Dr. Frank Fowlie:

Bilingual
Member of the BOD with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
Commissioner with Athletics Canada
Mediation roster with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (2013-2019)
Director of Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (2009-2015)
Chef de Mission for the Individual Olympic Athletes from East Timor at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
Doctor of Conflict Resolution
Chartered Mediator
Began his career as a member of the RCMP

Policies & Procedures

Code of Conduct (under review)

Discipline Policy (under review)

Appeal Policy (under review)

Screening Policy – 2019 Canadian Championships

Screening – Vulnerable Sector Checks (December 2019)

Enhanced Police Information Checks

Concussion Protocol

Canadian Anti-Doping Program

Open & Observable Environments

"RESPECT" Programs

WCL first partnered with Respect Group in 2017 as part of its broader commitment to Safe Sport and adopted mandated “Respect in the Workplace” training for staff and members of the Board of Directors, every 5 years. Respect Group was co-founded by former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy in 2004, and partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to create a best-in-class e-learning curriculum with the aim of preventing bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD).

In addition to the “Respect in the Workplace” training, WCL is now providing access to training and education for coaches, team leaders, and volunteers through “Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders” and for parents through “Respect in Sport for Parents” modules. The initial roll out of “Respect in Sport” is on a voluntary basis and strongly recommended for coaches, any support staff, officials, volunteers as well as parents across the country, on a user-pay basis. Further direction from WCL on training expectations will be forthcoming later this year.

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders
For: Coaches, Team Leaders, Managers, Officials, Club Volunteers
Cost: $30 per person
Duration: 2.5 hours online, does not have to be completed in one sitting
Coaches with a NCCP number will receive 3 PD points upon completion

Respect in Sport for Parents
For: Parents and Family of Athletes
Cost: $12 per household
Duration: 1 hour online, does not have to be completed in one sitting

Respect in the Workplace
For: mandated for all staff and BOD once every five (5) years
Cost: $40 per person (covered by WCL)
Duration: 90 minutes online, does not have to be completed in one sitting