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On Tuesday 7 July, 65 people joined us at the WAIS Training Rooms for our first Integrity Forum, a full day on safeguarding, integrity and complaint management. The room brought together Basketball WA staff alongside representatives from associations and clubs across the state, in person and online.

Chief Executive Fabian Ross opened the day, thanking everyone for the turnout and crediting Head of Risk, Integrity and Governance Rachel Burrows and the team, Kylie Sullivan, Justin Scarvaci, Courtney Barlow and Diana Barzotto, for turning six months of planning into the day itself.

“Providing a real and safe environment for our community is extremely important, and as leaders within the basketball community, we have an absolute obligation to make sure we create that environment for all of our people,” Fabian said.

Rachel Burrows also introduced Courtney Barlow and Justin Scarvaci in their roles as Basketball WA’s Integrity Officers, the first point of contact for associations, clubs and members when integrity matters arise. Sessions were filmed and will be available through Basketball Australia’s etrainu platform for anyone who couldn’t make it.

The agenda brought together expertise from across sport and government:

Nathan Palenkas (Basketball Australia): roles, responsibilities and the National Integrity Framework, plus BA’s eLearning education platform

Basketball WA: our own complaint handling process, and why people actually complain

Rebekha Yeow (SportWest): EAP, mental health and sideline behaviour

Mat Sinclair (Sport Integrity Australia, joining online) and Kate McNamara (CITS): child safeguarding, including case study activities

Selina Getley (Department of Communities, Office for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence): the role sport plays in prevention

Thank you to Basketball Australia, SportWest, Sport Integrity Australia and the Department of Communities for giving their time and expertise, and to every association and club that sent someone along, in person or online.

Safeguarding, integrity and fair complaint handling are a shared responsibility across our community, and days like this are how we keep building the standard together, in collaboration with associations across the state.

Questions on integrity, safeguarding or complaint management can go to Rachel Burrows, Head of Risk, Integrity and Governance, at [email protected].