SFDA Safeguarding Framework and Safeguarding Officer

Everyone who plays, coaches, volunteers or organises flying disc sports in Tamil Nadu has the right to do so without fear of harassment, abuse, exploitation or discrimination. As the sport grows, and as we work to bring more women and young players into it, the responsibility to keep people safe grows with it.

Safeguarding is one of the SFDA Board's top priorities for the next two years, alongside growing women's participation. The two go together. Players will not join or stay in a space where they do not feel safe, and new players, parents, schools and colleges need to trust that the sport is well run.

India Ultimate (IU) already has a strong national safeguarding framework, with a Safeguarding Committee. What players and clubs in Tamil Nadu need is someone close to them who they can approach, who understands the local community, and who can make that framework work in practice. That is the purpose of this document.

SFDA adopts, in full, the following India Ultimate policies:

• India Ultimate Member Safeguarding Policy
• India Ultimate Child Safeguarding Policy

These policies set out what counts as harassment, abuse and misconduct, the standards of behaviour expected of everyone, how complaints are investigated, and the sanctions that apply. SFDA follows them as they are revised by India Ultimate from time to time, so the current IU version always applies.

This document does not replace those policies. It explains how safeguarding works within SFDA, and in particular the role of the SFDA Safeguarding Officer. Where anything in this document is unclear, the IU policies apply.

Who this covers

This framework applies to everyone taking part in SFDA activities, including players, coaches, captains, selectors, support staff, volunteers, officials and Board members. It covers all SFDA-organised or SFDA-sanctioned sessions, camps, tryouts, tournaments, Tamil Nadu state teams and travel, as well as related online spaces such as WhatsApp groups and social media.

Clubs across Tamil Nadu are strongly encouraged to follow the same standards, and every player in the state can approach the SFDA Safeguarding Officer for advice or support.

For the next two years, SFDA will appoint a single Safeguarding Officer, rather than a full committee. This keeps the structure simple while the role is established. At the end of the two years, the Board will review how it has worked and move to a Safeguarding Committee if needed.

Role

The Safeguarding Officer will:

• Be the first point of contact for safeguarding concerns within SFDA and the Tamil Nadu community
• Offer confidential advice to anyone raising a concern, including their options and the support available
• Record every concern formally and keep all safeguarding records secure and confidential
• Handle non-severe concerns directly, as set out in Section 5
• Refer severe concerns to the IU Safeguarding Committee, as set out in Section 5
• Act as SFDA's point of contact with the IU Safeguarding Committee for all safeguarding matters, and support the people involved through the IU process
• Raise awareness of safeguarding across clubs and players, including putting out simple guidance on how to raise a concern and working with clubs to name their own safeguarding contacts
• Coordinate with IU so that SFDA coaches, captains, selectors, volunteers and Board members attend IU safeguarding training
• Ensure the right safeguards are in place before SFDA runs any activity involving under-18s, in line with the IU Child Safeguarding Policy
• Share an anonymised annual safeguarding report with the Board and the community
• Hand over all records formally at the end of their term

What the officer does not do alone

The officer does not investigate or decide serious cases alone. Serious matters go to the IU Safeguarding Committee, which has the structure, independence and experience to handle them fairly.

Independence from the Board

The Safeguarding Officer is appointed by the SFDA Board but acts independently of it. People must be able to raise concerns knowing that the Board cannot influence, access or overrule how they are handled. In particular:

Not a Board role.

The officer cannot be a member of the SFDA Board, and does not take instructions from the Board on any safeguarding matter.

No Board involvement in cases.

The Board will not direct, question or interfere with how the officer handles any concern. No Board member may ask the officer about a case, who raised it, or who it concerns.

Confidential records.

Safeguarding records are held by the officer alone. The Board has no access to them.

No approval needed to refer.

The officer refers matters to the IU Safeguarding Committee, or to the police or authorities where required, without needing the Board's approval and without informing the Board first.

Concerns about the Board.

Any concern involving an SFDA Board member goes to the IU Safeguarding Committee without the Board being informed by the officer.

Only what the Board needs to act.

Where SFDA needs to take a practical step, such as standing someone down from a team or event while a concern is looked into, the officer will tell the Board only what action is needed, not the details of the concern or the people who raised it.

Anonymised reporting only.

The officer's updates to the Board are anonymised, covering the number and type of concerns and how they were handled, never names or identifying details.

Protected from removal.

The Board cannot remove the officer during their term because of how they have handled a case. The officer can only be removed for serious misconduct or a breach of confidentiality, and only after consulting the IU Safeguarding Committee.

If the officer ever feels that the Board, or any Board member, is trying to influence a safeguarding matter, they should report it directly to the IU Safeguarding Committee.

Term

Two years, from October 2026 – September 2028.

Anyone can raise a safeguarding concern, whether it happened to them or they witnessed it, and whether it happened in person or online.

SFDA Safeguarding Officer —

to be appointed on 30 September 2026. Contact details will be published on this page.

India Ultimate Safeguarding:

safeguarding@indiaultimate.org, or the India Ultimate online reporting form, which also allows anonymous reports

You can always go directly to India Ultimate if you would prefer not to speak to the SFDA officer, for example if you know them personally or would feel more comfortable speaking to someone else.

Nobody will face retaliation for raising a concern in good faith. Retaliation, including exclusion, isolation or intimidation of someone who has raised a concern, is itself treated as harassment under the IU policy.

For non-severe concerns, the officer may resolve the matter through measures set out in the IU policy, such as a warning, a written apology, or safeguarding training. Anyone who disagrees with the officer's decision can ask for it to be reviewed by the IU Safeguarding Committee.

Where it is unclear whether a concern is severe, the officer will treat it as severe and refer it.

The Tamil Nadu community is small, so the officer may also be a player, coach, captain or selector. That does not rule anyone out, but it does need to be managed openly.

The officer must:

• Declare any role or relationship that could affect, or appear to affect, how they handle a concern
• Step aside from any concern involving a team they coach, captain or select, or a person they are close to
• Refer any such concern directly to the IU Safeguarding Committee

Who can apply

Any adult in the Tamil Nadu flying disc community who:

• Is not a member of the SFDA Board
• Is trusted and approachable within the community
• Can keep matters strictly confidential and act fairly
• Is willing to complete safeguarding training arranged with India Ultimate
• Does not have any safeguarding complaint against them

How the officer will be selected

1. Applications open through the form linked below.
2. The Board will hold a call with each applicant.
3. The Board will select and announce the officer on September 30 2026.

Board members will declare any close relationship with an applicant and step back from that decision.

Key dates

Form opens:

18 September 2026

Form closes:

25 September 2026

Applicant calls and review:

26–29 September 2026

Officer announced:

30 September 2026

Application form: Apply here (https://forms.gle/aKC455znbJfTwcXX7)
Questions: operations@senthamizhfda.in

The SFDA Board will:

• Treat safeguarding as a standing item at Board meetings
• Give the Safeguarding Officer its full backing, and respect the officer's independence and the confidentiality of every case
• Follow the IU safeguarding policies, including attending IU safeguarding training
• Make sure safeguarding is considered in every SFDA event, camp, team and programme, including the work of the SFDA Women's Committee
• Review this framework at the end of the officer's two-year term, and move to a Safeguarding Committee if needed