Social Media Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Purpose

This policy is aligned with Gymnastics Victoria and Gymnastics Australia’s Social Media Policies. It outlines Cheltenham Youth Clubs (CYC) policy for the use of Social Media to protect professional relationships between staff, athletes, and parents and to preserve the reputation and positive image of the club. The policy provides clear guidelines on how CYC staff, volunteers, members, and relations must conduct themselves on social media platforms.

Coverage

The policy applies to the following CYC members, whether they are paid or unpaid –

  • Athletes
  • Parents or Guardians of Athletes
  • Athletes Relations
  • Technical Members
  • Committee and Sub-committee Members
  • Life Members
  • Staff and Volunteers
  • Coaches and Administrators
  • Judges and Officials

Scope

Social media is internet-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through the building of virtual networks and communities. The content can be in the form of images, videos, words, audio, or streaming.

This policy applies to platforms including, but are not limited to:

  • Social networking sites – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest etc.
  • Video and photo sharing website or apps – YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Flickr etc.
  • Blogs and micro-blogging platforms – Tumblr, WordPress, Blogger etc.
  • Live broadcasting apps – Facebook mentions, Meerkat, Periscope etc.
  • Podcasting – iTunes, Stitcher, Sound Cloud etc.
  • Instant Messaging – SMS, Skype, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber etc.
  • Public and private online forums and discussion boards
  • Any other online technologies that allow individual users to upload and share content

This policy is applicable when using social media as:

  1. An individual officially designated to represent CYC on social media; or
  2. Persons included in the above coverage, posting on social media in relation to CYC, that might affect CYC’s business, services, events, sponsors, members and/or reputation.

This policy is in addition to Gymnastics Australia’s Child Safe Policy and Member Protection Policy (implemented by CYC) and the CYC Code of Conduct.

Related Documents

Related CYC and GA documents include the following –

  • Privacy Policy
  • Constitution
  • Codes of Conduct
  • GA Member Protection Policy
  • GA Child Safe Policy
  • CYC Terms and Conditions

Guidelines

This policy outlines the standard expected by CYC staff, volunteers, members, life members, athletes, and their relations regarding personal, professional, and official use of social media and online communication platforms. All persons covered in this policy must adhere to the following guidelines when using social media related to CYC and its business, services, events, sponsors, members and/or reputation.

Individuals who engage in activities relating to online technologies should not:

  • Negatively impact CYC’s reputation
  • Make comments or share content that would breach CYC’s Code of Conduct
  • Disclose confidential information without prior authorisation
  • Breach the GA Child Safe policy
  • Breach the privacy of those covered by the policy
  • Claim that CYC has endorsed personal opinions
  • Post any of CYC’s intellectual property or imagery on the personal social media without prior approval from the Executive Committee or Centre Manager.

Coaches, judges, officials, and staff members must not connect, or be connected, with a child under the age of 18 years on social media. Where a personal relationship with a child under 18 years exists prior to joining CYC then written notification must be provided to the Centre Manager by the child’s parent and CYC personnel to record the connection.

POLICY BREACHES

Breaches in this policy include, but are not limited to:

  • Using CYC’s name, or logo in a way that would result in a negative impact for the club and or its members

Posting or sharing –

  • Content that is abusive, harassing, threatening, demeaning, or defamatory
  • Content that includes insulting, obscene, offensive, or hateful language
  • Content that breaches CYC policies and GA Child Safe and Member Protection policies
  • Content that breaches any state or Commonwealth law
  • Material to CYC social media channels that impinge on the intellectual property rights of others
  • Material that brings CYC, its affiliates, sport, officials, members, or sponsors into disrepute

Reporting a breach

If a person notices inappropriate or unlawful content online, they should report the content to the Executive Committee or Centre Manager.

Alleged breaches of this policy may be investigated according to CYC and GA’s related documents.

Where it is considered necessary, CYC may report a breach of this policy to the police or other relevant authority

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