SAFE SPACES PROCEDURE
Swing Patrol’s Code of Conduct can be found on the website, and at Swing Patrol events.
A complaint or report of an incident or breach of the Code of Conduct may be made to any member of the Swing Patrol team – a teacher, an event manager, a door person at a venue, or directly to either or both directors of Swing Patrol (Scott Cupit and Claudia Funder.)
A report may be made by a teacher, a student, a dancer, a volunteer, an observer.
A report may be made verbally in person, by email, by phone or text message.
All reports are treated seriously, respectfully, confidentially and with discretion.
Swing Patrol’s official Procedures for Managing Allegations of Misconduct can be found on the Swing Patrol website, but below is a brief description of what happens when a complaint or report is made.
What happens when I report something?
1. The person you make the report to will listen to what you have to say, take note of details, take note of names and contact information. You may be asked for further information/clarification. You may choose to omit names, but of course it’s much more difficult to take action on any inappropriate behaviour if we don’t know who is responsible.
2. The person you make the report to will do their best to support and comfort you. Swing Patrol team members are usually not trained counsellors, nor qualified legal professionals. We are just dancers who are doing our best to treat each other with respect and decency, and provide a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.
3. If the incident you are reporting has just happened at the event you’re at, and the person responsible is still there, a Swing Patrol team member (either the person you reported to, or someone the report is escalated to) may have an informal chat with the person responsible, a verbal warning may be issued, or they may be asked to leave the event. The details of the incident and any subsequent action will be passed on to Swing Patrol Director, Scott Cupit.
4. If the incident you are reporting happened previously or elsewhere, the person you reported to will pass it on to Swing Patrol Director, Scott Cupit.
All complaints, incidents, breaches of the Code Of Conduct, will be reported to
– Scott Cupit: co-director of Swing Patrol
– Claudia Funder: co-director of Swing Patrol
In cases where discretion or confidentiality is warranted, a report may be made to only one of the above.
What does the Safe Spaces Manager do?
1. Scott (or Claudia, if the report is only made to her) will follow up, talking to all parties (where named), gathering more information.
2. A variety of actions might be taken, depending on the situation and circumstances. There is no easy answer or one course of action that fits all circumstances. The aim is to look after everyone’s safety, and help people change behavior with dignity and integrity.
Course of action for the complainant might be:
* Implementing a ‘Circle of Safety’ if needed.
* Sharing external resources for their personal support and follow-up care.
* Developing a longer term personal plan for their safety at swing events.
* Communicate actions and outcomes regarding their complaint.
This is all done with the complainant and Scott, and might involve other teachers or friends of the complainant.
Course of action for the perpetrator might be:
* Gather information from teachers and other appropriate people.
* Establishing the scope of their awareness, intention, and situation.
* Have a chat and explain a) why it’s happening, b) enlisting their help to resolve the situation to everyone’s mutual safety.
* Sharing help/resources for their personal support and follow-up care.
* Developing a supervised monitoring and mentoring programme for them at swing events.
* Banishment for a fixed term where appropriate.
Note that physical assault, sexual assault and harassment are criminal offences, and Swing Patrol will support any report made to the police.
Swing Patrol
Email: [email protected]
Other useful contacts:
Victoria Police Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT)
Website
Melbourne: 8690 4056
Moorabbin: 9556 6128
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (SACL): 1800 806 292 (24 hours – Freecall Victoria)
South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence (SECASA)
Admin: 9928 8741
Crisis: 9594 2289
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.secasa.com.au
WIRE (Women’s Information & Referral Exchange)
1300 134 130
www.wire.org.au
Men’s Referral Service
1300 766 491
www.mrs.org.au
Life Line (Telephone Crisis Support)
13 11 14
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
www.beyondblue.org.au
Swing Patrol values your assistance in nurturing a community that is an inclusive, safe and happy place to dance.