Governance

1 Media and Communications Policy

a. In addition to traditional media (print, radio and television), social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites) is an increasingly popular way to engage with supporters, communicate with the general public and promote disability sports, athletes, partners and sponsors. It is important that Athletes, and all personnel associated with the SDSC are able to communicate to each other, media and the public at large effectively, positively and productively to promote and grow disability sports. No one should attempt to tarnish the Council’s reputation, or the profile of disability sports or athletes with disability, in the communication of any content.

b. This policy covers all forms of communication and media, including, but are not limited to, activities such as social media postings, blogging, updating of statuses, online voting or polling, tagging, tweeting, posting of photographs, video and audio material onto social media and made accessible to the public.

c. All athletes training under the support of SDSC as well as volunteers, officials, and employees of the Council are bound by this Policy.

1.1 Rules for Communication and Media Activities

a. Do not make any public statement or comment, or respond in any way that may be construed to be negative, offensive or derogatory towards others, disability sports, the SDSC, its personnel, sponsors or stakeholders, or bodies working to promote disability sports in Singapore. This includes using subtle references such as tagging, or liking or retweeting negative comments or posts, which indicates your approval for the content.

b. Inform and obtain approval from the Council before engaging in or undertaking any media or press activity that communicates you as an athlete, volunteer, official or employee of the Council. Only provide insight, expertise and relevant and accurate comment.

c. Approach all communications in a positive manner. Be respectful, professional and courteous. Any “personal attack”, name-calling, abuse of defamation will not be tolerated.

d. Bear in mind that the President, Executive Director of SDSC or their nominated delegate is the official spokesperson for the Council and therefore the only person permitted to speak on behalf of, or about SDSC without prior written approval from SDSC.

e. Be responsible to attend media conferences or interviews coordinated and / or approved by SDSC

f. When posting on social media or giving any interview that includes a visual element as an athlete, volunteer, official or employee of the Council, wear items of uniform as directed by SDSC.

g. Obtain prior consent from the SDSC before entering into any agreements which would involve you working in any media capacity whatsoever in any period leading up to, during or after a major competition, whether as a print journalist, on the radio or television or by providing exclusive interviews or diaries or columns or blogs.

h. Not disclose any confidential information associated with SDSC, its sponsors or stakeholders.

i. Check intellectual property rights and other additional terms you may be subjected to, especially if you are also participating in other teams and games outside the Council, such as the terms of the Athlete Agreement of the Singapore National Paralympic Council (SNPC) and Athlete Agreement of Singapore Sports Institute (SSI).

j. Do not reproduce or use in any way any name(s) and/or logo(s) owned by the SDSC, Team Singapore, without prior written consent from the Council or SportSG. Such names and logos include, without limitation, the Singapore Disability Sports Council, SDSC, the SDSC logo, Team Singapore, TeamSG, the TeamSG logo, and any derivations thereof. This includes any tagging on social media.

k. Do not use any profane, obscene or inappropriate language

1.2 Monitoring

a. The SDSC will regularly monitor online activity in relation to the Council, disability sports, athletes with disability and other relevant topics. Detected breaches of this policy should be reported to the SDSC.

1.3 Liability

a. When you choose to go public with any comments or material in any way, including on social media, you are solely responsible for such comments and materials. You should be aware that you can be held personally liable for any comments and material that may be deemed to be defamatory, obscene or proprietary.

b. In any situation, you should not post information which you have been asked not to, or not been provided consent for, especially those governed by intellectual property rights or the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

1.4 Infringements

a. It is important for you to understand the need to exercise care in setting boundaries between your personal and public communications, and to understand that what may seem private, especially that in the digital world, can often become public, even without knowledge or consent. In no circumstance would a privacy setting be foolproof nor can it be used as an excuse for ignorance or non-conformance to this Policy.

b. SDSC reserves its right to take any appropriate measure with respect to infringements of this Policy, including disciplinary or legal actions. It also reserves the right to act on information provided by third parties, to investigate possible infringements of this Policy, and take appropriate actions.

1.5 Responsible and Positive Communications

a. You can promote support for disability sports using the following means:

• Follow SDSC on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeDisabilitySportsCouncil/)
• Tag SDSC when posting (content, photos, videos, updates) that promote a positive image of disability sports and athletes with disability (#SDSC). Acknowledge SDSC’s sponsors and partners where possible, to show gratitude for their contributions, e.g.

• Haw Par Corporation Limited – #HawPar o Micron Foundation – #Micron
• JCCI – #JCCI
• Toyota – #Toyota
• Mitsubishi – #Mitsubishi

Sports Partners of SDSC

• Bowling Association for the Disabled (Singapore) – #BADS o Deaf Sports Association (Singapore) – #DSAS
• Goalball (Singapore) – #GoalballSG
• Lawn Bowls Association of Singapore – #LBAD
• Para Cycling Federation Singapore – #PCFS
• Para Athletics Singapore – #PAS
• Riding for the Disabled Association of Singapore – #RDA
• Table Tennis Association for the Disabled (Singapore) – #TTADS o Wheelchair Basketball Association of Singapore – #WBAS
• Wheelchair Racing Association (Singapore) – #WRAS
• Wheelchair Tennis Association of Singapore – #WTAS

1.6 Contact Information

To seek approval for interviews, outreach requests or clarity on the suitability of content, please contact:

Ms Stefanie Pitchian 
Communications Executive
stefanie.pitchian@sdsc.org.sg
+65 8157 4165

Mr Lim Wei Hao
Communications Executive
lim.weihao@sdsc.org.sg
+65 9189 2553

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1  Purpose
The Whistle-Blowing Policy aims to provide a formal process and assuring framework for employees and members of the public to report improper, unethical and inappropriate behavior, so that SDSC may take up timely and appropriate action to safeguard a culture of accountability, integrity and transparency.

1.2  Scope
To whistle-blow is to report concerns on actual, suspected or anticipated individual or organizational wrong-doing (including violation of policies) of a legal, regulatory or ethical nature. The Whistle-Blowing Policy is intended to cover major concerns that fall outside the scope of other procedures. It does not cover grievances (concern of an individual or personal matter) which can be addressed by other existing procedures or channels.

Whistle-blowing concerns include the following non-exhaustive list:

• An offence or breach of law (e.g. Personal Data Protection Act – information security)
• Vandalism or damage to SDSC property
• Fraud (e.g. accounting fraud, theft, corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misuse of SDSC resources)
• Abuse of power (e.g. bullying, harassment, conflicts of interest)
• A deliberate attempt to cover up any of the above

1.3  Governance
This policy shall be governed by SDSC’s Audit Subcommittee, which is a non- executive body independent of SDSC’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and secretariat.

2 GUIDELINES

2.1  Confidentiality
All concerns will be treated in confidence and SDSC shall be committed to preserve confidentiality by keeping the report and case information, including the identities of those involved in the case, secure and accessible only to designated persons. The final investigation report shall not contain the identity of the whistle-blower. Exceptions may be taken if necessary or lawful circumstances dictate the disclosure of the whistle-blower’s identity, or if such information is already in the public domain.

2.2  Protection
SDSC does not condone any retaliation against anyone for raising a concern in good faith. Disciplinary actions will be taken against those who retaliate, harass or discriminate against the whistle-blower.

2.3  Anonymity
The whistle-blower may file a report anonymously. However, SDSC may not be able to follow up on anonymous reports should there be any pertinent information missing.

2.4  Reporting

(i)  Employees and members of the public can lodge reports to SDSC’s Executive Director (ED) via the email address: ed@sdsc.org.sg. The ED shall escalate the matter to the Audit Subcommittee. An acknowledgement of receipt shall be sent to the whistle-blower, if the identity is known.

(ii)  In cases where the Executive Director is involved in the concern, the whistle- blower can raise the report directly to the Audit Subcommittee via the email address: audit@sdsc.org.sg. The report sent through this email address shall be received by the Audit Subcommittee’s Chairperson and its members. An acknowledgement of receipt shall be sent to the whistle-blower, if the identity is known.

(iii)  Reports can also be lodged in hardcopy to the mailing address:

Singapore Disability Sports Council
3 Stadium Drive, #01-34
Singapore 397630
Attention to: Executive Director / Audit Subcommittee

Reports received in hardcopy shall be handled in the same manner, as stated in 2.4(i) and 2.4(ii).

(iv)  Reports must include sufficient details such as the names of those involved, dates, locations and documents or logs that can aid an effective assessment and investigation.

(v)  Allegations of misconduct or malpractice are serious matters. They involve significant amount of time, effort and resources of the organization, and has serious implications on the alleged parties’ reputation. Any whistleblower is advised to state the facts in good faith, and exercise due diligence in establishing the veracity of the allegation before making such reports.

(vi)  In addition, no whistle-blower should treat the press or any public domain as a priority channel to submit concerns. Such actions, in the absence of proper investigation, may lead to unfair and unnecessary reputational consequences on those involved in the allegation.

2.5  Assessment and Investigation

(i)  The Audit Subcommittee shall analyse and evaluate the alleged concerns to determine whether the concerns raised are appropriate (i.e. they are not grievances), and warrant an investigation (i.e. the allegation can be substantiated). Matters assessed and concluded to be grievances or malicious will not be further investigated. The responsible employee may also be subject to disciplinary action. Similar actions may be taken against members who willfully or frivolously abuse the Whistle-Blowing policy for malice or personal benefit.

(ii)  Should there be sufficient grounds to carry out a detailed investigation, the Audit Chairperson shall inform the SDSC ExCo and a Committee of Inquiry (COI) will be formed to gather evidence to support decisions or recommendations arising from the investigation. The ExCo shall review and approve the recommended course of action from the COI.

(iii) The whistle-blower shall be provided with subsequent information on the follow-up processes as appropriate. The whistle-blower may also be contacted for further clarification.

2.6 Outcomes

If there are grounds for the concern, disciplinary actions (e.g. reprimand, suspension, termination) would be taken by SDSC, together with remedial measures to mitigate risk of recurrences. If there are grounds for a possible criminal offence, SDSC’s legal advisor shall recommend whether the matter should be referred to the relevant authority for appropriate action.

3 DOCUMENT LOG

1 PURPOSE

To define the standards of behaviour expected of people who work for, or on behalf of, the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) to maintain consistency with SDSC’s mission and core values, and minimise risks of behaviour that may create liability or bring disrepute to SDSC.

2 INTRODUCTION

The SDSC seeks to build a vibrant and inclusive community where persons with disabilities can pursue their sporting aspirations. The SDSC accomplishes this mission through its commitment to:

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Respect
• Accountability and Transparency

3 APPLICABILITY

This Code of Conduct applies to all volunteers, employees, as well as Executive Committee Members and members of Subcommittees and work groups established by the Executive Committee. These individuals are hereinafter referred to as “SDSC representatives”.

4 LIMITATIONS

Whilst this Code of Conduct attempts to cover as many areas as possible, it is not possible to be exhaustive. Neither can this Code of Conduct take the place of good judgement or integrity. If assistance or clarification is needed concerning the application of any of these standards, consult the reporting officer, the Executive Director or the Executive Committee promptly.

5 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS

SDSC has established a Whistle Blowing Policy which outlines the reporting channels and processes for unethical, illegal or improper conduct.

It shall be a breach of the Code for any SDSC representative not to report any violation of the Code that comes to his or her knowledge.

6 EXPECTATIONS ON SDSC REPRESENTATIVES

6.1  Respect to Individuals

a)  Respect all individuals that you come into contact with in the course of your duty, and treat them fairly and equally. Do not engage in abuse, discrimination or harassment of any type, including but without limitation to, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

b)  Understand that harassment refers to unwanted and inappropriate physical, verbal or non-verbal behaviour which is humiliating, offensive and / or intimidating to another party. Types of harassment include, but are not limited to, stalking, cyber-bullying and sexual harassment, which can take place in person or via other mediums such as the Internet and telephone. SDSC takes a zero tolerance stand towards harassment of any type.

c)  Refrain from religious proselytising, preaching or carrying out religious beliefs during the discharge of your duty.

6.2  Integrity of Work

a)  Carry out your duty with responsibility, honesty and accuracy.

b)  Adhere to SDSC’s policies in financial transactions. Reflect actual transactions in financial documents, in accordance to generally accepted accounting principles.

c)  Do not alter or falsify information, including any record or document, to intentionally make a false, incomplete or misleading statement or claim to anyone.

6.3  Confidentiality of Information

a)  Understand that while SDSC is committed to open communications as part of good corporate governance, any information not released to the public is considered confidential.

b)  Protect SDSC’s information, especially those pertaining to personal data, finances, remuneration and contractual relationships, from loss, theft, inadvertent or unauthorised disclosure or misuse. The disclosure of information, particularly those pertaining to personal data, due to negligence may cause harm to affected individuals and result in disciplinary actions and financial compensations.

i. Do not discuss with or disclose to any unauthorised persons inside or outside the SDSC any confidential information, unless authorised to do so.

ii. Be careful about discussing SDSC information and activities in the presence of, or within hearing distance of, unauthorised personnel.

iii. Do not seek or accept any information to which you and the SDSC are not legitimately entitled to.

iv. Hold only the appropriate amount of personal data. Excessive collection is prohibited under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

v. Do not leave physical records unattended in common areas. Destroy prints that contain personal data and are uncollected.

vi. Encrypt electronic files that are transferred to external parties (e.g. vendors for printing of accreditations), if they contain personal data. Provide the encryption key or password in a separate email.

vii. Maintain the confidentiality and protection of SDSC information even if your term, employment or period of duty has ended.

c) Do not use SDSC information for personal benefit. Be aware that such usage may constitute a criminal offence.

6.4  Use and Care of Organisation Resources

a)  Do not use SDSC’s resources for personal gain or illegal purposes. SDSC’s resources include, but are not limited to, company time, materials, supplies, equipment (including vehicles), information, electronic mail, computer systems, facilities and other property which may be provided to you to fulfil SDSC’s mission and work.

b)  Take care of and protect such given resources from loss, damage, misuse and theft. Do not install privately-owned or pirated software in SDSC’s IT infrastructures and systems.

6.5  Close Personal Relations

a)  Do not engage in intimate relationships with beneficiaries or their families.

b)  Refer to SDSC’s Conflict of Interest Policy for potential conflict of interest situations and disclosure proceedings.

6.6  Contractual Relations

a) Do not enter into a contractual relationship with a third party on behalf of SDSC unless otherwise expressly authorised by the Executive Committee or Executive Director.

6.7  Safeguard Health and Safety

a)  Observe safety and health practices to promote an accident-free work environment. Notify the reporting officer or Executive Director if you notice unsafe work conditions or processes so that appropriate measures can be taken to remove or minimise such hazards.

b)  Seek medical treatment if you are unwell.

c)  Apply for leave of absence if you are impaired by alcohol or prescribed drugs, or mentally unfit for duty.

d)  Do not conceal information that may pose risks to the safety or well-being of individuals that you may come into contact with in the course of your duty.

6.8  Punctuality and Absenteeism

a)  Be punctual for duty.

b)  Inform the reporting officer as far in advance as possible, when expecting to be absent from duty.

6.9  Dress code

a) Dress appropriately, in SDSC’s attire as and when required, when carrying out your duty.

6.10  Gifts

a)  Understand that any payment, or promise of payment or other similar inducements, made directly or indirectly, to gain perceived advantage for or with the SDSC is strictly prohibited.

b)  Decline cash gifts (of any value), lavish or excessive gifts. Do not accept any gift from existing or potential suppliers.

c)  Declare any non-perishable gift. Share perishable gifts with colleagues or peers.

6.11  Expenses and Claims

a) Refer to SDSC’s Expense and Claims Policy for SDSC representatives. Direct any queries on the policy to SDSC’s Finance Department.

6.12 Political Activities

a)  Do not display, circulate, or otherwise present on SDSC property or during activities political literature, campaign materials or politically orientated information materials, posters or signs.

b)  Participate in political processes on your own time and at your own expense, provided that you do not give the impression that you are speaking on behalf or representing SDSC in such activities.

c)  Use vacation time or request leave of absence to campaign or hold office.

6.14  Communications

a)  Respond to requests in a timely manner.

b)  Direct media queries and liaison to the Corporate Communications Department. Except for the President and Executive Director who are designated spokespersons for the SDSC, you must receive express authority before speaking or writing to the media on matters related to SDSC.

c)  Do not respond or comment publicly in any way that may be construed to be negative, offensive or derogatory towards matters or individuals related to SDSC. This includes subtle references such as tagging, liking, or retweeting comments or posts, which indicates your approval of such content.

d)  Do not use profane, obscene or inappropriate language.

e)  Exercise care in setting boundaries between your personal and public communications. Understand that privacy settings are not fool-proof, and what may seem private can often become public, unknowingly and without consent.

f)  Do not post or share photographs or videos of beneficiaries on your personal social media platforms, without first obtaining permission from the beneficiaries or Corporate Communications Department.

6.15  Accountability

a)  You are responsible for fully understanding and complying with the Code, including any policies indicated in the Code.

b)  Recognise that even the appearance of misconduct or impropriety can damage SDSC’s reputation and make decisions to avoid such damage.

7 DOCUMENT LOG

8 RELATED DOCUMENTS

a) WhistleBlowingPolicy

b)  Conflict of Interest Policy

c)  Expense and Claims Policy