Member Protection Information Officer's Guide to Play by the Rules MPIO 2026

Two parts:

• Part 1: the Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) Part 1 online course, available through SIA EDGE.
• Part 2: a workshop, in person or online, delivered by state and territory governments or peak bodies.

The training is designed to help you:

• identify your sport's child safeguarding and member protection policies and the relevant complaint handling contacts
• explain the responsibilities of an MPIO in a sporting organisation
• use skills in listening, decision making and trauma-informed practice
• identify whether a matter raised is a potential breach of your organisation's policy
• advise on options for participants who have witnessed or experienced prohibited conduct
• advise on action clubs can take to promote safe, fair and inclusive sport.

Source: Play by the Rules, Become an MPIO (22 October 2026) and the MPIO Part 1 Online Course page.

Once you have completed Part 1 and Part 2 you are issued a certificate, which appears in your SIA EDGE training history summary. Play by the Rules states there is no time limit on your accreditation.

If you need help with SIA EDGE, Play by the Rules has help videos, or you can email playbytherules@sportintegrity.gov.au.

Source: Play by the Rules, Become an MPIO (22 October 2026).

The Part 2 workshop is facilitated by your state or territory department of sport and recreation, a peak body for sport, a state sporting organisation or a national sporting organisation. It runs either in person (3 hours) or as an interactive online workshop (2 hours). Times and locations vary by state and territory, and some sports' national, state or territory peak bodies deliver sport-specific Part 2 training.

As listed by Play by the Rules on 22 October 2026 (dates change, so these are examples):

• NSW: the NSW Office of Sport runs free online workshops, registered through SIA EDGE. Listed dates were 28 October, 12 November, 24 November and 10 December 2026.
• WA: the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport runs free online workshops. One was listed for Monday 9 November 2026, 5:15pm to 7:15pm AWST, with registration of interest through SIA EDGE.
• Vic: Vicsport and Sport and Recreation Victoria encourage completion of the Play by the Rules MPIO training and run regular workshops (help desk: mpio@vicsport.com.au).
• Qld: the Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games offers a free virtual workshop (organisations are asked to register a maximum of 1 to 2 members).
• Tas: Active Tasmania delivers Part 2 annually; all 2026 workshops were completed.
• ACT: no workshops were scheduled; register interest with the ACT Government.
• NT: people in the NT can complete Part 2 through Sport SA, the NSW Office of Sport or the WA department.

Source: Play by the Rules, Become an MPIO (22 October 2026).

• Complaint handler: any person in authority in the club or association who may have to deal with complaints or concerns in the normal course of their duties. This could be a dedicated Complaints Officer, a committee member (president, vice president, secretary and so on), a coach, or an official such as a referee or umpire.
• MPIO: a person trained to listen to issues raised by members, then triage and refer them to the right place to find a resolution. Play by the Rules describes an MPIO as an independent, non-biased person who can help all parties understand the complaints process. It is not an MPIO's role to run or influence any complaint process.

MPIOs do not handle complaints, investigate grievances or mediate between members or stakeholders. They are also separate from the integrity manager or the people in authority who decide complaints, disputes and resolutions in the sport.

Both roles share skills: helping people feel heard and communicating calmly and respectfully when listening to a complaint.

Sources: Play by the Rules, How MPIOs differ from complaints handlers (April 2025); What is an MPIO? (October 2026).

Play by the Rules says the MPIO gets involved when a complainant, or anyone with a concern, chooses to speak to the MPIO because they:

• are unsure if they want to make a complaint
• are processing a harmful experience and want to feel heard
• want a confidential conversation that does not involve the committee, coach or officials
• need information about complaint handling processes.

A complaint handler can also engage the MPIO to discuss or workshop, confidentially, their approach to dealing with a complaint. An MPIO may also refer someone to the committee to deal with a complaint.

The complaint handler gets involved when a complaint is raised with a Complaints Officer, committee member, coach or official; when a formal complaint is lodged with the club or association; or when the complaint relates to breaches of club rules that are not integrity related (for example customer service complaints or club rules not being applied).

Source: Play by the Rules, How MPIOs differ from complaints handlers (April 2025).

Play by the Rules' MPIO Complaint Referral Guide sets out these steps:

1. Listen with empathy. Explain that your role is not to handle the complaint, but that you can help the person find where to lodge it. If there is immediate danger or a threat to safety, call 000.
2. Work out which policy applies: under 18 means the Safeguarding Children and Young People policy; 18 or older means the Member Protection policy.
3. Check for prohibited conduct. For under 18s this includes harmful behaviour towards a child, abuse, breach of child safe practices, bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct, vilification and victimisation. For adults it includes abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination on a protected characteristic, sexual misconduct, vilification and victimisation.
4. Refer accordingly. In a sport signed up to the National Integrity Framework, options include the Sport Integrity Australia complaints webform or the Safe Sport Hotline (1800 161 361). In other sports, refer to the national integrity manager or relevant national or state contacts; for discrimination in a non-NIF sport, the Australian Human Rights Commission is also an option.
5. If it is not prohibited conduct (for example a selection or personal grievance), you may offer self-management options, or refer the person to a committee member for informal mediation or the club's grievance procedures. A selection complaint can be prohibited conduct if it relates to discrimination on a protected characteristic.

Keep the matter confidential and take notes. Play by the Rules provides an MPIO Report Notes Template for this.

Sources: Play by the Rules, MPIO Complaint Referral Guide (2025); How MPIOs differ from complaints handlers (April 2025); Resources for MPIOs.

Play by the Rules' MPIO Complaint Referral Guide says:

• Immediate danger or threats to safety: call 000.
• Risk of significant harm to a child in the form of grooming, sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect: contact local child protection services and/or police.
• Online abuse: you can refer the person to the eSafety Commissioner's guidance on how to deal with online abuse in sport.

Play by the Rules also says volunteer complaint handlers should not investigate allegations of child abuse or grooming, and should not withhold information when requested as part of police or child protection investigations.

For a concern about a person under 18, the same guide lists these options. If the sport is signed up to the National Integrity Framework: report through the Sport Integrity Australia complaints webform, or call the Safe Sport Hotline on 1800 161 361 (7am to 7pm, 7 days a week). If it is not: refer the person to the national or state sporting organisation contacts in the sport's Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, or call the Safe Sport Hotline for advice.

Sources: Play by the Rules, MPIO Complaint Referral Guide (2025); Complaints Handlers (July 2025).

Play by the Rules' "Responding to a disclosure" guide describes a trauma-informed response built on three actions:

1. Actively listen. Phrases it suggests: "I'm glad you told me", "Thank you for sharing", "Whatever you're comfortable sharing is enough."
2. Show empathy. For example: "Thank you for trusting me enough to share this with me", "You've taken an important step by talking about it." The guide says your role is not to investigate or find evidence, and that for someone who has been harmed, being believed is often the most important thing.
3. Proactively support. For example: "Do you feel safe at the moment?", "I am not a specialist in this, but I am happy to help you come up with some options of what to do next", and "If you'd like, I can suggest a few support options to consider when it feels right." Be honest about what you know and don't know, and ask if it is okay to reach out to others for help.

Source: Play by the Rules, Responding to a disclosure (2026).

Play by the Rules defines a conflict of interest as a situation where personal interests, relationships, loyalties or financial interests could influence, or appear to influence, someone's ability to make fair and impartial decisions. Conflicts can be actual, potential or perceived, and they do not always involve wrongdoing, but they must be managed.

Play by the Rules' guidance for individuals is:

1. Detect early. Ask: do I have a personal connection to anyone involved? Would others see my involvement as biased? Would I be comfortable explaining this to someone else? If unsure, declare it.
2. Disclose as soon as you identify a possible conflict, to a committee member, integrity manager, state coordinator or other appropriate senior person, and record the disclosure.
3. Decide how to manage it: remove yourself entirely if others can handle it, stay engaged transparently but step out of discussions or decisions where the conflict exists, or, if you cannot step aside, follow proper procedure and document your actions.
4. Document what was discussed and agreed, even if no further action is needed.

For clubs, one example strategy it gives is that an MPIO defers to another MPIO within the club or sport if they have a conflict of interest. The MPIO training also teaches avoiding handling complaints or giving advice where you have a real or perceived conflict of interest with one or more parties.

Sources: Play by the Rules, Managing Conflicts of Interest (September 2026); How MPIOs differ from complaints handlers (April 2025).

Play by the Rules' MPIO resources page offers free downloads, including:

• MPIO Position Description template, which a club or association can adapt
• Responding to a disclosure (three ways to respond when someone tells you about an unsafe or disrespectful experience)
• Explaining the Complaints Process, to help explain the options available to the person raising a concern
• MPIO Complaint Referral Guide, a quick reference on where complaints can be referred
• MPIO Report Notes Template, for documenting complaints or issues you receive
• Support Services Reference Booklet for Sports, listing authorities MPIOs and clubs can contact about safety, belonging, health and wellbeing, including state and territory dispute resolution and legal aid services
• promotion material: an editable "I'm Your MPIO" poster, an MPIO Club Promotion Toolkit and a one-page "What is an MPIO?" factsheet.

Play by the Rules also runs MPIO Communities of Practice, a network for MPIOs to stay connected, supported and build skills, and recommends further eLearning: the Safeguarding Children and Young People Induction Course, Creating an LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Club, and Handling Complaints in Community Sport.

Source: Play by the Rules, Resources for MPIOs and What is an MPIO? (both updated 22 October 2026).