Slalom events organised by SCA Affiliated Clubs may still take place, with event organisers still being required to follow the existing process for event approval requests. SCA staff and other volunteers will take on the subsequent tasks required in order for slalom events to be approved by the SCA. 

Staff will also liaise with the British Canoeing Slalom Committee regarding the calendaring of future events.

At the time of publication, no event approval requests have been received for any future slalom events in Scotland. Any SCA Affiliated Club planning future events should follow the approval process here.

Background

In February of last year, the SCA Board commissioned a review of all SCA committees in order to ensure their compliance with necessary governance protocols. The review included surveys sent to current and former committee members, and desktop reviews of all aspects of committee working and governance.

The review highlighted significant concerns about the operation and governance of the SCA Slalom Committee including its non-compliance in several critical areas including safety processes, finance and governance. The SCA Event Approval process, in place since 2016 and required for all SCA-sanctioned events, was not being adhered to, and an Event Safety Officer was not in place, raising concerns about the safety of recent slalom events taking place.

The SCA Board reached out to all registered SCA Slalom Committee members several times last year following the review, and steps were taken over the summer to attempt to bring the committee to an acceptable level of compliance. However, sufficient progress was not made and there was a refusal to address critical concerns. These results were reported to the SCA Board at its September meeting.

In October, further more serious concerns were raised about the running of a Scottish Slalom Championships event, which was organised without any SCA input or authorisation. The competition used incorrect and unapproved eligibility criteria and none of the safety requirements including an advance risk assessment were adhered to. The Scottish Slalom ACM that took place after the competition was not advertised and the date was not made available to all SCA members, contrary to the requirements of the Committee Terms of Reference.

Following the scheduled September Board meeting, and these further concerns raised in early October, the Board held an additional meeting on October 16th to discuss all of the concerns about the operation of the SCA Slalom Committee. A decision on next steps was put on hold while the Grandtully investigation was ongoing. 

In December, the Board was presented with the independent Grandtully investigation report. The report identified yet further significant concerns with the actions and behaviours of members of the slalom committee. The report included a strong recommendation to place the SCA Slalom Committee into significant special measures for a period of not less than six months.

On December 11th, the SCA Board met to discuss the Grandtully report and consider the recommendations listed within it in relation to the previously identified governance concerns and risks associated with the SCA Slalom Committee. In an effort to ensure the continued success of slalom in Scotland, the SCA Board made the decision to disband the current SCA Slalom Committee and return the governance of the discipline to the central SCA. This decision has been made in order to ensure the long term success of the slalom discipline in Scotland. 

Later in 2024, the SCA Board may open a recruitment process for qualified and motivated volunteers to form a new Slalom Development Group. 

As previously noted, the Grandtully report will be published in due course once disciplinary action recommended in the report has been completed.