Shepley Tennis Club Complaints and Appeals Policy and Procedure
This policy tells you how to make a complaint and how to appeal a decision at Beckford Tennis Club.
This is the policy that we will follow if your complaint is about someone’s conduct or behaviour. This could be because you think that someone has behaved in a way that is unsafe, unprofessional, discriminatory, offensive or intimidating. It could be because someone has broken important rules or policies. It is also the policy we will follow if you wish to appeal a decision arising from a formal complaint.
Values and principles
If you are an adult club member, coach, or a parent / guardian / carer of a junior member or an adult member at risk or vulnerable, you have the right to complain: we take complaints seriously. You should not be harassed, bullied or put at a disadvantage because of making a complaint.
You should receive a proper response to your complaint. We believe that complaints should be dealt with fairly and openly. Unless it would put other people at risk, those affected by a complaint should have a chance to contribute and respond to any investigation.
Safety and welfare take priority. We will always give priority to concerns that affect safety and welfare. Issues affecting children and vulnerable adults will be treated very seriously.
We treat complaints and appeals as confidentially as possible. Sometimes we have to discuss complaints with other organisations. If we are worried about a risk to a person or to the public, we might need to pass on our concerns to the right authorities. If necessary, we will get advice from other organisations such as the Police, Social Services or the LTA.
How to make a complaint?
If you have a complaint, it is often best to start by having an informal conversation with a relevant person at the place of play. In many cases they may be able to help to resolve your problem, for example:
• a change in arrangements for particular activities
• an explanation or apology
• an agreement to communicate or act differently in the future.
However, if your complaint needs to be looked into further, you will need to report the matter in writing to the Club Secretary. Your report should include:
• details of what occurred
• details of when and where the occurrence took place
• any witness details and copies of any witness statements
• names of any others who have been treated in a similar way (provided those people consent to their names being disclosed)
• details of any former complaints made about the incident, including the date and to whom such complaint was made
• an indication as to the desired outcome.
We will not accept anonymous complaints.
What will we do to investigate?
The Club Secretary will acknowledge your written complaint within five working days, and will arrange for two members of the Club’s Committee not directly involved with your complaint to investigate. This will be done fairly by:
• reading your submission
• discussing the complaint with relevant people, and considering it in relation to current and relevant legislation
• gathering any information that may be relevant to your complaint, including possible witness statements.
Sometimes we will ask to show copies of information from the investigation to other people to allow them to respond. This is because we believe in fairness and openness. We will not share information if we think that this will endanger someone’s safety or welfare.
Following their investigation, the two members of the Club’s Committee will inform you of the outcomes or results. Sometimes this will need the approval of the Club’s full committee and / or Chairperson.
How will I know what is happening?
The Club Secretary will give you the details of one of the committee members investigating your complaint. That person will be your point of contact and will make sure that you understand the process, and will help to answer any questions or concerns that you have. If not resolved before, you will be given an update on the progress of your complaint every two weeks. If there are delays in handling your complaint for any reason, we will keep you informed.
You will be informed of the outcome of your complaint once the investigation has been completed. If your complaint leads to formal disciplinary action against someone, we will usually inform you about the outcome. However, we will not tell you the outcome if that person is a child or an adult at risk, or if we believe that telling you would create a risk to other people. In this situation, we will still try to tell you about how you are affected by the action that we have taken.
What are the possible outcomes or results of my complaint?
The outcomes or results to your formal complaint can vary depending on the subject of your complaint. Some possible examples of action include:
• formal disciplinary action
• changes in formal contracts or arrangements put in place by the club
• a decision to refer the case to another organisation such as the LTA, Police, or Social Services
• closure of your complaint without action.
How can I appeal the outcomes or results of my complaint?
You can appeal the outcomes of a formal complaint provided that you:
• submit a formal appeal in writing to the Club Secretary within 14 days of receipt of the original decision
• provide new evidence that supports your case, or demonstrates that the complaints procedure in this policy has not been followed correctly.
What happens next?
A member of the club committee who is independent of your complaint will review your appeal and evidence. They will provide you with a final decision in writing within 10 days of receipt of your appeal.
Is there anyone else I can talk to?
Sometimes it can be useful to speak directly to someone outside the place of play if, for example:
• you need urgent advice about someone’s safety or welfare
• you don’t want to discuss the issue with someone at the place to play
• your complaint is very serious
• your complaint involves other organisations
• you need specialist advice.
The LTA is able to advise on a range of different complaints, and in some cases will handle the complaint directly. If you are worried about a child’s welfare, you can contact the following people:
• The Club Welfare Officer, Jen Goldthorpe (07584315503 – jen@argofeeds.co.uk)
• The Child Protection Officer at the County LTA
• The National LTA Child Protection Department (24hrs)
• Childline, or the NSPCC advice line, local Social Services, Police
Questions or queries about this policy or making a written complaint or appeal
If you have a general query about this complaints policy or you have a complaint you can either speak or email to any member of the Committee who are listed on the Website or email the Club Secretary, hcltmozza@yahoo.co.uk
This Policy is reviewed every two years.
This Policy is recommended for approval by: Ian Morecroft
Club Committee Chair: Date: 21/01/2024
Title: STC Complaints and Appeals Policy Last updated: February 2024 Next review: February 2025