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Complaints and Discipline Policy

Complaints and Discipline Policy

Chester Triathlon Club has a Code of Conduct, which all members, volunteers and officials are expected to abide by. This policy sets out the procedure by which a complaint can be made, the procedure for handling and responding to complaints and the procedure for dealing with breaches of the code of conduct.

Complaints

  1. A complaint can be made against any member, volunteer or official of Chester Triathlon Club where the complainant believes the person’s actions amount to misconduct and/or a breach of the Club Code of Conduct.
  2. All members should make every effort to resolve issues themselves without using this procedure where possible. Where it appears to the Management Committee (“MC”) that reasonable steps have not been taken, the MC will refer the matter back to the complainant and may support any informal resolution.
  3. If the matter is a child protection issue, or relates to the health and wellbeing of a member, it must be reported to the Club Welfare Officer welfare@nullchestertri.org.uk Complaints regarding the protection of children or vulnerable adults will be notified to the British Triathlon Federation Lead Safeguarding Officer and may be referred to the police or social services.
  4. All other complaints, including breaches of the Club Code of Conduct, should be reported to a member of the MC in the first instance.
  5. If the complaint indicates that a crime may have been committed the MC will recommend that the complainant contacts the police and the club may report it to police.
  6. Complaints should be made in writing to the Club Captain or, where the complaint relates to the Club Captain, to another member of the MC.
  7. The written complaint should include:
    1. Details of the Incident
    2. The date and time the incident occurred
    3. Names of any witnesses or people present at the time of the incident
  8. The Club Secretary will keep a record of all written complaints received by the committee. The record will include the details of the complaint and its resolution. The Club Secretary will keep a record of any disciplinary action taken under Section 15

Handling Formal Complaints and Disciplinary Action

  1. The MC will:
    1. Treat every complaint as confidential.
    2. Not discuss any matters with anyone outside of the MC, other than to seek advice or because they are a relevant witness.
    3. Declare immediately if they have any conflict of interest.
    4. Treat each reported incident fairly and equitably.
  2. The MC will appoint three club officers to a complaints panel to handle the complaint.
  3. The panel will contact the complainant and the person about whom the complaint has been made to acknowledge receipt of the complaint, to outline the complaints process and to notify all parties of the appointed panel members.
  4. The panel will determine whether it is necessary to hold a meeting or to review the complaint in writing
  5. The panel will seek statements as it feels appropriate, with the aim of discovering the facts surrounding the complaint. All parties to the complaint will be given equal right to participate.
  6. Once the panel has investigated the complaint they will decide on a suitable outcome and communicate this to those involved. There will be no right of appeal

Disciplinary matters

  1. If the MC believes it necessary to do so, either because of a formal complaint or otherwise, it will form a panel of three MC members to consider any breach of the Code of Conduct.
  2. Any member against whom an allegation is made will have the right to respond to that allegation. If the panel considers it necessary, they may hold a meeting with the member.
  3. The panel will have the power to:
    1. Issue a verbal warning as to future conduct.
    2. Issue a written warning as to future conduct.
    3. Suspend the member, volunteer or official from activities or membership for a period of time.
    4. Recommend the expulsion of the member, volunteer or official from activities and membership on a permanent basis.
  4. When deciding on a suitable resolution, and considering disciplinary action under Section 17 above, the panel should refer to the record of complaints held by the Club Secretary and consider if previous sanctions warrant more severe sanction in the matter under consideration.
  5. The panel will communicate their detailed decision to the MC and the person about whom the complaint was made immediately following the panel’s agreement of that decision.
  6. If the panel has recommended the expulsion of a member, volunteer or official from activities and membership on a permanent basis, the MC must consider the recommendation, and decide whether they wish to action it.
  7. Before a decision is made to action a recommendation for permanent expulsion, the complaint must be referred to Triathlon England.

Appeal

  1. Once any disciplinary decision has been communicated, any person who has been issued a sanction by the panel under Section 17 will have 14 days to lodge an appeal with the MC.
  2. Appeals will be handled by a separate appeals panel, comprising the four MC members who were not appointed to the original complaints panel. If any MC member has identified they have a conflict, the panel may proceed with the 3 remaining members or the panel may seek to appoint another, independent club member to the panel.
  3. The panel will acknowledge receipt of an appeal and inform that party of the appointed appeal panel members.
  4. The appeal panel will have 14 days to decide whether to uphold the sanction.
  5. Where the sanction is upheld no further action will be taken, and the original decision will stand.
  6. Where the sanction is not upheld, the appeal panel will have the power to issue a lesser sanction or to withdraw all sanctions.

Any queries relating to this policy should be directed to the Club Captain: captain@nullchestertri.org.uk