Complaints Procedure

HEJ Athletic Football Club Complaints Procedure

Any member who feels that they have suffered discrimination in any way, or that the club’s policies, rules or codes of conduct have been broken, should follow the procedure below.

  1. Report the matter to the Club Secretary or another member of the committee. The report should include:
    • details of what, when and where the occurrence took place
    • any witness statements and names
    • names of any others who have been treated in a similar way
    • details of any previous complaints made about the incident – when, and to whom
    • a preferred solution to the incident.
  2. The club’s Management Committee will sit for any hearings that are requested.
  3. The club’s Management Committee will have the power to warn as to future conduct, suspend from membership, or remove from membership any person found to have broken the club’s policies or codes of conduct.

Complaints policy

Who can raise a complaint

  • a member (including a parent/guardian) who believes they have suffered discrimination in any way, or that the club’s policies or codes of conduct have been broken
  • a third party who believes they have suffered discrimination in any way, or that the club’s policies or codes of conduct have been broken
  • a committee member, as a result of an incident where they believe a member has discriminated against an individual or broken the club’s policies or codes of conduct.

Informal resolution, followed by formal resolution

In any football club, differences and misunderstandings may arise. Successful resolution depends on the willingness of the people involved to communicate with one another, and every effort should be made to resolve disputes informally where appropriate. Club officials and committee members will support this process as much as possible. If the informal approach has failed or is not appropriate, a formal complaint should be raised using the procedure below.

Procedure

  1. The person raising the complaint should report the matter to the Club Welfare Officer, Chair or another member of the club committee. The report should ideally include details of what, when and where the occurrence(s) took place, any supporting information, and a preferred solution.
  2. On receipt, the Club Chair or Welfare Officer will appoint a Grievance Panel to hear the complaint. The panel will ideally be made up of at least 3 members, including (where possible) the Club Chair and Club Welfare Officer, along with any other committee member as appropriate.
  3. The Grievance Panel will investigate the complaint, including (but not limited to) interviews and meetings with relevant parties and seeking advice and expertise from Berks & Bucks FA. All meetings and interviews will be minuted.
  4. The Grievance Panel will aim to reach a decision in a timely manner.
  5. The Grievance Panel will seek, if possible, to resolve the complaint in an amicable and agreed way. However, the panel has the power to: warn a member as to future conduct; require a member to undergo training; suspend from membership; remove from membership; and make recommendations to other clubs or bodies (e.g. Berks & Bucks FA) if appropriate.
  6. Having carried out the investigation, the Grievance Panel will make a decision and communicate it to everyone involved.

This procedure operates under the guidelines of The FA. Everyone involved is recommended to make themselves aware of The FA’s Whistle Blowing Policy (see our Safeguarding page).