COMPLAINTS POLICY AND PROCEDURE
VALUES & PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE BGRC’s APPROACH TO DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS
You have the right to complain if you believe the conduct or behaviour of another member contravenes the BGRC Code of Conduct, or any other BGRC official club policy. This could be because you think they have behaved in a way that is unsafe, unprofessional, discriminatory, offensive or intimidating, or it could be because they have broken important rules, safety procedures, or policies.
Bridport Gig Club takes complaints seriously and the Board of Directors of BGRC will give your complaint full, impartial consideration, with a view to achieving resolution of the issue(s). You should not be harassed, bullied, or put at a disadvantage because of making a complaint. The Club will always encourage open communication and face-to-face discussion in the first instance – where this is possible and where it is advisable to do so – to resolve grievances without the need for escalation.
BGRC’s process for dealing with complaints in based on the following principles:
Equality: you should receive a proper response to your complaint, regardless of your age, gender, disability, race, religion, nationality, social status, sexual orientation or political persuasion.
Fairness: 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: priority will be given to concerns that affect safety and welfare. Issues affecting children will be treated very seriously and will automatically be communicated to the BGRC Safeguarding Lead.
Confidentiality: grievances and/or complaints will be treated as confidentially and sensitively as possible and without prejudice.
Sometimes the Directors of BGRC will have to discuss complaints with other organisations. If we are worried about a risk to a person, or to the public, we may need to pass on our concerns to the right authorities. If necessary, we will get advice from other organisations such as the Local Authority, the Cornish Pilot Gig Association (CPGA) or British Rowing (BR).
WHAT TO DO IF A GRIEVANCE OCCURS
In the first instance the BGRC Directors will always encourage all parties involved in a grievance/complaint to attempt to resolve the issue informally, respectfully and via a face-to-face discussion with all parties involved, if necessary, in the presence of impartial supporters, without the need for further escalation.
If an informal discussion between parties does not resolve the issue, the impartial involvement of a Captain, and/or the Rowing Captain, and/or the Club Chair, can be requested to facilitate resolution. In an instance where these officers are not available, a Director will act in the same capacity; i.e. as an impartial facilitator.
Should it not be possible to reach resolution via a discussion involving all parties in the presence of their Captain, and/or the Rowing Captain, and/or the Club Chair, any member can raise a grievance/complaint via the submission of the BGRC complaint form, sent to the BGRC Board of Directors.
HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
The BGRC Directors and the BGRC Welfare Officer will agree a process for examining, addressing, and responding to the grievance/complaint. Discretion will be used if the grievance relates to a Director or the Welfare Officer – this includes said officer recusing themselves of the complaint process. The complainant will receive a written response to their complaint from the Welfare Officer, or an elected Director, within 21 days of receipt of the written complaint form.
A BGRC complaint form is available to anyone who wishes to formally register a complaint which assists with keeping the reporting of any issue to a factual summary. We strongly encourage all club members to use the complaint form if this course of action is necessary.
All formal (written) complaints should be brought to the attention of BGRC Board of Directors within a month of the time the said grievance/complaint occurred. Retrospectively reported grievances may not be examined or considered if they are raised after a period of 6 months (or more) has elapsed after any alleged issue arises.
If you are worried about the safety or welfare of a child, yourself, or anyone else inside or outside of the club, you need to speak to the BGRC Safeguarding Lead and BGRC Welfare Officer.
WHO TO CONTACT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
Complaints should be sent to the Directors. Complaints will usually be handled by the BGRC Board of Directors, Welfare and Safeguarding Officer, or another relevant senior Officer.
Complaint forms may be emailed to: directors@bridportgigclub.org
WHAT WILL WE INVESTIGATE?
The BGRC Directors will give an initial response to your complaint, to acknowledge receipt, within 5 working days, however we reserve the right to allow 21 days to address any complaint fully.
If the matter is urgent, we will respond more quickly. BGRC will investigate your complaint fairly. This means that we will discuss the complaint with all of the relevant people. We will try to gather any information that may be relevant to handling your complaint, but this may take additional time.
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.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING?
You will be given the details of a person (Director) who will be your point of contact within BGRC. That person will make sure that you understand the process, and will help to answer any questions or concerns that you have. You will be given regular updates on the progress of your complaint, including the outcome.
If there are delays in handling your complaint for any reason, we will keep you informed. If your complaint leads to formal disciplinary action against someone, we will usually inform you about the outcome.
We will not tell you the outcome if that person is a child, 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.
If you do not believe your complaint is being handled in a sufficiently timely manner, you may contact the BGRC Welfare Officer for impartial advice.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF MY COMPLAINT?
In many cases, we are able to resolve problems informally and this is always our preferred course of action if possible. This might include:
- An explanation or apology
- An agreement to communicate or act differently in future.
If an informal resolution is not suitable, then the Directors will look at the information about the complaint. If necessary, the BGRC Welfare and Safeguarding Officer will act as an impartial, independent, observer. We will make sure that the people looking at your complaint do not include anyone involved with your complaint. If a complaint is upheld, any of the following actions may be taken:
- Formal action under the Code of Conduct, which may include a letter of advice about the personal commitment of BGRC members to adhere and uphold Club policies, or a formal written warning, a period of suspension (including suspension of duty if a complaint is upheld against a club officer), or ultimately, a full termination of club membership of the person(s) who is/are the subject of the complaint.
- A decision to refer the case to another organisation, such as the CPGA or the Local Authority.
- Closure of your complaint without action.
RETALIATION
BGRC prohibits any form of retaliation against a member for raising a complaint or concern, or who cooperates in an investigation of misconduct.
Retaliation is any punishment of a member for raising a complaint or concern. Retaliation may take place against various people depending on the context, not only against members, but also against other persons, such as family members, other club members, or friends. Examples of retaliation include (but are not limited to):
• Physical: all forms of harassment including sexual harassment, physical abuse or violence, and surveillance.
• Psychological: Verbal intimidation or threats; inappropriate, discriminatory, or disparaging comments, bullying, less favourable rowing activities and crew selection.
If a member believes that he or she has been subject to retaliation for raising a complaint or participating in an investigation they should raise this issue directly with a Director, or the Welfare and Safeguarding Officer.