March 2017

To:Club Secretaries

Dear Secretary

Club Complaints Process

I am pleased to report that Scottish Swimming has seen an increase in the number of complaints resolved informally since we introduced a mandatory complaints process for clubs. Please note that we have worked with Harper Macleod our Legal Adviser to update the governance around complaints. This was approved at the AGM and we hope the the revised documentation help support clubs better in managing their own complaints, ideally increasing the cases resolved informally even further.

Taking time to try and resolve a complaint at the outset results in a quicker and more acceptable outcome for all parties. However, we appreciate that volunteers do not always know the best steps to follow and can often be embroiled in the complaint itself. The new service is focused around mediation and involves the following steps:

  1. To start the management process correctly, we invite clubs to contact Scottish Swimming’s Director of Services for advice on how to proceed (Elaine Mackenzie, 01786 466522 or email @ ).
  1. Where appropriate, and providing all parties involved are willing to participate, Scottish Swimming is now offering an independent facilitator to arrange a meeting to work towards informal resolution of the club complaint.

The facilitator will:

2.1Outline the process

2.2Allow each party the opportunity to present their issue and suggest a resolution

2.3Encourage all parties to consider resolutions put forward and to try and agree on a workable outcome

2.4Record the outcomes

2.5Advise next steps

Who should attend the meeting:

  • The Scottish Swimming Facilitator
  • Complainant
  • Complainant’s friend, if desired
  • Respondent
  • Respondent’s friend, if desired
  • Club President (or independent club rep)
  • Club Secretary (or independent club rep)

For the mediation process to work, we require attendance from all parties

3. If the mediation process is unsuccessful, Scottish Swimming will be happy to talk you through the correct process to file the complaint more formally.

Please find below, updated information on how to manage a complaint at club level.

PROCESS FOR DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AT CLUB LEVEL - I have attached the guidelines for making a complaint to a club and would strongly urge that clubs turn this into a club regulation. There are also two sets of guidelines: (1) one for the “complainant” and (2) the other for the “respondent”. Both of these documents are available on the Scottish Swimming website and should be downloaded for adaptation by your club.

The complaints process requires that all complaints/appeals made to Scottish Swimming must firstly have exhausted the club’s complaints procedure. We realise this can be frustrating for clubs at times, including the volunteer committees, however, our experience shows that club complaints are best managed locally, with the club managing its challenges from within.

Please note that you should insist that all complaints have to be documented on the relevant form. When hearing a complaint, all complainants should be offered the right of appeal and this should be in writing to the Company not later than 14 days after receipt of notification of the decision which is being appealed.

In addition to the templates to be used when dealing with a complaint at club level, I have also attached for your information two fact sheets which have been compiled based on the questions that we are most frequently asked. Hopefully these will be of use to you if you are having to manage a complaint or can be passed to a member of your club if they are looking to make a complaint.

I trust you will find the enclosed information helpful; however, should you require any further clarification please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully

Elaine Mackenzie

Director of Services

Encs:

  1. SS clubs compaints process guidelines.
  2. Club complaint form
  3. Club respondent form
  4. FAQs – Do you have to manage a complaint?
  5. FAQs – Do you have a complaint?

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