Introduction
Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club will treat all concerns and complaints seriously. All concerns and complaints will be handled confidentially, impartially, and in a timely manner. This procedure may be varied where the club management committee deem it reasonably necessary to do so.
Other policies
Before raising a concern or complaint please consider if the matter may be best resolved under other policies that the club has in place. Details of club policies and procedures can be found on the club website here: yorkshiredales.sc/sitemap/
RACING
If a complaint involves racing please contact the Race Officer of the day in the first instance. Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club follows the RYA Rules Dispute process as detailed here: https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/rules/rules-disputes
DISPLINARY MATTERS
Details of the club disciplinary procedure can be found here: yorkshiredales.sc/documents/disciplinary-procedure/
SAFEGUARDING
Anyone who is concerned about a young member’s or participant’s welfare, either outside the sport or within the Club, should inform the Club Welfare Officer immediately, in strict confidence. The Club Welfare Officer will follow the correct procedures as laid down in the RYA Flow Chart.
The club safeguarding policy can be found here: yorkshiredales.sc/documents/safeguarding-and-child-protection-policy/
The difference between a concern and a complaint
A concern may be defined as ‘an expression of worry or doubt over an issue considered to be important for which reassurances are sought’.
A complaint may be defined as ‘an expression of dissatisfaction however made, about actions taken or a lack of action’.
It is in everyone’s interest that concerns and complaints are resolved at the earliest possible stage. Many issues can be resolved informally, without the need to use the formal stages of the complaints procedure. Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club takes concerns and complaints seriously, and will make every effort to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
How to raise a concern or complaint
A concern or complaint can be made in person, in writing, by email or by telephone. They may also be made by a third party acting on behalf of a complainant, as long as they have appropriate consent to do so.
Verbal Concerns or Complaints
Some concerns or complains can be successfully resolved through an immediate response, especially those relating to delays in communication, administrative mistakes, misunderstanding of process or failures in communications.
If you raise a verbal concern or complaint with a management committee member we will:
• Listen.
• Find out what the problem is, clarifying any ambiguities so that the true nature of the issue is beyond doubt.
• Apologise for any obvious mistake or failing we have made.
• Confirm if you wish to make a formal written complaint.
• Ascertain the complainant’s name and address.
• Offer to correct the error stating clearly what action is proposed and when it will be carried out. Making sure the complainant is satisfied with the action proposed.
• Ensure that any undertaking is honoured in full.
Concerns or complaints should be raised with a member of the club management committee. If the issue remains unresolved, the next step is to make a formal complaint.
For ease of use, a template complaint form is included at the end of this procedure. The preferred method of submitting a formal complaint is to submit a completed complaint form by email to:
We will not normally investigate anonymous complaints.
How we will investigate your concern or complaint
All concerns or complaints will be handled confidentially. All complaints will be handled fairly, with any decision made impartially.
The commodore will record the date the complaint is received and will acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within 10 working days. Within this response, the commadore will seek to clarify the nature of the complaint, ask what remains unresolved and what outcome the complainant would like to see. The commodore can consider whether a face-to-face meeting is the most appropriate way of doing this. The complainant may be accompanied by a fellow club member in any meeting, but such a companion may not answer questions on their behalf. We do not encourage either party to bring legal representatives to the meeting and representatives from the media are not permitted to attend.
The commodore may delegate the investigation to another impartial member of the club management committee.
During the investigation, the commodore (or investigator) will:
• If necessary, interview those involved in the matter and/or those complained of, allowing them to be accompanied if they wish.
• Keep a written record of any meetings/interviews in relation to their investigation.
The investigation will be completed within a timely manner from receipt of the complaint.
A decision regarding the complaint will be made by the commodore. If the complaint involves the commodore the decision will be made by a club trustee.
Outcomes- Resolving a concern or complaint
At each stage in the procedure, Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club wants to resolve the complaint. If appropriate, we will acknowledge that the complaint is upheld in whole or in part. In addition, we may offer one or more of the following:
• an explanation
• an admission that the situation could have been handled differently or better
• an assurance that we will try to ensure the event complained of will not recur
• an explanation of the steps that have been or will be taken to help ensure that it will not happen again and an indication of the timescales within which any changes will be made
• an undertaking to review club policies in light of the complaint
• an apology
Appeals if you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint and wish to take the matter further, they may appeal the decision.
Such an appeal must be made in writing to the commodore within 5 working days of receiving the original decision. The letter of appeal must give the grounds upon which the appeal is made. A complaints committee will be formed to review the complaint and will consist of at least three management committee members with no prior involvement or knowledge of the complaint.
The complainant will be invited to attend a meeting with the appeals committee and must take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting. The appeals committee will consider the appeal and make further enquires as necessary with the complainant informed of the decision within 10 working days of the meeting. There is no further appeal after this. Please note the RYA is not able to act as an appeal body for complaints.
Where the complainant’s complaint is clearly vexatious
Vexatious complaints are those which are obsessive, persistent, harassing, prolific or repetitious. They may:
– insist upon pursuing unmeritorious complaints and/or unrealistic outcomes beyond all reason
– insist upon pursuing meritorious complaints in an unreasonable manner
– be designed to cause disruption or annoyance
– contain demands for redress that lack any serious purpose or value
In all cases we will write to tell the complainant why we believe his or her behaviour is unacceptable or unreasonably persistent, what action we are taking and the duration of that action.
Complaint Form
Please complete and return to .
| Your name: | |
| Address: | |
| Postcode: | |
| Day time telephone number: | |
| Evening telephone number: | |
| Please give details of your complaint, including whether you have spoken to anybody at the club about it. | |
| What actions do you feel might resolve the problem at this stage? | |
| Are you attaching any paperwork? If so, please give details. | |
| Signature: | |
| Date: |