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COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Blackheath Rhinos Football Club

Blackheath Rhinos Football Club aims to provide a safe, respectful, inclusive and well-managed environment for players, parents, carers, coaches, volunteers and visitors. We understand that concerns may sometimes arise. This procedure explains how complaints should be raised and how the club will deal with them. This procedure should be used for general complaints about club operations, communication, behaviour, coaching concerns, payments, administration or other non-safeguarding matters. Safeguarding concerns must be raised through the Club Welfare Officer or appropriate safeguarding route. The FA’s safeguarding guidance confirms that clubs should have procedures for complaints, codes of conduct and safeguarding concerns, and London FA makes clear that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

1. What This Procedure Covers

This complaints procedure may be used for concerns about:

  • Club communication

  • Coaching conduct

  • Parent or spectator behaviour

  • Player behaviour

  • Club administration

  • Payments or subscriptions

  • Selection or team management concerns

  • Facilities or venue issues

  • Session organisation

  • Breach of club policy

  • General dissatisfaction with club handling of an issue

2. What This Procedure Does Not Cover

This procedure does not replace:

  • Safeguarding reporting

  • Emergency action where a child is at risk

  • League disciplinary procedures

  • London FA or FA misconduct processes

  • Police or statutory agency involvement

  • Employment or volunteer disciplinary processes

  • Formal grievance procedures for staff, where applicable

If a child is at immediate risk, contact the police or emergency services. If the issue is safeguarding-related, contact the Club Welfare Officer.

3. Informal Resolution

Where appropriate, parents or members are encouraged to raise minor concerns informally first.

This may be with:

  • The relevant coach

  • Team manager

  • Club operations contact

  • Club committee member

  • Welfare Officer, if the concern involves welfare or safeguarding

Many issues can be resolved quickly by calm and respectful communication. Concerns should not be raised aggressively during a session, match or in front of children.

4. Formal Complaint

If the issue cannot be resolved informally, or if the matter is serious, a formal complaint should be submitted in writing.

The complaint should include:

  • Name of person making the complaint

  • Player’s name, where relevant

  • Team or programme

  • Date of incident or issue

  • Details of what happened

  • Names of people involved

  • Names of any witnesses

  • Copies of relevant messages, emails or evidence

  • What outcome is being requested

Complaints should be sent to:

Email: info@blackheathrhinos.co.uk

Where the complaint involves safeguarding or welfare, it should be sent to the Club Welfare Officer.

5. Anonymous Complaints

The club may review anonymous complaints, but it may be difficult to investigate them properly. Where possible, complaints should include contact details so the club can clarify information and respond appropriately. Anonymous safeguarding concerns will still be considered and escalated where appropriate.

6. Timescales

The club will aim to acknowledge formal complaints within a reasonable period. The club will then review the complaint and respond as soon as practical.

Some complaints may take longer where the club needs to:

  • Speak to witnesses

  • Review messages or records

  • Contact coaches or volunteers

  • Seek guidance from the league, London FA or The FA

  • Consider safeguarding, disciplinary or legal issues

The club will not rush a decision where a proper review is needed.

7. How Complaints Are Reviewed

The club may take one or more of the following steps:

  • Review the written complaint

  • Speak to the person making the complaint

  • Speak to coaches, volunteers or club officials

  • Speak to parents, players or witnesses where appropriate

  • Review WhatsApp messages, emails, forms or records

  • Review relevant club policies

  • Seek advice from the league, London FA, The FA or safeguarding bodies where needed

The club will handle complaints fairly and proportionately.

8. Expected Behaviour During a Complaint

All parties are expected to behave respectfully during the complaints process.

The club will not accept:

  • Abuse

  • Threats

  • Harassment

  • Discriminatory language

  • Public attacks on social media

  • Intimidation of coaches, volunteers, players, parents or officials

  • Attempts to involve children in adult disputes

Where behaviour during a complaint becomes unacceptable, the club may take separate action under the Code of Conduct and Behaviour Policy.

9. Possible Outcomes

Following review, the club may decide to:

  • Take no further action

  • Provide clarification or explanation

  • Apologise where appropriate

  • Correct an error

  • Arrange a meeting

  • Offer mediation or discussion

  • Issue guidance to a coach, parent, player or volunteer

  • Issue a warning

  • Restrict attendance or access

  • Remove someone from a WhatsApp group

  • Refer the matter to the Club Welfare Officer

  • Refer the matter to the league, London FA, The FA, LADO, police or another authority where required

Review or update club procedures

10. Appeals or Further Review

If the person making the complaint is unhappy with the club’s response, they may request a further review.

A request for review should explain:

  • Why the response is considered incorrect or unfair

  • What information was missed

  • What outcome is being requested

The club may appoint another appropriate person within the club to review the matter where practical. Where the issue falls under league, London FA or FA jurisdiction, the complainant may be directed to the appropriate external process.

11. Safeguarding Concerns

Safeguarding concerns must not wait for the normal complaints process.

A safeguarding concern may include:

  • Concern about a child’s welfare

  • Inappropriate adult behaviour towards a child

  • Abuse, neglect or exploitation

  • Bullying or harassment

  • Grooming concerns

  • Unsafe practice

  • Concerns about photography or online behaviour

  • Any situation where a child may be at risk

Parents and carers play an important role in safeguarding, including knowing how and with whom to raise concerns. If a child is at immediate risk, contact emergency services.

12. Confidentiality

Complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.

However, information may need to be shared where required for:

  • Safeguarding

  • Welfare

  • Disciplinary action

  • Legal reasons

  • League, London FA or FA processes

  • Insurance

  • Protecting children or adults from harm

The club cannot promise complete confidentiality where there is a duty to act.

13. Vexatious or Repeated Complaints

The club may limit its response where complaints are repeated, unreasonable, abusive, malicious or vexatious.

This does not prevent genuine concerns from being reviewed properly.

14. Policy Review

This policy may be reviewed and updated by Blackheath Rhinos Football Club as required.

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