Complaint and Grievance Policy & Procedure

In the event that any member of pbE feels that they have suffered discrimination in any way or that pbE’s Policies, Rules or Codes of Conduct have been broken, they should follow the procedures listed below.

 

  1. The matter should be referred in writing to the Chairman of the pbE Board of Directors (karen@pickleballengland.org). The report should include the following:-
  • we ask you to set out the reasons for your grievance, provide copies of any background information and outline any expectations you might have on how the matter might be resolved.
  • if you make a complaint we will ask you to provide your name and contact details; we will only use this information for the purposes of handling your complaint and will not disclose it to anyone else.
  • complaints should be made within 90 days of the incident giving rise to your concern. We may at our discretion consider complaints raised after 90 days if there has been an understandable reason for the delay.

 

  1. We hope that most complaints can be addressed informally at the time they occur. However, if you make a formal complaint we will aim to:-
  • acknowledge your complaint within one week.
  • address your complaint.
  • provide a full written response within 3 weeks.

 

  1. The Chairman will refer the information to pbE’s Disciplinary Panel which will consist of the two National Directors and the most relevant Regional Director.  The pbE Board of Directors will be advised of each complaint submitted but will not be informed of the detail of the complaint. The Disciplinary Panel will:-
  • treat every report as confidential.
  • not discuss any matters with anyone outside of the Committee other than to request expert advice.
  • declare if they have a conflict of interest.
  • treat each incident fairly and equitably.

 

  1. The Disciplinary Panel will have the power to:-
  • Issue a verbal or written warning as to future conduct.
  • Suspend from membership of pbE for a period of time.
  • Expel from pbE

 

        5.  Escalating your Complaint.

        If you are not satisfied with our response, you can request that your complaint is escalated to a review by the full Board of pbE.

 

Policy approved by BOD  21 May 2021