Having a complaint made about you can be unsettling. It is normal to feel anxious and concerned about the complaint and the potential outcome.

If a complaint has been made about you, you will get opportunities to participate in any resolution process and provide your views. Your participation can help resolve the issue quicker and rebuild trust and relationships.

We are free, independent, and impartial. We will assess each complaint carefully and keep you informed along the way.

This is an overview of the complaint process from the perspective of someone who has had a complaint made about them (sometimes called the respondent).

• We receive the complaint — this can be from a person (like an athlete or a parent) or from an organisation who might want our help to resolve the issue.

• Our resolution team reviews the complaint, including to make sure it is something we can help with. We may speak to the person who made the complaint to find out more information.

• We will let you know about the complaint and find out what your views are. We can also provide you with information about the complaints process, what to expect, and support that is available to you.

• We will work with you and the other people involved to find a way forward. We take into account several factors including the harm or risk of harm to people, the seriousness of the alleged issue, and whether the complainant is vulnerable.

• We will talk to you and the other people involved about what might work best to resolve the issue. This includes:

  • early facilitation — this is when we try to resolve the complaint informally.

  • mediation — this is when an impartial person (mediator) helps the parties talk about what happened and try to agree a way forward.

Our processes are flexible and can be adapted to suit the needs of those involved.

Most complaints are resolved at this stage.