Disciplinary, Complaints and Appeals-Procedure

This section specifically applies to the disciplinary, complaints and appeals procedure for matters that come under the scope of this policy document and should be read in conjunction with the Irish Amateur Archery Association’s policy document on Disciplinary Issues and Complaints Procedures.

Each club should put a complaints procedure in place that allows all members who are dissatisfied to register their complaint in a formal way.

• Each club, on receiving a complaint, should appoint a disciplinary committee to resolve problems relating to the conduct of its members. This should include bullying.
• The complaint should be in writing to the Secretary or Children’s Officer and should be responded to within 5 working days.
• The committee should consist of a representative from the Management Committee, the Children’s Officer and ordinary registered members of the club.
• If the complaint involves suspected abuse or a criminal offence the Children’s Officer or Designated Person should be consulted and the disciplinary committee disbanded. The statutory authorities will then be informed.
• The disciplinary committee should review any relevant paper work and hold any necessary meetings with all parties to proceed with complaints into any incident of suspected misconduct that do not relate to child abuse.
• It should, as soon as possible, inform the Management Committee of the progress of the disciplinary process. This should be done
• within 10 working days.
• The disciplinary committee should furnish the individual with the nature of the complaint being made against him or her and afford him or her the opportunity of providing a response either verbally or in writing, but usually at a meeting with the disciplinary committee.
• Written confidential records of all complaints should be safely and confidentially kept and club procedures should be defined for the possession of such records in the event of election of new officers.
• Where it is established that an incident of misconduct has taken place, the Disciplinary Committee should notify the member of any sanction being imposed. The notification should be made in writing, setting out the reasons for the sanction. If the member is under 18 years of age, correspondence should be addressed to the parents or guardians
• If the member against whom the complaint was made is unhappy with the decision of the Disciplinary Committee he or she shall have the right to appeal the decision to an appeals committee (independent of a disciplinary committee). Any appeal should be made in writing within an agreed period after issue, usually 10 days of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee. The chairperson of the appeals committee should be a member of the Management Committee. The appeals committee should consult with the Children’s Officer in relation to issues of child welfare and codes of conduct. The Appeals Committee should have the power to confirm, set aside or change any sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee.
• If any party is not satisfied with the outcome the matter can be referred to the National Executive of Archery Ireland. However efforts to resolve the issue at local level should be exhausted before Archery Ireland is engaged in attempts to resolve the matter.