1

Any member of Grantham Swimming Club has the right to raise a grievance with the Club or any other member of the Club, which must be made in writing. The nature of the grievance will be logged in a folder, held in the Club's cupboard at the Meres Leisure Centre, solely for that purpose; any follow up actions/investigations will also be detailed in the log. Members should note that evidence that may support the grievance should be made available, in writing at the earliest opportunity to an Officer of the Committee, but in any case, no later than 14 days after the grievance has been raised. This will assist in a timely resolution of the grievance. Attempts will be made to resolve the matter informally, by way of amicable discussion between both parties. If the nature of the grievance is serious enough (e.g. violation of ASA Law), the Club Chairman or President will convene an Internal Grievance Resolution Panel (IGRP) to hear the matter as soon as is practical. The procedure for this is included in ASA Laws and Rules, but in essence involves the appointment of a 3 person panel, comprising a Chairperson appointed by the Club (but not necessarily from the Club) and a representative of each party to the grievance. The IGRP will view evidence and make a judgment based upon that evidence for the resolution of the grievance and report back to the Club Chairman or President, as appropriate. If any member of the Committee or member is involved in any way in the grievance, they may not sit on the IGRP but may give evidence. The Club's options from this point are varied, dependant upon the severity of the matter and the findings of the IDRP, but include suspension or exclusion of members from the Club, amendment of policy or procedure or moving a member to another session; this list is not exhaustive.

2

If, after the matter has been investigated and directions issued by the Club, either the member raising the grievance or the subject of that grievance is not satisfied with the decision, they may appeal against it. In this instance an independent Appeals Panel will be appointed to review the matter in its entirety and make a judgment. In addition parties also have the right to escalate the complaint directly to the ASA, in accordance with Rules and Guidelines as published and amended from time to time. This information is available on the ASA web site.

3

Any report resulting from a grievance investigation shall remain the property of the Grantham Swimming Club Committee, to be disposed of as required. Requests may be made to publish the report to the Membership; such requests shall at all times consider the provisions of the Data Protection Act and endeavour to act in the best interests of the Club as a whole.

4

This policy applies only to Grantham Swimming Club, directions will be limited to members of the Club and will be guided and supported by ASA published Rules, Guidelines and policy, where applicable. It does not in any way affect a member's right to raise a grievance or complaint directly with the ASA.

5

It is always preferable to resolve grievances within the club environment, if possible and every effort will be made to apply an impartial and unbiased decision.