Dealing with complaints:

We would like everyone within the club, both adults and children, to feel that they can raise a complaint and it will be dealt with quickly and effectively. Therefore we aim to provide a fair complaint procedure, which is clear and easy for all involved.

 Role of the procedure:

• To make sure that everyone at Benson United FC knows what to do if a complaint is received.

• To make sure that all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way.

• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and relations repaired.

• To gather information to help us to improve what we do as a club.

 Complaint Procedure:

 (1) Direct Resolution:

 In most cases the Team Manager/Coach may receive the first approach, and if not, a complaint is welcomed to the Club Welfare Officer. It would be helpful if this could be resolved on the spot, recognising potential error and apologising where necessary. The objective of this first stage is to resolve issues quickly and simply, with minimal formality.

 (2) Informal resolution via the Club

 In an instance where the matter cannot be resolved by the Club Representative involved, please submit your complaint to the Club Welfare Officer within 28 days of the issue occurring:

 Club Welfare Officer: Sian Haycock

A complaint form is at the bottom of this page.

 The Club will not accept a complaint that is written via social media.

 Once a complaint has been received, the Club will:

•  Aim to acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours, in writing.

• Advise you of any further information required.

• Advise if any information is needed from a third party.

• Set out the next steps and time scales involved in resolving the complaint.

 Please be assured that all information given will be dealt with confidentially and only shared on a ‘need to know’ basis.

We seek to act within 7-14 days for a swift resolution.

 (3) Formal resolution via the Club:

 If the issue cannot be dealt with informally by the Club it will be passed to the Executive Team. This is a team of 3 Committee members, of whom none have a direct conflict of interest with the issue at hand.

 The panel aim to resolve the complaint within 4-6 weeks, and will keep in touch with the parties involved.

 (4) Escalation Procedure outside of the Club:

 If the complainant feels that the issue hasn’t been dealt with in a satisfactory way, they can refer the complaint within 14 days of the Club Panel’s decision to the following address:

 The Oxfordshire Football Association,

Education, Safeguarding and Referee Support Manager,

Oxfordshire Football Association,

Unit 4,

Witan Park,

Station Lane,

Witney,

Oxon OX28 4FH

Telephone: 01993 894404

Email: nigel.saverton@OxfordshireFA.com

(5) Final Stage:

 As a final stage you can write to the FA:

 Customer Relations,

The Football Association,

Wembley Stadium,

PO BOX 1966,

London SW1P 9EQ

Telephone: 0800 3890699

 Safeguarding Complaint:

 Please be reminded that if you feel that a child is in serious danger, it is important to seek help immediately.

 Childline: 0800 1111