All clubs and associations will have complaints and grievances to deal with at some stage and what is most important is how you deal with them.  It is significant to remember that complaints can often assist your organisation to identify things that can help you improve the service you provide.

All complaints must, however, be dealt with appropriately, even if they are relatively minor and can be handled informally. 

For more significant complaints you will need to understand and have in place formal procedures for handling complaints. Click on any of the links below for more information. 

  • Complaint Handling Online Course

    Screen image of the COmplaint Handling Online Course

    It's an unfortunate but inevitable part of sport - sometimes things can go wrong. People have a right to complain. The Complaint Handling course will help you and your club or association handle complaints appropriately and efficiently. Find out more about the course by clicking the Read More button below.  

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  • Understanding Complaint Handling

    In the perfect world there would never be any complaints and we wouldn't need to understand anything about complaint handling. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world. Did you know there's a network of Member Protection Information Officers (MPIOs) across the country who play an important and distinct role in sport and recreation to provide advice regarding the options available for managing a complaint? Contact your State Sport or Recreation Organisation for contact details of suitable MPIOs.

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  • Making a Complaint

    Complaints Handling

    It’s important that there are proper and transparent processes in place for making complaints. This section provides information about where to complaint, what to expect in the process and where to get help.

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  • Being Complained About

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    What happens if you are complained about? Being complained about can be difficult. There are some general guidelines you can follow to ensure that you respond appropriately and, in particular, do not make matters worse.

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  • Dealing with a Complaint

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    As a club administrator it can be confusing to know what to do when problems arise. In this section you can learn about complaint handling principles, complaint options and steps and escalating a complaint. There is also a video complaint handling case study.

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  • Complaints Procedures - Discrimination

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    If you’ve received a complaint about discrimination or harassment there are a few general guidelines to follow. While each complaint is different, you can deal with complaints in an informal or formal way.

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  • Meeting with the Parties

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    Dealing with complaints involves talking to the people involved and listening to their respective sides of the story. This section gives you some tips on how to prepare for a meeting and considers the issues you will need to be aware of.

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  • Suspicion of Harm Against a Child

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    All complaints relating to child abuse need to be taken seriously. There are some things you’ll need to know to ensure the appropriate processes are in place. Here, we outline 7 steps you can use to help you respond to an allegation of child abuse.

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  • Mediation

    Mediation for sports clubs

    Mediation is also known as Alternative Dispute Resolution but may be otherwise described as a managed conversation. But what does it entail for your sports club or association? What's the role of the Board? Why and when to mediate? 

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