8.4. Complaints and Grievances

A grievance or a complaint, is a written or spoken statement in which someone says they are not satisfied with something.

There are two forms of complaints, formal and informal. The difference between the two is that a formal complaint is made when someone has a grievance that they want investigated with a formal response made to them, whereas an informal complaint is more of a comment or recommendation for a smaller issue that does not necessarily warrants a reply.

There are multiple stages when dealing with a complaint which are highly dependent on the nature of the claim. There are four levels in which the complaint can be elevated to and resolved at, there is Club level, Branch level, State level and National level. The only time that a complaint should be escalated to the next level is if the current level feels as though they do not have the skills and knowledge to deal with the complaint effectively, or there is a conflict of interest or either party involved in the complaint is not satisfied with the results from the investigation. In order for the Club, Branch, State or National to handle a complaint appropriately they will need to follow the directions agreed upon within the relevant organisations constitution and by-law.

For further information refer to SLSQ Lifesaving Website – Members Area