8.4.1. Reports and Complaints Overview

The Club Complaint Manager is appointed to manage all Reports or Complaints brought forward. They have absolute discretion in how the matters are handled, therefore all matters must be directed to the Complaint Manager to decide the appropriate resolution pathway.

Complaint

Definition: A Complaint is a formal written submission of an allegation made by a Complainant (who cannot make the complaint anonymously) relating to an alleged breach under a relevant policy against a Respondent (person who allegedly did the wrong thing).

• All hard copy complaint forms received by the Club/Branch must be receipted and uploaded to the SLSA Reporting System.
• All complaints received directly through the SLSA Reporting System with be assessed by SLSQ and referred accordingly. Depending on assessment it may return to the Club/Branch Complaint Manager to handle.
• If referred to the club, a Club/Branch Complaint Manager may refer the matter to a Person in a Position of Authority* (PPA) at the Club/Branch, who has been approved to mediate the matter. An external mediator may be required, and the Complaint Manager may ask the Complainant and the Respondent to pay some or all of the Mediation fee. This fee may also be the responsibility of the Club/Branch depending on the matter.

*PPA Definition:

Means a person allocated to a role within an SLS Entity who has a level of authority at that Entity. PPA may include Board Members, Vice Presidents, and President as well as Managers and Senior Leaders in Relevant Organisations. Conflicts of Interest must be identified and mitigated as per the policy.

Report

Definition: A Report is a submission of allegations that a Respondent has engaged in conduct which may be an alleged breach which does not meet the definition of a Complaint. E.g., Verbally advised by a person who or which has reason to believe that an alleged breach may have occurred and makes a Report. A Reporter may be anonymous.

• All Reports referred to the Club/Branch will be managed at the discretion of the Club/Branch Complaint Manager. In some circumstances, Reports may be managed through the Complaints Process depending on factors, i.e., uploaded to the “SLSA Reporting System.”:https://complaints.sls.com.au/
• If a Club/Branch PPA has completed the” Report Disclosure File Note”:https://slsqcm.entegyapp.com.au/Page/10/5000 as an attempt at early intervention resolution at the time of the concern, this will be referred to the Club/Branch Complaint Manager to determine if further action is required.

There are numerous stages when dealing with a complaint (see SLSA Complaints Handling Flowchart) which are highly dependent on the nature of the allegations. The Complaint Manager will assess each matter and place it in one of three (3) categories. There may be specific reporting requirements depending on the level, e.g., a Category 3: Red – High (Child Safe Matter) may require reporting to the Police.

Depending on the severity of the Category, the complaint may need to be resolved at a higher SLS entity. Minor matters may be managed at Club level, and as required it may progress to the Branch, State or National level if appropriate. A complaint should be escalated to the next level 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 that cannot be managed. All complaints will be managed in accordance with the SLSA 6.06 Complaints resolution Policy.

For further information refer to Member Complaints on the SLSQ Lifesaving Website – Member Area or contact the club MPIO for more information.