The Complaints, Disputes and Disciplinaries Policy: What’s it about?
In recent months, Transplant Australia has been introducing members to the policies of the National Integrity Framework (NIF) by the Australian Sports Commission which we have signed up for, along with many National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) and National Sporting Organisations for people with Disability (NSODs) within the wider sporting community in Australia. This month we are introducing the central policy within this framework, the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy, also known as the CDDP. The Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy can be explored in video format at the following links: [CDDP video][CDDP Auslan Video]
Central Concepts in the CDDP:
The CDDP is the policy which acts like glue to hold all the other policies together, and gives use a framework to manage and resolve complaints and disputes, as well as sets out how we can discipline people who have been found to have breached the rules. There are a few concepts which are important to understand within each of the policies, as well as the CDDP.
Prohibited conduct: actions or behaviour which are unacceptable to us during activities organised or sanctioned by us at Transplant Australia. Prohibited conduct is specifically defined or prescribed under any of the five (5) NIF policies which have been adopted by ASAPD, including the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, Competition Manipulation and Sport Gambling Policy, Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy, Member Protection Policy or the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy. Each of these policies have video explainers to them, as well as videos in Auslan.
Complaint: a formal written submission of an allegation relating to prohibited conduct by a respondent. Complaints cannot be anonymous. (cl. 6.1)
Sanction: a sanction is the action taken against a person who is found to have breached a NIF policy.
Dispute: is when there is a conflict between two or more parties about a situation. This may be between a member and a member, a member and a group, a member and the Board, or between Board members.
The purpose of this policy is to hold people or sporting organisations accountable for their misbehaviour or wrong doing, and explains how people or sporting organisations will be held accountable for their actions.
I Think a Policy Has Been Breached – What Do I Do?
If you think there has been a breach of any of the NIF policies, it is important to make a complaint to us at Transplant Australia. There is some important information we need people to include in their complaint for us to be able to take appropriate actions. The information which is important is:
- When (what date) the conduct which you believe is a breach of a policy occur?
- Who the complaint is about?
- Who the conduct occurred towards? (e.g. was it you or someone you support?)
- What the actual conduct was which you believe is a breach of a policy?
- Which policy you believe was breached?
- Are there are any witnesses or documents which can be used to help substantiate the complaint that a breach of a policy occurred?
It may be helpful, before lodging a complaint, to use these questions to write short answers on a piece of paper or a computer document, just to make the complaint as clear as possible.
We recognise that sometimes poor behaviours may also have occurred on more than one occasion, or may have occurred over a period of time. In such circumstances, it may be difficult to provide an exact date of when the breach of a policy first occurred. In these situations, we request you try as best as possible to estimate the date of the first breach, and put dates of other breaches to the best of your ability.
I Think a Policy Has Been Breached – Who Do I Complain To?
For serious types of misbehaviours, there is an independent complaint handling body, called Sport Integrity Australia (SIA). Complaints which should be made to SIA are concerns of breaches of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy or complaints about Discrimination. For complaints of these matters, you can follow this link. Only matters which have occurred after we signed the NIF on 30 June 2022 can be reported to SIA.
Matters which do not involve safeguarding concerns or discrimination, or occurred prior to us signing the NIF should be complained about to us at Transplant Australia. Our contact details are contactus@transplant.org.au.
| Complaints to SIA | Complaints to us |
| • Misconduct with a child or young person • Sexual behaviour with or around a child or young person
• Shaming, humiliating, intimidating or belittling a child or young person • Causing a child or young person physical pain or discomfort • Breaching the Child/Young Person Safe Practices • Supplying of drugs or alcohol to a child or young person • Discrimination based on: – race or ethnicity – age – disability – sex or sexual orientation – religion • Doping (managed under the sport’s Anti-Doping Policy)
YOU MUST REPORT TO SIA IF IT INVOLVES A CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON. |
• Abuse, bullying or harassment between adults
• Victimisation of an adult • Sexual Misconduct between adults • Match, race or competition fixing and other types of Competition Manipulation • Supplying inside information for the purposes of gambling • Betting by members on their own sport • Unlawful use or provision of over the counter or prescription drugs or supplements • Use, possession or trafficking of illegal drugs • Concealing information about Prohibited Conduct • Selection and eligibility disputes • Competition Rules disputes • Code of Conduct breaches • Social Media Policy breaches • Governance misconduct • Employment disputes • Complaints that are solely a Personal Grievance • Whistleblower disclosures • Any conduct that occurred before your sports commencement date • Any other policies that your sport has |
If you are still unsure whether to make a complaint to Sport Integrity Australia or us, you can call SIA on 1300 027 232 and they will be able to provide you further guidance of who is the most appropriate body to make your complaint to.
Further Information
Throughout 2024, Transplant Australia will continue to provide information and education on a variety of the NIF policies and areas of concern through newsletters and our social media channels. We hope you will follow this campaign to help make our sporting organisation as safe as it can be. If you have suggestions on other information you would like us to cover, please contact us at sports@transplant.org.au
In addition, SIA has created a raft of free e-learning short courses on each of the topics which can be completed in your own time and can be accessed by registering here. These courses are excellent professional development for athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff alike. Whilst we do not mandate these courses for every participant in our organisation, completing these courses is a good way to demonstrate our commitment to keeping our community safe and a way we contribute to keeping the broader Australian sporting community safe. It’s a matter of out with the old maxim ‘knowledge is power’ and replace it with the new idea that ‘knowledge is empowering’.
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