Complaints

sportscotland Complaints Handling Procedure

sportscotland is committed to providing high-quality customer services.

We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.

If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us. This page describes our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. It also tells you about how we will handle your complaint and what you can expect from us.

What is a complaint?

We regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.

What can I complain about?

You can complain about things like:

• failure or refusal to provide a service provided or on behalf of sportscotland
• inadequate quality or standard of service, or an unreasonable delay in providing a service provided or on behalf of sportscotland
• dissatisfaction with one of our policies or its impact
• failure to properly apply law, procedure or guidance when delivering services
• failure to follow the appropriate administrative process
• conduct, treatment by or attitude of a member of staff or contractor (except where there are arrangements in place for the contractor to handle the complaint themselves); or
• disagreement with a decision, (except where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision, or an established appeals process in place. For example, this complaints procedure does not apply to the recipients of unsuccessful applications for funding from sportscotland. Separate channels of appeal exist for such decisions).

This list does not cover everything.

Your complaint may involve more than one organisation/service or be about someone working on our behalf.

What can’t I complain about?

There are some things we can’t deal with through our complaints handling procedure. These include:

• a routine first-time request for a service
• a request for compensation only
• issues that are in court or have already been heard by a court or a tribunal (if you decide to take legal action, you should let us know as the complaint cannot then be considered under this process)
• disagreement with a decision where there is a statutory procedure for challenging that decision (such as for freedom of information and subject access requests), or an established appeals process followed throughout the sector
• a request for information under the Data Protection or Freedom of Information (Scotland) Acts
• a grievance by a staff member or a grievance relating to employment or staff recruitment
• a concern raised internally by a member of staff (which was not about a service they received, such as a whistleblowing concern)
• a concern about a child or an adult’s safety
• an attempt to reopen a previously concluded complaint or to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision
• a concern about the actions or service of a different organisation including Scottish Governing Bodies, where we have no involvement in the issue. sportscotland will only consider complaints relating to the actions or service of a different organisation where the other organisation is delivering services on our behalf. Please note that sportscotland will advise you at the earliest stage if we cannot deal with your complaint because it relates to the actions or services of a different organisation.

If other procedures or rights of appeal can help you resolve your concerns, we will give information and advice to help you.

Complaints about Scottish Governing Bodies

We are not a complaint handling body for Scottish Governing Bodies (SGB) and the SGB is the appropriate organisation to raise concerns about the actions or a service of the SGB.

Any complaints relating to the SGB should be dealt with by the SGB via their own policies and procedures, as they are a separate organisation to sportscotland. If your complaint concerns the actions or service of a SGB, please contact the SGB direct.

Who can complain?

Anyone who receives, requests or is directly affected by our services can make a complaint to us. This includes the representative of someone who is dissatisfied with our service (for example, a relative, friend, advocate or adviser). If you are making a complaint on someone else’s behalf, you will normally need their written consent. Please also read the section on Getting help to make your complaint

How do I complain?

You can complain by email to Complaints@sportscotland.org.uk or by filling out our complaints form.

It is easier for us to address complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. So please talk to a member of our staff at the service you are complaining about. Then they can try to resolve the issue.

sportscotland requires that for all complaints to be assessed, a written account of the complaint is necessary and should be contained within the email or Complaints Form. When complaining, please tell us:

• your full name and contact details
• as much as you can about the complaint including copies of any relevant documents
• what has gone wrong; and
• what outcome you are seeking.

How long do I have to make a complaint?

Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:

• the event you want to complain about; or
• finding out that you have a reason to complain.

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

What happens when I have complained?

We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has two stages.

Stage 1: Frontline response

We aim to respond to complaints quickly (where possible, when you first tell us about the issue). This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, or immediate action to resolve the problem. 

We will give you our decision at stage 1 in five working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

If you are not satisfied with the response we give at this stage, we will tell you what you can do next. If you choose to, you can take your complaint to stage 2. You must normally ask us to consider your complaint at stage 2 either:

• within six months of the event you want to complain about or finding out that you have a reason to complain; or
• within two months of receiving your stage 1 response (if this is later).

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a stage 2 complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

Stage 2: Investigation

Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: where the customer remains dissatisfied after stage 1 and those that clearly require investigation, and so are handled directly at this stage. If you do not wish your complaint to be handled at stage 1, you can ask us to handle it at stage 2 instead.

When using stage 2:

• we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days;
• where appropriate, we will discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for; and
• give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days.

If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will tell you our revised time limits and keep you updated on progress.

What if I’m still dissatisfied?

After we have given you our final decision, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.

The SPSO are an independent organisation that investigates complaints. They are not an advocacy or support service (but there are other organisations who can help you with advocacy or support).

You can ask the SPSO to look at your complaint if:

• you have gone all the way through the sportscotland's complaints handling procedure
• it is less than 12 months after you became aware of the matter you want to complain about; and
• the matter has not been (and is not being) considered in court.

The SPSO will ask you to complete a complaint form and provide a copy of our final response to your complaint. You can do this online or call them on Freephone 0800 377 7330.

You may wish to get independent support or advocacy to help you progress your complaint. See the section on Getting help to make your complaint below.

The SPSO’s contact details are:

SPSO
Bridgeside House
99 McDonald Road
Edinburgh
EH7 4NS

(if you would like to visit in person, you must make an appointment first)

Their freepost address is:

FREEPOST SPSO

Freephone: 0800 377 7330

Online contact

Website

Getting help to make your complaint

We understand that you may be unable or reluctant to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with the service provided or on behalf of sportscotland. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your written consent to complain about you.

You can find out about advocates in your area by contacting the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance:

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Tel: 0131 510 9410 Website

You can find out about advisers in your area through Citizens Advice Scotland:

Citizens Advice Scotland

Website or check your phone book for your local citizens advice bureau.

We are committed to making our service easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help you access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, such as large font, or Braille, please email us at Complaints@sportscotland.org.uk .

Our contact details

Please contact us by the following means:

Complaints@sportscotland.org.uk

We can also give you this leaflet in other languages and formats (such as large print, audio and Braille).

Quick guide to our complaints procedure

Unacceptable Behaviour or Communication

Please be advised that any communication with sportscotland in relation to your complaint must not breach the terms of our Unacceptable Behaviour Policy.