Complaints Procedure

If you are unhappy with the treatment or service you have received from sportscotland you are entitled to make a complaint; have it carefully considered; and receive a written response from sportscotland within 20 working days.

Who Can Complain to sportscotland?

A complaint can be made by a person or organisation affected or likely to be affected by the actions or decisions of sportscotland.

This complaints procedure does not apply to the recipients of unsuccessful applications for funding from sportscotland. Separate channels of appeal exist for such decisions. Please contact the Legal Manager (0141 534 6500) for further information.

What Is The Time Limit for Making a Complaint?

You should normally complain within three months of the event(s) concerned or within three months of becoming aware that you may have something to complain about. sportscotland has discretion to waive this time limit if there are valid reasons why you could not complain earlier.

To Whom Do I Complain?

All complaints should be addressed only to sportscotland’s Legal Manager who is responsible for managing all complaints made to sportscotland.

How Do I Complain to sportscotland?

Any complaint can be made in writing to:

Legal Manager
sportscotland
Doges
Templeton on the Green
62 Templeton Street
Glasgow
G40 1DA.

sportscotland.enquiries@sportscotland.org.uk

sportscotland requires that for all complaints to be assessed, a written account of the complaint is necessary and should be contained within the letter or email. Complainants are welcome to informally discuss the complaint with sportscotland’s Legal Manager or another member of staff at sportscotland if they wish.

What Format Should My Formal Complaint Take?

The following are guidelines for making a formal Complaint:

Clearly head your complaint “Formal Complaint”.

Provide a record of events, with as much information as possible. Please provide a copy of any relevant documents.

If you have informally discussed matters with a member of staff at sportscotland, please give their full name and provide details of the conversation.

Write clearly and concisely as to exactly why you are dissatisfied. If you have difficulty expressing yourself in writing, you could ask a friend or relative or outside agency (eg the Citizen’s Advice Bureau) to help you.

State clearly what you feel sportscotland should have done differently.

State clearly what you would like to happen as a result of making the complaint.

What Will Happen After I Submit My Formal Complaint?

The Legal Manager will review your complaint and make an independent judgement as to the merits of your complaint, considering the full terms of the complaint. This review will involve looking at all the relevant factors and assessing the decision(s) made by sportscotland in light of all circumstances. The Legal Manager will assess whether sportscotland has acted reasonably and within the terms of its legal obligations. This assessment will then be passed to sportscotland’s Chief Executive for final consideration before a response is issued.

When Will I Receive a Response To My Formal Complaint?

You will receive an acknowledgement of your formal Complaint within three working days (excluding public holidays) of your formal Complaint being received by sportscotland’s Legal Manager.

We will send you a written response to your formal complaint from sportscotland’s Chief Executive, within 20 working days (excluding public holidays) of your formal Complaint being received by sportscotland’s Legal Manager.

What Do I Do If I Remain Dissatisfied After Receiving sportscotland’s Response?

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving sportscotland’s response, you can complain to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, who regulates sportscotland. The Ombudsman can be contacted in writing at Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS or by telephone on 0800 377 7330 or by email on enquries@scottishombudsman.org.uk

Please note that the Ombudsman cannot consider your Complaint until you have exhausted sportscotland’s Complaints Procedure. Therefore, the Ombudsman cannot take any action unless you have already made a formal Complaint to sportscotland and have received our written response.

Please be advised that any complaint you submit and/or the response you receive, may require to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.