Complaint Policy (Brampton Hockey Inc.)

Brampton Hockey has a process in place to properly deal with issues of concern. In order to ensure that your concerns are dealt with as quickly and promptly as possible please follow the following procedures. Please note that verbal concerns are not dealt with by Brampton Hockey as official complaints.

 

The OMHA have revised their complaint process, definitions and visibility. All complaints which involve either directly or indirectly child endangerment, racial discrimination, gender identity and other violations under the criminal code of Canada are immediately forwarded to the OMHA directly. Brampton Hockey treats these matters seriously and will abide by the rules outlined by the OMHA complaint process defined on their website. All identified in the complaint are provided a copy for their review and defense process.

Matters pertaining to our leagues code of conduct and regulations have also changed. The following steps outline the process used when filing a complaint. All complainants are requested to follow these steps to ensure an efficient and productive discussion and resolution. All information gathered during the investigation is stored with the complaint log number for reference as public record within the Brampton Hockey Office in the event the issue is revisited or appealed. The documents remain the property of Brampton Hockey and removal from the office is by approval only from the General Manager.

 

Step 1. 
Following a 24 hour stay after the incident, the complainant is to inform their parent representative to discuss their concerns. The Parent Rep will escalate the matter to the defendant or arrange a meeting between the defendant and the complainant if deemed necessary.

Step 2. 
If the complainant is not satisfied with the feedback from the parent rep, and believes the nature of the complaint violates a rule, by-law, code of conduct or behavior contrary to what Brampton Hockey has in place, they fill out a formal complaint using the incident report form from the Risk Management website page.

Step 3.
Once delivered in person or by mail to the Brampton Hockey Office, the complaint is recorded by our General Manager (GM). It is distributed to the Vice President of Risk Management and others whom the GM feels need to be made aware. The complaint is also sent to the defendant identified to assist them to form their defense when questioned.

Step 4. 
Someone from the Risk Management committee will contact the complainant and defendant within 48 hours of receiving the complaint to indicate they have started the investigation. Within 48 hour intervals, updates will be provided for all mentioned in the complaint.

Step 5.
Following the investigation, a resolution will be distributed to both the defendant and complainant stating what actions, if any, will occur and consequences if repeated.

Step 6. 
If either complainant or defendant wish to appeal, the matter is directed to our appeals process. The Appeal committee will be provided all material gathered during the investigation and may also request interviews or additional information.

These steps have been created to ensure a consistent and efficient method to document all complaints brought to the attention of Brampton Hockey. All inquires, social conversations, opinions, open discussions, invitations to team meetings are NOT formal complaints and as such do not follow the process steps and recorded documentation.

Filing forms are found here >>>Incident Report Instructions and Guidelines

Incident Complaint Form

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Formal complaints which either the defendant or complainant believe was not adjudicated satisfactorily can appeal the matter to the Appeal committee. The appropriate form to initiate the appeals process is located on the Risk Management website.

Step 1.      The appellant completes the appropriate form located on the Risk Management web page and delivers it in person to the Brampton Hockey office.

Step 2.      The matter is forwarded to the league President who may or may not assemble a committee of non-partisan members to review the matter and render a decision.

Step 3.      The President also decides whether the decision is binding or whether to allow the matter to escalate to the OMHA. Their appeals process is located on their website.

 

Filing forms are found here >>

Incident Report Instructions and Guidelines

Incident Complaint Form

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The only concerns that should be directed to the Administration Group are related to administrative issues such as registration, refunds and questions of a general information nature.

Please note that under no circumstances is the Administration Group to be approached with respect to complaints regarding the running of a team, coach selection, issues regarding referees, game scheduling, etc. The Administration Group is not involved in any of these processes directly and they cannot and will not address these issues. All other concerns must be directed as outlined below.

 

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All concerns regarding the running of a team (ie player ice time, exhibition games, tournament selection) need to first be directed to the team. This means discussing any issues with the Head Coach or Manager if you feel comfortable (after following the twenty-four hour rule). If you are uncomfortable approaching the Head Coach directly then discuss your concerns with the Team Parent Representative.

The Team Parent Representative is to act as an intermediary between the coaching staff and the parents (further information on the role and responsibilities of the Team Parent Representative can be found in BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 3.08).

Every team in Brampton Hockey is required to have a Parent Representative elected by the parents on the team (not appointed by the Coach) at the start of each new season. If your team does not have one then contact your age group Convenor who will discuss the election of a Team Parent Representative with your Coach and the appropriate League Vice-President. Any team that does not elect a Parent Team Representative will have their Head Coach suspended until such time as the Team Parent Representative is elected.

 

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Questions regarding team finances are to be directed to the team Manager who is responsible for communicating all budgeting information directly to the Coaching staff, the Parent Representative and all of the parents and players on the team. For more information on fundraising and team budgets see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 28 - Means and Ways.

For more information on the responsibilities of the Team Manager – Representative see 

  ~ Resolutions 6.0 Manager Representative. For more information on the responsibilities of House League see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolutions 8.26 - Financial Reports. For more information on the responsibilities of Intra-City see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 9.07 - Team Budgets/Finances.

 

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Convenors assist the League Vice Presidents to ensure that teams comply with OMHA Regulations and Policies and Brampton Hockey Resolutions. This includes issues such as suspension clarification, game sheet collection, carding, AP rosters, tournament paperwork, playoff requirements, resolutions issues, budget collection, anything regarding the administration of keeping the team on the ice in conjunction with Brampton Hockey and OMHA guidelines. Please address your concerns in writing and forward to the Convenor for your age group and include a copy for the appropriate League Vice-President. The Convenor is required to address your concern(s) in conjunction with the League Vice-President and any other interested parties.

 

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Each League is responsible for the running of the league and the governance of the league as per the League Resolutions. If you feel your concerns have not been adequately dealt with by your Parent Team Rep or by your League Convenor then forward your concern to the appropriate League Vice-President. Concerns must only be forwarded in writing only, no emails (attention General Manager) after following all of the above steps. The League Vice-President will respond accordingly (i.e. may deal with the matter directly, through a discipline committee, may bring the concern to the appropriate League, Executive or Board Committee for further discussion) and in a timely fashion.

 

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Concerns must only be forwarded in writing only, no emails (attention General Manager) after following all of the above steps. The Executive Committee will only deal with issues that affect the Association as a whole. All other issues should be directed to the above. For more information on the Executive Committee see BHI Bylaws 2014 ~ By-Law 7.08 Executive Committee.

 

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All elected Team Parent Representatives are able to voice concerns regarding issues within their team, league and / or the Association through the Parent Rep Team meetings that are held periodically during the course of the season. The meetings are co-ordinated by the Vice-President Parent Rep and each of the three duly elected League Parent Reps. Any disputes or concerns from the Coach regarding the Parent Representative chosen has to be addressed in writing to the VP of Parent Rep at which time a decision will be made to accept or decline the vote.  Also if throughout the season, the Coach has concerns about the Parent Rep and his/her conduct, they can be addressed in writing to the VP of Parent Rep.

 

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Any concerns regarding Coach selection must be provided to the Association BEFORE the coach selection process has begun. Complaints received after coaches have been selected will not be considered in the current coach selection process . Further, all concerns must be in writing, signed and dated and forwarded to the head of the appropriate League Vice-President. For more information on the Representative League coach selection process see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 13.0 Coach Selection. 
 

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Before sending in a concern regarding refereeing see the Protest and Appeal Concerns section below. All complaints about refereeing concerns (conduct, attitude, etc) must be put in writing attention of the Referee-in-Chief for Brampton Hockey and forwarded to the General Manager for processing. Further information on the Fair Play and Code of Conduct for Officials is found in the Referee Manual posted on the Referee's page of the Brampton Hockey website.

 

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All Brampton Hockey personnel (part-time and full-time staff, volunteer, participant, team official, on ice official) have a legal responsibility to inform when a person has reasonable grounds to suspect a participant is, or may be suffering, or may have suffered from emotional, physical abuse and neglect and/or sexual abuse; and shall immediately report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to the local child protection agency and/or the local police detachment. For more information on Harassment and Abuse see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 14.04 - Harassment and Abuse.

 

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The OMHA will only deal directly with the centre contact (a person designated by Brampton Hockey to receive official communication with and between the OMHA) and will not respond directly to issues of concerns raised by Members of the Association. Please do not copy the OMHA or contact them directly regarding Association issues.

In addition the OMHA is not to be contacted by coaching staff or parents regarding internal Brampton Hockey matters (BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 5.02 - General). 

 

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All protests must be filed according Brampton Hockey Resolutions, except for Representative League protests, which must follow OMHA procedures. For House League protest rules see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 8.29 - Protest.  For Intra-City see BHI Resolutions 2014 ~ Resolution 9.27 Protest.

The only matters that may be protested (aside from those contained in the Brampton Hockey Resolutions) are as follows:

• A game official's rule application which in the opinion of the aggrieved team may be incorrect and may have given the opposition team a distinct advantage;

• The participation of a player or team official deemed to be ineligible;

• A violation of any Brampton Hockey, OMHA, OHF or Hockey Canada rule, regulation or policy deemed to have had a significant and legitimate effect on the outcome of the game.

Matters that may not be protested are as follows:

• A game official's discretion and judgement of rules.

 

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Please be advised that concerns sent in by e-mail would not be considered official complaints received by Brampton Hockey. The Association will only consider a complaint received in writing, signed and dated as an official complaint.

In addition please do not use the Contact Us page to blanket e-mail all the Executives within the Association. These e-mail addresses are to be used for official Brampton Hockey communication only and for inquiries of a general nature.