Disciplinary Policy

0. Supporting Resources

This policy has been designed with reference to ACAS best practice for Disciplinary Procedures. It may be appropriate
to reference ACAS advice to ensure processes are followed fairly and consistently.

Useful resources:

ACAS Investigations Guide: https://www.acas.org.uk/investigations-for-discipline-and-grievance-step-by-step
ACAS Disciplinary Procedure: https://www.acas.org.uk/disciplinary-procedure-step-by-step

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy is designed to help and encourage all Caving Crew members to achieve and maintain standards of conduct as
set out in our Code of Conduct.

This policy applies to all club members and anyone who has attended one or more Caving Crew event in the last 12
months.

The aim is to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all in the club.

2. Principles

2.1 Core Principles

Informal action will be considered, where appropriate, to resolve problems.
No disciplinary action will be taken against a club member until the case has been fully investigated.
For formal action, the club member will be advised of the nature of the complaint against them and will be given the
opportunity to state their case before any decision is made by a disciplinary sub-committee.
Club members will be provided, where appropriate, with written copies of evidence and relevant witness statements in
advance of a disciplinary meeting.
At all stages of the procedure, the club member will have the right to be accompanied by a governing body
representative (such as a BCA representative) or club member of their choice.
No club member will be removed from the club for a first breach of the Code of Conduct except in the case of gross
misconduct, when the penalty can be removal without notice or refund.
A club member will have the right to appeal against any disciplinary action.
The procedure may be implemented at any stage if the club member’s alleged misconduct warrants this.

2.2 Reasonable Adjustments

Initial contact will inform the club member that they can let the committee know of any reasonable adjustments they
require to engage in the process. The committee will never ask for proof of a certain condition. The committee cannot
be expected to adjust for conditions that they have not been made aware of.

Please be aware that as a volunteer-run club there may be a limit to the adjustments we are able to offer, however,
every effort will be made to ensure the process is accessible.

2.3 Confidentiality

All parties involved in a disciplinary process are expected to maintain confidentiality. Breach of confidentiality may
itself be considered a disciplinary matter.

3. Gross Misconduct

Examples of gross misconduct are set out in Section 5 of the Code of Conduct.

If you are accused of an act of gross misconduct
, you may be suspended from the club without any wrongdoing implied, normally for no more than fourteen days, while
the alleged offence is investigated.

If, on completion of the full disciplinary procedure, the club is satisfied that gross misconduct has occurred, the
result will normally be removal from the club without refund of club membership.

4. The Procedure

4.1 How to Raise an Issue

If you believe another club member or attendee is guilty of inappropriate behaviour or gross misconduct, you should
notify the committee either by:

Emailing the Secretary at [email protected], or
Sending a message to the Caving Crew Facebook page with the details of the allegation

If the allegation is against the Secretary, you can approach another member of the committee (such as the Chair or
President).

In the case that the committee allege misconduct of a member, the same process should be followed to ensure there are
written records of the process.

4.2 Stage 1: Informal Resolution

In all cases except allegations of gross misconduct, the first stage will be an informal conversation with the person
to discuss the allegation and hear their perspective.

The goal at this stage is to resolve the issue in the least invasive manner for all involved. It is hoped that a
resolution can be reached through discussion and no further action is required.

If the issue cannot be resolved informally, the process will escalate to a formal investigation.

4.3 Stage 2: Investigation

If no resolution is reached during informal discussion, or if the allegation is of gross misconduct, the process will
move to a formal investigation.

A sub-committee of
3 committee members
will be appointed to handle the case. They should be committee members who are not directly involved in the incident
and do not have a conflict of interest.

An investigation is to:

See if there is a case to answer
Make sure everyone is treated fairly
Gather evidence from all sides
Help the sub-committee decide what should happen next

At any stage the sub-committee can still look at whether:

The formal procedure needs to carry on
The issue can be resolved informally instead

The member under investigation will be notified in writing that an investigation has begun, including:

Details of the allegation(s)
The names of the sub-committee members handling the case
Expected timescales
Contact details for questions
A reminder about confidentiality
A request to advise of any reasonable adjustments needed

Investigation Meeting

As part of the investigation, you will be invited to an investigation meeting where you can:

Hear the details of the allegation(s) against you
Explain your version of events
Respond to any evidence gathered
Provide any evidence or witnesses of your own

You have the right to be accompanied at this meeting by a BCA representative or club member of your choice.

A minimum of
2 sub-committee members
must be present at this meeting.

See the Enforcement Guidance document for detailed investigation procedures.

4.4 Stage 3: Decision

Following the investigation, the sub-committee will meet privately to decide on the outcome. Available outcomes
include:

No further action
– closing the case
Informal warning
– verbal warning, not recorded
First written warning
– recorded, expires after 6 months
Final written warning
– recorded, expires after 12 months
Other sanctions
– such as restrictions on activities or roles
Removal from the club
– termination of membership

The sub-committee will communicate their decision to the member in writing, including:

The findings of the investigation
The decision and reasons for it
Any required changes in behaviour or other conditions
The right to appeal and deadline for doing so

4.5 Warnings

First Written Warning

A first written warning will set out the nature of the misconduct and the change in behaviour required. It will be
kept on record but disregarded for disciplinary purposes after
6 months
.

Final Written Warning

A final written warning will set out the misconduct, the improvement required, and warn that further misconduct may
result in removal. It will be kept on record but disregarded for disciplinary purposes after
12 months
subject to satisfactory conduct.

4.6 Removal

If the sub-committee decide to remove the member, they will be notified in writing of:

The reasons for removal
The date on which membership will terminate
The right to appeal

Removal means:

The member may no longer attend Caving Crew trips or events
They will be removed from all Caving Crew online groups and communications
They may not use club equipment or resources

5. Appeals

A member who wishes to appeal against a disciplinary decision must notify the committee in writing within
7 days
of receiving the decision.

The appeal should include:

Why they believe the decision is incorrect, OR
Why they believe the process was not followed fairly

An appeal is a fresh review of the case.
A new sub-committee of
3 different committee members
(where possible) will be appointed to:

Review all evidence from the original investigation
Conduct a new investigation meeting with the member
Consider any new evidence or information
Make a fresh decision

The appeal sub-committee may:

Uphold the original decision
Overturn the original decision
Substitute a different sanction (which may be more or less severe)

The appeal sub-committee will communicate their decision in writing, normally within
48 hours
of the appeal meeting.

The appeal decision is final. There is no further right of appeal.

6. Non-Attendance at Meetings

If a member fails to attend a scheduled meeting without reasonable notice or explanation:

First non-attendance:
The meeting will be rescheduled to a mutually convenient time. The member will be reminded of the importance of
attending.
Second non-attendance:
If the member fails to attend a rescheduled meeting without reasonable explanation, the sub-committee may proceed to
make a decision based on the evidence available to them.
Written submissions:
If a member cannot attend in person, they may submit a written statement to be considered by the sub-committee. This
should be submitted at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting.

7. Suspension

In cases of alleged gross misconduct, or where there is a risk to other members or the club, a member may be suspended
from club activities while an investigation takes place.

Suspension is not a disciplinary sanction
– it does not imply guilt and will not prejudice the outcome of any investigation.

Suspension will normally be for no more than
14 days
, though this may be extended if the investigation requires more time.

During suspension, the member:

Should not attend club events or trips
May continue to access online club communications unless specifically restricted
Will be kept informed of progress and expected timescales

8. Sanctions

Removal from the club
, as defined in the Constitution, means removal from the club plus any associated online groups and being prevented
from accessing club resources or attending events.

Other sanctions
may be imposed such as:

Preventing a member from attending a certain type of event
Preventing a member from leading trips
Requiring completion of specific training
A period of supervised participation
Temporary restriction from certain club activities or roles

9. Sub-committees

Sub-committees will be formed of
3 members
of the Caving Crew committee.

A minimum of
2 sub-committee members
must be present at any formal meeting with a member.

Sub-committee members should:

Not be directly involved in the incident
Not have a close personal relationship with either party that might affect impartiality
Feel able to approach the matter without bias

Any committee member who does not feel they can be impartial should step aside.

For appeals, a fresh sub-committee of 3 different committee members should be appointed where possible. If there are
not enough uninvolved committee members available, the appeal sub-committee should include as many different members
as possible, with the reasons documented.

10. Support for Committee Members

The Secretary should be available to explain the procedure if required. If the disciplinary process involves the
Secretary, another member of the Exec will be able to explain the process.

They will not comment on the content of the proceedings to ensure a fair process, however they can offer advice about
appropriate available actions.

11. Jurisdiction

Whilst the club is affiliated with the BCA, it is organisationally distinct, and the BCA acknowledges it does not have
any jurisdiction over Crew disciplinary matters.

12. Record Keeping

All disciplinary actions will be recorded, including:

Date action taken
Type of action (first warning, final warning, etc.)
Expiry date (when warning will be disregarded)
Reason for disciplinary action
Details of any appeal and outcome

Records will be kept confidentially and only accessed by committee members who need to know.

13. Contact Details

Secretary:
[email protected]
Committee:
[email protected]
Chair:
[email protected]

In cases where allegations are made against the Secretary, another member of the Exec will be named as the contact
person.

14. Related Documents

Code of Conduct
Enforcement Guidance (Committee Use)
Letter Templates (Committee Use)

Version: 1.0

Last updated: 18 January 2026

Updated by: Committee Majority Approval

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