complaints procedure

The University of Portsmouth’s Department of Sport and Recreation is responsible for the oversight, management and development of University sport. This includes Team UOP sports clubs (and related sport and social activities/events), Sport Scholarships, and the student sport workforce (sports club committees, volunteers, coaches, officials, external organisations and partners affiliated with the delivery of University sport).

The University of Portsmouth is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, respectful and positive sporting environment for everyone involved in University sport. An important part of this commitment is ensuring there is a clear, fair and proportionate process for making complaints and addressing conduct issues that arise within student sport. 

This procedure is not a legal process, and it is not necessary to engage legal representation to use it. Where facts are disputed, decisions will be made on the balance of probabilities.

This procedure explains how concerns, complaints and conduct matters connected to University sport will be managed. This may relate to behaviour, safety, inclusion, leadership, conduct, safeguarding, breaches of policy, or actions that negatively impact individuals, clubs, the wider sporting community or the University.

Please note we have a separate procedure for welfare concerns. 

Wherever possible, complaints will be resolved at the earliest appropriate stage through constructive conversations, reflection and restorative approaches. More serious, repeated or high-risk concerns may require a formal complaint process, precautionary measures, referral to the University's Student Casework Team, investigation under other University policies or by external agencies and National Governing Bodies. 

For the purposes of this procedure, the individual or group submitting a complaint will be referred to as "the reporting party", and the individual or group who is the subject of the complaint will be referred to as "the reported party".

The procedure operates alongside the UOP Sport Charter and uses a three-level framework:

• Level 1 - Early Resolution: For concerns where education, reflection and restoration are appropriate.

• Level 2 - Complaint: For concerns requiring greater accountability, formal fact-finding and structured outcomes.

• Level 3 - Conduct: For serious, repeated or high-risk matters that may require formal investigation, precautionary action or escalation to University or external processes.

For the full Complaints Procedure, please read our guidance.

How do I raise my concerns? 

Please complete the Team UOP Working Together Form and a member of staff in Sport and Recreation will be in contact with you.