Polices & Procedures

1. Termination of Membership

Romford Hockey Club has a robust disciplinary procedure in place to deal with disciplinary matters both on and off the field of play, which give Romford Hockey Club Disciplinary Committee flexibility to use their discretion in how to deal with an incident.  

The membership of any person may be terminated or have conditions or restrictions placed upon it by the Management Committee if, in the opinion of the Committee, the member has: 

1.1.1 Failed to pay his or her annual subscription or set up a standing order by 31 October or as provided herein after in the event of a player elected later in the year  

1.1.2 Been guilty of conduct unbecoming to the well‐being of the general membership 

1.1.3 Brought the Club or the game of hockey into disrepute as outlined later in this procedure 

1.1.4 A grievance by another member of Romford Hockey Club or any other Field Hockey Club

2, Disciplinary Proceedings

2.1.1 The chairperson will choose who the investigating officer will be, in the absence of the chairperson the vice chairman or club secretary will appoint an Investigating Officer 

2.1.2 The Sub Committee will incorporate two other committee members and the Club secretary if the secretary is not available a third member of the committee will act as secretary in their absence. 

2.1.3 The investigating officer should gather all available evidence, including independent testimonies and take them to the sub committee

2.1.4 the sub committee should lay out charges/accusations against the individual(s) and sent it to them in writing, inviting them to attend a disciplinary meeting within the next 7-14 days.    

2.1.5 The accused should be invited to submit any written evidence supporting their case to the sub‐committee at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.  Any written evidence submitted at a later date, including at the meeting itself, may not be considered by the disciplinary sub‐committee or subsequent appeal panel.  

2.1.6 At the meeting the accused will be invited to discuss the charges and to present their case. They should also be informed of the next steps, including appeal

2.1.7 After the meeting, the disciplinary sub committee will deliberate and inform the accused in writing, within 7 days of the meeting, of their meeting, the reasons for reaching it, and any sanction to be imposed

2.1.8 The accused should be informed that they have 14 days to appeal against any sub‐ committee decision/sanction.  Any appeal should be submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary of Romford Hockey Club clearly stating the grounds for appeal.  

2.1.9 An appeal hearing should be convened within 14 days of receipt of a written appeal and chaired by the club Chairman or President. the appeal panel will consist of at least TWO other senior members of the club, one of which will act as a secretary to the appeal panel. The appeal panel's decision will be final

2.1.10 in the case of the disciplinary action against a Junior member, all correspondence should be sent to both accused and their parent(s)/guardian(s). The attendance of the parent(s) /guardian(s) at the disciplinary meeting and any subsequent appeal hearing, is mandatory even if the junior member chooses not to attend

This is a controlled document. The electronic version of this document is located on Romford Hockey Club website and is the most up-to-date. In the case of conflict the electronic version prevails over any printed version. This document is for internal use only and may not be relied upon by third parties for any purpose whatsoever.

What Do We Mean By Abuse

Abuse can be defined as any deed that doesn’t have to be intentional. Abuse deprives or does not respect a person’s rights and may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may occur as a result of a failure to take appropriate action or to undertake care tasks. This may be considered an act of neglect or an omission to act. It may be a violation of the person, an assault or criminal act. It may be poor treatment, a lack of respect, or a failure to uphold the person’s rights.

Abuse can happen within any relationship or setting and may result in significant physical or emotional harm to the person.

Types of Abuse

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse can be defined as the non-accidental infliction of physical force or coercion. Examples of physical abuse may include:

• Hitting, slapping, scratching or burning or biting;
• Pushing or rough handling;
• Making someone take a cold bath or very hot bath against their will;
• Deliberate misuse of medication;
• Deliberate deprivation of food, drink, clothing, warmth and health care needs;
• Restraining a person without justifiable reasons.

Sexual acts that might be abusive include:

Non-contact abuse

• Leering;
• Voyeurism;
• Indecent exposure;
• Harassment;
• Serious teasing or innuendo;
• Taking indecent photographs (Upskirting)

Contact abuse

• Touch/kissing of, for example, breast, genitals, anus, and mouth;
• Masturbation of either or both persons;
• Penetration or attempted penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth by penis or

other objects

Psychological/Emotional Abuse (The Infliction of Mental Anguish) 

Psychological abuse can be defined as the systemic abuse of a person by neglecting their thoughts and feelings that undermines them and impacts on their self-esteem. Examples of psychological abuse might include:

• Use of threats; 
• Humiliation; 
• Bullying; 
• Swearing; 
• Serious teasing; 
• Harassment;
• Treating individuals as though they were children;

The person carrying out the psychological abuse may not be doing so intentionally. It is the action and its effect on the individual to whom it is directed which is important in deciding whether or not psychological abuse has occurred. 

Psychological abuse extends to interactions between people that are acceptable to them, but offensive to a third party present at the time. This could include, for example, the telling of racist, sexist, homophobic or other equally offensive jokes.

Financial/Material Abuse 

Financial abuse is a form of mistreatment and fraud in which someone forcibly controls another person's money or other assets. Often financial abuse is not discovered for some time because a member can unwittingly conceal evidence. Examples of financial/material abuse include: 

• Theft; 
• Fraud and extortion;
• Knowingly assisting an individual to defraud Romford Hockey Club; 
• Accessing Romford Hockey Club’s bank account through the use of a cash card or cheque book, without authorisation; 

Discriminatory Abuse 

Romford Hockey Club recognise that all of the people who use Romford Hockey Club have the right to be treated with respect, in a way that values their beliefs, values and culture. Discriminatory abuse exists when values, beliefs and culture result in an abuse of power that denies individual opportunities. It is the exploitation of a person’s vulnerability. The legislation that limits/prevents discriminatory abuse includes: - The Race Relations Act 1976 (amendment act) 2000, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Sex Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010. 

This is a controlled document. The electronic version of this document is located on Romford Hockey Club website and is the most up-to-date. In the case of conflict the electronic version prevails over any printed version. This document is for internal use only and may not be relied upon by third parties for any purpose whatsoever.