Discipline Process Support

We understand that being involved in a disciplinary process can be difficult and stressful. This can apply to anyone involved - you may be the victim, a witness, or you may have been charged or be under investigation. Regardless of your role, we want to make the process as manageable as possible for you. It may help to understand the steps the process will follow, so these are outlined below. We aim to have a process that is fair and transparent for everyone involved. If you are finding it particularly difficult please let us know as soon as possible. We will do what we can to support you. The mental health support section below may be a useful reference.

Steps in the discipline process

1. A report or allegation is submitted to Basketball England and identified as a discipline matter.

2. An investigation is started. This might involve asking for statements or observations from witnesses, match officials or the person accused.

3. Once sufficient information and evidence has been collated, a decision will be made on what, if any, action will be taken. This could be a disciplinary charge, a warning, or education.

4. If a charge is raised, the details of the charge and the evidence on which it is based will be provided to the individual who is being charged, usually via the club.

5. The person charged can respond, accepting or denying the charge, and choosing either a correspondence or personal hearing. Further evidence in defence of the charge can be submitted when responding.

6. The charge is heard by a Discipline Commission, who consider the evidence and decide whether the charge is Proven or Not Proven. If it is Proven, they will also decide the sanction.

7. If a charge is Proven, the person charged will have the right to appeal that decision.

Adaptions available for those finding the process difficult

The process is structured in a way to ensure it follows basic principles of fairness, so there may be limits to how flexible it can be, however we can support in the following ways:

• If you let us know the impact the case is having we may be able to prioritise it and minimise any delays so a resolution is reached more quickly.
• We may be able to provide more regular updates so you know how the case is progressing, and you are always welcome to ask for an update if you’ve not heard from us for a while.
• If you are the victim or a witness, you may withdraw from the process. This might limit any action that we can take, but we won’t pressure you to continue if it is negatively impacting on you. If any safeguarding concerns have been highlighted, we will still need to address those.

Mental health support

If the incident has negatively impacted your mental health, or you feel you would benefit from support for any reason, the following contacts can help.

Samaritans – provide a 24hr helpline for anyone needing to talk, by calling 116 123. You can also contact them by email [email protected]. They also have resources available on their website, and advice for anyone wanting to support someone they are concerned about: Samaritans.

Mind – offering information and resources for the individual and for anyone wanting to support someone they are concerned about: Information & Support - Mind.

They also have support and resources specifically aimed at 11 – 18 year olds: Information for young people on mental health and wellbeing - Mind.

Your GP - Your GP may be able to offer more personalised support and will be able to refer you for further help if necessary. Information about accessing mental health support through the NHS can be found here: How to access mental health services - NHS.