DISCIPLINARY AND COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

1. All members shall be subject to the Professional Reflexology (PR) disciplinary and complaints procedure.

2. Any complaint received against a member will be acknowledged by PR and recorded in the Register of Complaints.

3. The member will be informed immediately that a complaint has been raised and advised of the nature of the complaint based on the information available to PR at the time. The member may offer an explanation at that time or wait until a formal detailed complaint has been lodged.

4. The complainant will be informed of the disciplinary and complaints procedure, and at that time PR will request that the complainant detail in writing, within a period of 28 days, the nature of the complaint against the member together with any available supporting evidence.

5. In the event no formal written complaint is made the entry in the Register of Complaints will be erased

6. Upon receipt of the formal written complaint a copy will be made available to the member requesting comment, agreement or rebuttal within 28 days. The person lodging the complaint will be sent written confirmation of the formal investigation and the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee will be provided with a copy of the formal complaint.

7. On receipt of the reply by the member the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee in consultation with one or more relevantly qualified members (These forming the Disciplinary Committee) will determine if there is a case to be answered.

8. If the circumstances of the complaint are of a nature that could be covered by member’s insurance policy the member will be advised to make immediate contact with the insurance company’s claims department for advice. No further action will be taken until the insurance company has determined its interest in the case.

9. If, in the opinion of the Committee, the member has conducted her/him self contrary to the Code of Practice then the PR may take disciplinary action against the member.

10. If, in the opinion of the Committee there is no case to answer, the person making the complaint will be informed of the decision and the reasons for the decision.

11. If there is a case to be answered and there is no insurance involvement, the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee will consult with the committee and within 28 days of the decision to proceed make its findings known to the complainant and the member in writing.

12. The Disciplinary Committee may call or consult with such witnesses deemed necessary by the committee to resolve the complaint.

13. In cases deemed by the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee to be of a sufficiently serious nature the complainant and the member may be invited to give personal evidence if they wish to do so and each may be accompanied by a friend or adviser. All costs of attending any such meeting(s) shall fall to the complainant and the member.

14. Having considered the complaint and the member's reply, the Disciplinary Committee shall within 28 days, submit their decision to the complainant and the member.

15. Both the complainant and the member shall have the right to appeal against the decision of the Committee any such appeal shall be made in writing to the PR offices within 14 days of notification of the decision. No costs are charged for the initial process of the Disciplinary Committee but the appellant will be charged a fee of £75.00 to cover the costs of any such appeal.

16. In the case of the committee, having followed the above disciplinary and complaints procedure, finding the member guilty of a breach of the Code of Practice and Ethics it shall consider the seriousness of the nature of such breach and decide upon such disciplinary action as it deems appropriate. This action will amount to either suspension of membership or expulsion from the PR. In this event the committee’s decision shall be final.