Disciplinary Procedures

These Procedures were approved by committee at its meeting on 12 August 2026.

They are intended to complement the Disciplinary Policy and the Complaints Policy and provide consistency, transparency and fairness, allowing due process.

approved by committee 12 August 2026

Kettering Allotments Society

Disciplinary procedure - complaints and allegations of rule violations 

The following steps aim to help due process to be followed when allegations of rule violations are made. Two of the Society’s Policies are relevant - the Disciplinary Policy and the Complaints Policy. These steps are intended to aid transparency and assist members to follow due process.

Eviction for non-cultivation is normally handled by a steward without convening a panel unless there is an appeal by the tenant. Most cases of non-cultivation are straightforward as the plot is not being cultivated and the tenant has not visited their allotment for some time. (ie the evidence of non-cultivation is unambiguous). If the tenant disputes this, the steps below may be followed. Eviction due to non-cultivation by stewards proceed through stages of well-being check, warning, 28 day notice to quit, eviction with the option of appeal. 

1. A complaint or allegation may be received by a steward or sent directly to the secretary.

2. If the complaint is about an officer (Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), then the case is initially dealt with by the other two officers acting together. If the complaint is about the secretary then the steps below that involve the secretary are carried out by the two other officers jointly.

3. The steward first gathers as much factual information as possible. This may include photos, statements, conversations.

4. If the allegation is of a criminal offence the complainant may consider informing the Police.

5. If the allegation is thought to be misinformed a simple conversation may resolve things.

6. For incidents or allegations to be considered disciplinary there must be reference to a rule violation, non-compliance of a Policy (even by omission) or illegal behaviour at the allotment site. Allegations are passed to the Secretary to consult with the other Officers to confirm that there is a disciplinary issue. Complaints are dealt with by following the Society's Complaints Policy.

7. If the incident or allegation is not covered by our Tenancy Rules and Policies, then the matter may need to be referred to the committee for clarification without disclosing details about the actual incident or personal data that may be prejudicial to due process.. The committee may need to modify its Policies or ask the Society to update Tenancy Rules to cover such behaviour in future cases. 

8. If the allegation scenario is completely unprecedented or especially serious and complex, advice may be sought from reputable partner organisations e.g. National Allotment Society or the Town Council. The officers may need to meet and adjust these procedures to ensure that the process is fair, appropriate and legal. Due process and fairness will always be respected and novel situations merit careful thought before proceeding.

9. If the complaint or allegation is considered non-trivial by any party then an investigation gathering as many facts as possible is undertaken. This information is sent to the secretary.

10. The secretary then convenes a panel as described in the Disciplinary Policy. Panels are three members, chaired by a committee member from another site who has no previous involvement with the incident or allegation. The other two panel members should also be as independent as possible (e.g. not friends of the complainant or the alleged person). The panel will be chosen using an alphabetical list of all committee members; the next three names on the list for each subsequent panel. The Chair of the panel then coordinates when it meets to hear the case.

11. The panel should meet (either in person or online) and consider the factual evidence gathered in the investigation. Their decisions must be minuted. The panel should give reasonable opportunity to the alleged perpetrator to give evidence and state their side of the story. (see Disciplinary Policy points 2 and 3)

12. For many incidents it is preferable that the case may be resolved by an amicable conversation e.g. an apology accepted; or acknowledgement that the incident arose from a genuine misunderstanding and lack of communication rather than malicious intent. Clearly any resolution of this kind should include commitments by all parties to avoid any repetition or similar incidents in the future. All parties should agree to learn from the case and draw a line under the incident.

13. For more serious allegations or incidents, e.g. when significant harm has been done, the panel considers the range of measures available, such as sincere apology, verbal warning, written warning, final written warning, termination from the Society (aka eviction).

14. Once a panel has made an informed decision it is noted and the secretary informed for filing. 

15. Appeals may be lodged. An appeal panel is then convened by the secretary. The appeal panel consists of three members who are unaware of the details of the case. Exceptionally, in complex and serious cases it may be necessary to involve trusted  independent third parties such as NAS and consider conflict resolution strategies including mediation, arbitration and conciliation.