What Happens Next

Once you click Submit Complaint, your complaint is in safe hands. Here's exactly what to expect.

Straight away — on screen

You'll see a confirmation page with your reference number:

Your unique reference for this complaint. Please keep it safe.

Your reference number always starts with DSA-CMP- followed by six digits. Each complaint gets a unique number that stays with it for life.

Why your reference number matters: Quote it in any future correspondence about this complaint — in email subject lines, phone calls, or letters. It helps us find your complaint quickly and link any new information to the right file.

Within a few minutes — confirmation email

A confirmation email will arrive at the address you provided, sent from info@dancesport.org.au. It contains:

Your reference number
The subject line you used
The date you submitted
A list of any documents you attached

A simplified view of the confirmation email you'll receive.

If the email doesn't arrive within 10 minutes:

Check your spam, junk, or "promotions" folder. The first email from us often ends up there.
If it's not there, the email address you entered may have a typo. Use the General Enquiry form to let us know, quoting the rough time you submitted.

The DSA Administration Team takes it from there

The five stages a complaint moves through.

Stage 1 — Your complaint is logged

The moment you click Submit, your complaint enters the DSA Complaints Register. It's automatically marked "Open" and a notification email is sent to the Administration Team.

Stage 2 — We acknowledge it

An Administrator will personally acknowledge your complaint, usually within a few working days. This acknowledgement may simply confirm we have the complaint and outline next steps, or it may ask follow-up questions if anything needs clarifying.

Stage 3 — We review and investigate

Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Administration Team may need to:

Speak with people involved or witnesses
Review records, video footage, or other evidence
Refer the matter to a Committee or to the Board for determination
Seek external advice (legal, integrity, or otherwise)

The time this takes depends on how complex the matter is. Simple matters may take a couple of weeks; matters involving formal investigation may take longer. We'll keep you informed if it's likely to take more than a few weeks.

Stage 4 — We respond

You'll receive a written response from DSA with the outcome of your complaint. This may be by email or, for more serious matters, by formal letter.

Stage 5 — The complaint is closed

Once the outcome has been communicated and you've had an opportunity to respond, the complaint is marked closed in our register. The record is retained permanently for audit purposes — closing a complaint does not mean it's deleted.

If you have more to say

If you receive a response and want to add new information, or if you disagree with the outcome:

Reply to the email you received from the Administrator, with your reference number in the subject line.
The Administrator can reopen the complaint if needed, and add your new information to the same file.

Please do not submit a fresh complaint about the same matter. Duplicate submissions are automatically detected and may be rejected by the system. Replying to the existing complaint keeps everything together and is much more useful to the Administrator working on your case.

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