Grievance Procedures for Stage 1

 

This procedure provides an open and fair way for members to make known their problems and enables grievances to be resolved quickly before they fester and become major problems.

The procedure recognises that most routine complaints and grievances are resolved informally in discussions within the group. This will be dealt with sympathetically and promptly.

 

Stage 1

If you have any grievance this should be discussed with a Committee member. This meeting is not minuted, but a record of the date, time and the reason for the grievance should be recorded. This record should be signed by both parties at the end of the meeting as a true and accurate record of the meeting. The hope is that the majority of concerns will be resolved at this stage.

Procedures for the meeting with the party bringing the grievance:

            The date and time should be recorded on the paper record.

            The grievance should be recorded.

            A brief explanation about the grievance should be recorded.

            After hearing the grievance any solutions should be discussed and any solutions agreed upon should be recorded. This could include:

            The Committee member contacts the party which the grievance is against.

             The grievance is aired at the next group meeting.

             All parties meet to discuss the grievance.

            When the meeting is finished the record must be signed and dated by both parties.

 

           

The time period at each stage may be varied by mutual consent.

 

Records

Records should be kept in a sealed envelope, (this will be sealed by the Committee member from each Stage) detailing the nature of the grievance raised, the group’s response, any action taken and the reason for it. These records should be kept confidential and retained in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, which requires the release of certain data to individuals on their request.

Copies of any meeting records should be given to the individual concerned although in certain circumstances some information may be withheld, for example to protect a witness.

These records will be kept for 5 years. After that date the records will be given back to the individuals concerned.