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SUNSHINE COAST CITIZEN ADVOCACY PROGRAMME INC.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
1 - Definitions
A grievance is a real or imagined injustice suffered by a person and caused by another person or persons.
2 - Principles
The person who suffers a grievance has a right to justice and a right to have that grievance resolved or to have demonstrated to his or her satisfaction that the grievance is unfounded.
It is the responsibility of the Board of Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy to resolve the grievance or to have it resolved or to demonstrate that it is unfounded by a procedure known as the Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy Grievance Procedure (hereafter referred to as the Procedure).
It is the aim of the Procedure to resolve the grievance with the least possible upset to any person.
The procedure shall not favour the status of any person.
The procedure shall be simple and confidential by involving, for the resolution of the grievance, the least number of people possible. Any person who, by necessity, is made privy to the grievance shall not divulge any matter concerning it without the prior consent of the person who has the grievance.
The person who suffers the grievance shall have easy access to an appropriate person to explain the grievance and to have it resolved.
The Procedure shall be as informal as possible and shall allow the person with the grievance to be in control of the process of resolving the grievance. In that regard, the persons charged with resolving the grievance shall, as far as this is possible, avoid discussion of the matter in the absence of the person with a grievance who shall, in any event, be kept informed by those persons of any matter concerning the grievance.
A Conciliator and a Deputy Conciliator shall be appointed from the Board. The Deputy Conciliator shall act whenever the Conciliator is absent or is, for any other reason, unable to act.
The Procedure shall encourage the person with the grievance to attempt to resolve the grievance in the first instance directly with the person who is the cause of the grievance, and without the intervention of the Conciliator or of any other person.
The resolution of the grievance shall be fair and just. The person with the grievance will be notified of the attempts made for resolution within (5) working days. If the grievance cannot be resolved within this timeframe, the person making the grievance will continue to be informed of the steps being taken to resolve the grievance.
The grievance procedure shall be explained to all staff, advocates, protégés and members of the Board. In that regard, Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy Policies for 'Communicating In Language That Is Easily Understood' shall apply.
All records and information of grievances heard shall be securely stored at the Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy Office.
Where a grievance concerns sexual harassment, the Grievance Procedure - Sexual Harassment will be used. The Sexual Harassment contact person is the Chairperson of Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy.
This grievance procedure gives guidance in the following circumstances:
Section 3 - A grievance between Advocate and Protégé.
Section 5 - A grievance between members of the Staff, or between Staff and a member of the Board.
Section 6 - A grievance by a member of the public, or by members of services other than Sunshine Coast Citizen Advocacy.