1. Why NCV welcomes complaints

Northside Community Voices Inc. (NCV) takes complaints seriously. A complaint tells us where we have fallen short of what people expect of us, and gives us the chance to put it right and do better. We treat complaints, compliments and feedback as part of being accountable to the community we speak with.

This policy is deliberately proportionate. NCV is a small association run entirely by volunteers, with no paid staff. It sets out a process a volunteer Board can actually follow, and it works alongside the rules in NCV’s registered Constitution rather than replacing them.

2. What this policy covers

This policy covers complaints from anyone, whether or not they are involved with NCV, about:

• NCV’s activities, events, surveys, listening work, publications or website;
• how NCV has handled somebody’s personal information;
• donations, fundraising and how NCV uses its money;
• the conduct of anyone acting for NCV, including Board members, office holders, convenors and volunteers; and
• how NCV has handled an earlier complaint.

Some matters follow their own rules, and this policy points to them rather than repeating them (see section 7):

• a dispute under the Constitution between Members, or between a Member and the Board or NCV;
• an appeal against a decision to reject a membership application or to end a membership;
• concerns about sexual harassment or victimisation; and
• concerns about the safety of a child.

3. What these words mean

Complaint means any expression of dissatisfaction made to or about NCV, its activities, the people acting for it, or its handling of a complaint, where a response or resolution is expected.

Feedback means a comment, suggestion or compliment where a response is not expected. It is welcome and passed to the people it concerns, but it does not follow this process.

Grievance procedure means the procedure in the Constitution for resolving a dispute under the rules between Members, or between a Member and the Board or NCV. The Constitution calls the Board the management committee.

Complaint handler means the Board member responsible for dealing with a particular complaint.

4. Our commitments

People who make a complaint will:

• be able to find out easily how to make one, including on NCV’s website;
• be listened to and treated with respect;
• be helped to make a complaint if they need it, and may be supported or represented by someone they choose;
• not be treated unfairly because they complained; and
• be told the outcome and the reasons for it, and what they can do if they are not satisfied.

NCV will:

• make sure a complaint is never handled by the person it is about, and that any conflict of interest is declared and recorded in the Conflict of Interest Register;
• keep complaints confidential, sharing information only with those who need it and only as the Privacy Policy allows;
• accept anonymous complaints and look into them as far as it can, noting that it may not be able to act without being able to follow up; and
• deal with any immediate risk to someone’s safety straight away.

5. Making a complaint

A complaint can be made:

• through the contact form on NCV’s website;
• by email, letter or phone to the President or the Secretary; or
• in person to any Board member, office holder or convenor, who will pass it to the President or Secretary.

A complaint about the President or the Secretary goes to another Board member.

It helps to say what happened, when, who was involved, and what outcome the person is looking for. A complaint does not need to be in writing, but whoever receives a spoken complaint will write it down and check it with the person.

6. How NCV deals with a complaint

Recording. Every complaint is recorded with the date, the person’s contact details (unless anonymous), what it is about and what was done. Records are kept confidentially and separately from ordinary NCV records.

Acknowledgement. The person will be told within five days that the complaint has been received, who is handling it, and roughly how long it should take.

Level 1: early resolution. Where possible, a complaint is resolved quickly and informally by the person who receives it or by the President or Secretary, for example with an explanation, an apology, or by fixing the problem.

Level 2: review by the Board. If a complaint cannot be resolved early, or is serious, the Board appoints a complaint handler who has had nothing to do with the matter. The handler looks at what happened, speaks to the people involved, gives anyone the complaint is about a fair chance to respond, and reports to the Board with a recommendation. The Board decides the outcome and the person is told in writing, with reasons.

NCV aims to resolve complaints within 30 days, and will tell the person if it will take longer and why.

Level 3: outside help. If the person is not satisfied with how NCV has dealt with the complaint, they may take it to an outside body (see section 8).

Unreasonable conduct. NCV will stay open to everyone who complains. Where a person’s conduct becomes abusive, threatening or unreasonably repetitive, the Board may limit how and when NCV communicates with them, and will tell them so in writing.

Complaints that need not proceed. Consistent with rule 12B of the Constitution, the Board may decide not to take a complaint further if it is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance, or has already been dealt with. The person will be told, with reasons.

7. Matters that follow their own rules

Disputes between Members, or between a Member and the Board or NCV. These are dealt with under the grievance procedure in the Constitution (rules 12A to 12F), which the Board must follow. In summary:

• the Member starts the procedure by giving written notice of the dispute to the other party and, if the other party is not the Board, to the Board;
• the parties must try in good faith to resolve it;
• if it is not resolved within 14 days, the Member may, within a further 21 days, ask the Secretary to refer it to mediation, and the Board must then refer it within 14 days;
• if the parties cannot agree on a mediator within 14 days, the Board appoints one for a dispute between Members, and an accredited mediator or a dispute resolution centre is used for a dispute with the Board or NCV;
• the mediator tries to finish within 28 days, must hear each party and act fairly, and does not decide the matter; costs are shared equally unless agreed otherwise;
• each party may appoint a qualified person to act for them, by written notice; and
• meetings and mediation may be held by video or phone if the parties and the mediator agree.

If the Member does not ask for mediation in time, the procedure ends. The Board does not have to act in the circumstances set out in rule 12B.

Membership decisions. A person whose membership application is rejected, or whose membership is ended by the Board, has a right of appeal to a general meeting under the Constitution, and cannot use the grievance procedure for that decision. Written notice of intention to appeal must be given to the Secretary within one month of receiving written notice of the decision. The Secretary must call a general meeting within one month, and it must be held within three months.

Sexual harassment or victimisation is dealt with under the Sexual Harassment and Victimisation Policy.

The safety of a child is dealt with under the Child Safety Policy. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000.

A possible crime should be reported to the Queensland Police Service. Nothing in this policy prevents or delays that.

8. Outside bodies

A person who is not satisfied may contact, depending on the matter:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, about how NCV has handled personal information;
• the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, about NCV’s compliance with the Associations Incorporation Act 1981;
• the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, if NCV is registered with it; or
• the Queensland Human Rights Commission or the Australian Human Rights Commission, about discrimination or harassment.

9. Learning from complaints

The Secretary keeps a register of complaints. At least once a year, and at each Annual General Meeting report, the Board reviews how many complaints were received, what they were about, how they were resolved, how long they took, and what NCV changed as a result. Names are not included in anything reported beyond the Board.

10. Review

This policy is reviewed by the Board every year, and after any change to the Constitution’s grievance procedure or membership rules.

Related documents: NCV Constitution, Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, Sexual Harassment and Victimisation Policy (draft), Child Safety Policy (draft).

This draft has not been adopted. It takes effect only if and when resolved by the Board.