Problem Resolution Procedure

DRAFT

All Voice is committed to making the best environment for our singers and volunteers, and we have a staff code of conduct to promote this. There may be times when someone has concerns about an individual, perhaps for a breach of the code of conduct, or the organisation itself, and we have some suggested routes for raising these available to singers.

We hope that most issues can be dealt with informally, but in serious cases we can also set up a more formal procedure to solve the problem.

We want to treat everyone fairly, so in these cases, this procedure sets out how any investigation will proceed. We aim for this to be compatible with the ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance.

In general, issues should be dealt with as soon as possible, but giving everyone involved time to prepare.

To start an investigation, a singer or volunteer should make this request to any of the company directors.

Someone already dealing with an issue informally may decide to move on to this step if their initial work hasn't resolved the problem.

1. The company director will arrange for one of the company directors to investigate.
2. After a problem is raised, the investigator will find out the situation from all involved. This may involve interviewing people or asking for statements; anyone being interviewed is invited to bring someone to the meeting for support.
3. Having collected the information, the investigator will decide whether an informal action can resolve the problem or whether a formal procedure is needed.

1. If a meeting is needed, the investigator will inform anyone raising a problem or being investigated by letter, setting out what the problem is, and inviting them to the meeting with the option to be accompanied.
2. At the meeting, the volunteer will be given the opportunity to make their case and ask any questions. As well as the investigator, another company representative, often the Welfare Coordinator or a committee member for the relevant area of operations will also be present.
3. The investigator will write to the person raising the problem or subject to one of the sanctions to summarise the meeting and inform them of the outcome.

Possible outcomes:

• Actions decided to address the problem
• Meeting date set to review whether the actions are addressing the problem
• Sanctions for misconduct, usually in this order:
  • Formal warning, kept on record for 1 year
  • Final warning, kept on record for 1 year
  • Termination of volunteer position

If the issue is serious enough, for example a case of gross misconduct, the company may terminate its volunteering relationship with an individual following a misconduct meeting without notice. Examples of gross misconduct would include theft, violence, harassment, or breach of confidence.

If a procedure for misconduct gives rise to a grievance, the misconduct meeting will be suspended while the grievance is dealt with.

The person raising the problem or subject to one of the sanctions above can appeal to the board of company directors. The board will try to have this investigated by someone different from the initial investigation, and they will check whether the first outcome was arrived at correctly. If there is new information or the decision was taken incorrectly, they may decide to make a new investigation to re-examine the original allegation. Decisions from appeals to the board are final.