Enquiry and report
In the event of a complaint:
Enquiries are made by a committee member (not the chair) and a member of staff, unless the staff member is the subject of the complaint, in which case two committee members conduct the enquiry. Nightstop staff prepare a special incident report, which is updated as necessary. During the investigation, the committee members are informed orally. After the resolution, the staff report to the chair or designated committee member and write a formal letter to the referral agency.
Complaints about a nightstopper
This procedure is outlined in the host handbook
- The host notifies the office staff, who report as above.
- The staff contact the referral agency, and in the case of stolen property asks them to retain it if possible.
- The staff offer the nightstopper an opportunity to make a defence.
- The nightstopper is not usually accommodated by Nightstop for the duration of the complaint.
- The staff and referral agency try to come to an agreement.
Complaints by a nightstopper about a host
Since the next person in authority to be seen by the nightstopper after the host is likely to be the referral agency, the procedure will start from there. The nightstopper may have been informed of the procedure through the feedback form available from the host, or by the agency in the first place. Copies of this leaflet are distributed to referral agencies.
procedure
- The complainant gives details to the referring officer.
- The officer conveys the complaint to the Nightstop office in the first instance.
- The host is suspended during the investigation and two workers visit the host, who is entitled to a full account of the complaint made.
- The referral officer interviews the complainant. If the affair involves physical abuse, the agency is advised to find other accommodation for the complainant until the issue is resolved.
- Nightstop and the referral agency compare notes and try to arrive at a resolution.
- If the referral officer is not satisfied, the dispute continues via the chair.
Support
During the procedure, the host may need support from Nightstop, and the staff may need support from the committee, especially if the dispute is lengthy.
Other complaints
A similar procedure would be used in the case of a complaint about a telephone volunteer or if a complaint is made by one volunteer about another. Depending on the circumstances, the complainant is always free to take the matter to the police.
