Grievance Procedure
The written grievance should contain the following:
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A description of the problem.
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The date of the incident(s).
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Name(s) of the individual(s) involved in or witnessing the incident(s).
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The suggested resolution.
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The date the grievance is filed with a signature.
To address complaints from individuals and/or organizations regarding the services provided by Voices For Children, the following grievance procedure shall be followed:
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The grievance will be directed to the advocate’s immediate supervisor, and the Program Director will be notified of the grievance.
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The matter shall be reviewed and resolved by the immediate supervisor, with the Program Director and/or the Executive Director being consulted as appropriate.
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Each level of review and resolution will include contact with both the complainant and the advocate.
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Any grievances lodged against an advocate that the immediate supervisor is unable to resolve will be referred to the Program Director for resolution. If necessary, the Program Director will defer the matter to the Executive Director.
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Once the matter is addressed, a written reply stating that the grievance has been received and resolved shall be sent to the complainant, with copies provided to the Executive Director, Program Director, advocate, and Board of Directors as appropriate to the chain of command by which the matter was handled.
The person who filed the grievance must be informed of the resolution in writing, and Voices For Children should keep a written record of all grievances filed against advocates, staff members, and board members.
Malicious Allegations: An individual is not required to prove the truth of an allegation, but they are required to act in good faith.
Time Frame: It is recommended that the individual filing the grievance do so within seven days of the incident in question and that the person in charge of resolving the grievance does so within two weeks of the opening of the grievance.
Although not all problems can be resolved to everyone’s total satisfaction, it is through open discussion of problems that Voices for Children and stakeholders develop confidence in each other. This confidence is important to the operation of an efficient and harmonious environment that benefits all parties.