Northern Newfoundland Club

Working Section Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure:

1. Making a complaint ? Any person wishing to make a complaint at a working event, must log this in an incident book which will be available from the Test Manager. Once the complaint form is fully completed and signed, this will then be countersigned by the Test Manager or a member of the WSC, a copy being kept by the complainant and the other being kept on record for 18 months.

To make a complaint regarding the working section, unrelated to an event, please download and complete the complaint form found on the NNC Internet site and forward to the Complaints Officer, which will then be dealt with from item 3 below onwards.

2. Proceeding with the complaint ? The complainant then has 14 days to consider if they want to formally log this. If continuing, they will have to confirm this by letter to the Complaints Officer of the Working Sub Committee.

3. Once a letter has been received, the Complaints Officer will then raise the issue at the next Working Sub Committee meeting.

4. Consideration of the complaint ? If it is decided to proceed further with the issue, the WSC will ask for a statement from the respondent.

5. On receipt of the respondent's statement, it will be decided if to take the matter further, if dismissed the complainant will be notified.

6. If the matter is being taken further, written witness statements will now be sought to get a thorough picture of events surrounding the incident.

7. Once all relevant information has been collected, the WSC can make an informed decision and both parties will be informed of this in writing.

8. Review ? If the complainant or respondent is aggrieved by the decision made, they are entitled to request that the WSC pass the papers on to the main committee for review, providing such a request is made within 21 days of notification.

9. Within 42 days of this Within 42 days of this written request for review, the main committee shall either;
a) Uphold the decision, or
b) Refer the complaint to further scrutiny.

10. Both parties will be notified of the decision.

11. Within 21 days the committee will notify the complainant and respondent of the date of the next meeting at which the complaint will be heard.

12. The committee can arrange an adjournment to the following meeting, if the complainant or the respondent have reasonable grounds.

13. Strict rules of evidence shall not apply to the hearing by the committee. However, the committee will naturally attach more weight to direct oral evidence given before it, than to other forms of evidence.

14. The committee has the power to proceed with neither party present, but will only do so in the absence of the respondent in exceptional circumstances.

15. The committee may at anytime or upon application adjourn the date of the hearing.

16. If it is decided that t If it is decided that the conduct of the member shall be injurious or likely to be injurious to the character or interests of the club, then the procedure under Club Rule 6.1 will be invoked. Any other decision of the committee will be advised to the parties verbally or in writing whichever is appropriate, as soon as possible; it will also be published in the Club's newsletter.

PLEASE NOTE that complaints can ONLY be accepted in writing in accordance with the above procedures. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will verbal complaints be accepted. Please remember that the Co-ordinator is only there as a point of contact for you and to ensure all complaints are seen by the WSC. Anonymous letters will NOT be considered under any circumstances.

The WSC will not tolerate any aggressive verbal complaints made to our Co-ordinator.

Complaints Co-Ordinator:

Angie Fitzgerald - Email