Grievance Procedure

The service is committed to providing a pleasant, trusting working environments for all educators. We promote courtesy and respect amongst all educators.
Wherever possible, team members who are feeling aggrieved should try to resolve the issue with the person they have the grievance with. Under no circumstances is the matter to be discussed with other team members. This could be considered a breach of confidentiality and could lead to further disciplinary action. 

• The service accepts that grievances can originate with any stakeholder including families, team members and members of the larger community. The following procedure is in the context of a complaint originating from a family of a child who attends the service; however, the same process would apply (in terms of the order of authority/escalation process) for any grievance or complaint.
  If any team member is approached about a grievance or complaint it is important to document this appropriately. Where the studio lead is the first point of contact, he/she should ensure that either the director or NS is informed of the circumstances and details. The director will then advise the studio lead about the level of documentation that should be completed (in some circumstances, a notation in a diary may be sufficient).
  Where a grievance will require investigation and follow up (for example, if a family member has requested that this occur or a written complaint has been received), documentation should be completed and include the following:
• Details of the initial issue / concern / complaint. Include as much detail as possible including any expectations regarding resolution timeframes or contacts etc.
• Date and time received
• Signature of who received
• Name/Title of person to conduct investigation or follow up
• Details of investigation / follow up. Include copies of any associated documentation (eg current policy or procedure documents).
• Details of escalation of grievance (notation of discussion with management etc).
• Written reply/response to complainant outlining an outcome.
• Details about complainant’s response to the outcome.
• Any further action (eg follow up in 3 months to ensure that new procedure is being followed).
• Details of grievance/s will be retained in the child’s file for further reference.

• Where the grievance or complaint relates to a team member or team members a decision will be made as to where the documentation will be retained.