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Very
occassionally, things may not go as expected and a complaint may
arise against a member of the Order. This should ideally be dealt
with at the time with the member of the Order concerned but it is not
always possible to resolve things in this way.
If this happens,
then a written complaint should be submitted to the Northern Area
Office where it will be investigated and the appropriate action
taken. However, a number of steps should be taken before things get
to this stage.
1.
Try to resolve the complaint with the member of clergy acting on
your behalf.
If you have paid
for a service and feel that it has not been delivered then you should
negotiate for a full or partial refund. Some members of the Order
will provide you with an agreed copy of the service before it takes
place but if this is not offered it is a good idea to keep written
and dated notes about what was agreed and these should be taken at
the time of your meetings, not afterwards. Some small variations in
delivery are inevitable but unreasonable or major changes to the
service without notice unless there are exceptional circumstances are
not acceptable, and these would be good grounds for complaint. In the
first instance you should discuss this with the member of clergy
acting on your behalf.
If you are
accepting service which is voluntarily being delivered by a member of
clergy acting on your behalf then the issue is more difficult unless
that member of clergy has acted in a way that is unprofessional. The
Order's members have a professional code of conduct and they should
abide by this - click this link
to download the full code of professional conduct in the Members
Handbook or this link
for the main points.
If you are just
not happy with the outcome of the voluntary services given then you
again should refer back to any notes or agreements made before these
services were implemented before referring the matter on. There may
be occasions where the member of the Order concerned has made a
professional judgement which is appropriate to the circumstances but
may not be easy to accept, and in these circumstances there would be
no reasonable grounds for instituting the complaints procedure. If
there is doubt however, a referal can offer a 'second opinion'.
A clash of
personalities is no grounds for complaint unless it results in
unprofessional conduct.
2.
Make your complaint in writing.
Verbally given
complaints may start the complaints procedure but will have
eventually to be given in written form.
The content of any
letter of complaint or e-mail should be direct and cover the exact
nature of the complaint, who it involves and the circumstances in
which the complaint arose. It should also include names of any
witnesses and, if possible, supporting statements along with contact details.
Any reasonable
suggestions as to how the complaint would acceptably be resolved may
be included if felt appropriate.
Contact details:
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e-mail:
the
Northern Area Office
phone:
01937
587265 |
write to:
The Northern Area Office
The Order of On
Call Clergy
10 The Rowans
Wetherby
LS22 5EB |
3.
Next step.
The complaint will
then be passed onto the Executive Bishop and he will make a decision
as to how the complaint is to be processed.
The complaint will
either be referred back/on to
(a) the member of
the Order for resolution
(b) the assistant bishop
(c) the Orders'
Executive body
You will then
receive written notification as to the outcome.
The Order takes
all complaints very seriously and will take swift action once
notified.
Members of the
Order, particularly clergy, must bear in mind that they are in
postions of great trust and power and this should not be abused or
mis-used. This is why professional misconduct once proven will result
in immediate disciplinary action or, in serious cases, result in
dismissal from the Order. 'From everyone who
has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has
been entrusted with much, much more will be demanded'. Luke 12 v48b
Any judgements
will be prayerfully and impartially made based on evidence, the
Order's Code of Professional Conduct, the Order's Rule, Holy
Scripture and circumstances. There will be no appeals procedure for
either party, all decisions being final.
It has to be said
that the Order has received very few complaints and they have been
reconciled or dealt with very quickly.
In contrast, there
is substantial evidence that the work of members is greatly
appreciated and valued. |
