Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that team members wish to raise. 

The grievance procedure is designed to ensure that, if a team member has any grievance concerning their employment they should be able to raise and discuss the matter with their head of department and/or a member of the senior leadership team (SLT) (Phil Bray, Nick Parkhouse, Dan Campbell and Emma Moore), and have their decision as quickly as possible. 

Grievances should be plainly stated, and all the relevant facts brought to the attention of the person hearing the grievance at the outset. 

Stage 1 – Informal

We encourage you to try to resolve your concerns informally with your head of department wherever possible. If your concerns are about your head of department, you can speak to an alternative member of the SLT. 

Your head of department or member of the SLT will:

• Arrange to speak with you privately to discuss your concerns 
• Listen to your concerns and take them seriously 
• Carefully consider your concerns and establish the facts
• Ask you further questions to make sure they understand your concerns.

If your concern is relatively straightforward, such as a pay or contractual query which can be remedied relatively quickly, your head of department should be able to resolve the issue for you on the same day or within a few days. 

If your concern requires further investigation, your head of department will let you know the likely timescale to complete the investigation, and how long may be expected to resolve the matter. All efforts will be made to resolve your concerns informally and as quickly as possible.

If the matter cannot be settled informally, you can progress to the formal procedure.

Stage 2 – Formal

If you wish to raise a formal grievance, please set out the grievance (and the basis for it) in writing (unless there is a good reason for not doing so) and send it to your head of department. 

Note that this does not prevent you from discussing the matter informally with your head of department in the first place should you wish. If the matter concerns your immediate head of department, then the grievance should be raised with a member of the SLT.

A suitable person will be appointed to chair the grievance hearing. This person will invite you to attend a hearing as soon as possible (where reasonably practicable within five working days of the grievance being raised) to discuss the grievance. 

You will have an opportunity to explain your grievance at this formal meeting. At the meeting you have the right to be accompanied by a fellow team member or someone else of your choosing. You should advise the person chairing the meeting who your chosen companion is going to be. 

The person chairing the meeting will conduct any required investigation and respond in writing to the grievance normally within five working days of the hearing to inform you of the outcome. If it is not possible to respond within that time period, you will be given an explanation for the delay and advised when a response can be expected.

When you are informed of the decision on your grievance, you will also be notified of your right to appeal against the decision if you are not satisfied with it. 

Stage 3 – Appeal

If you feel that the grievance has not been satisfactorily resolved, you should write, stating your grounds for dissatisfaction, to the original chair of the meeting within five working days of their decision. They will then arrange for a suitable person to hear your appeal.

Arrangements will be made for the appeal to be heard within five working days where possible. You will have an opportunity to explain your grounds for appeal at the hearing. Again, you have the right to be accompanied by a fellow team member or a person of your choosing, and you should advise the person hearing the appeal who your chosen companion is to be. 

The person hearing the appeal will conduct any required investigation and respond in writing to your appeal within five working days of the appeal hearing. If it is not possible to respond within that time period, you will be given an explanation for the delay and told when a response can be expected.

This will finalise the internal process.

A record will be kept of all stages of the grievance regarding the issues and any actions taken to show the matter has been raised and resolved.