Complaint Procedure

Shall an individual or a group have a complaint or concern, they have different possibilities of how to go about this. If you would like to talk to someone in confidentiality, rather than having a complaint for which you think measures have to be taken, it is possible to talk to one of the confidential contact persons of ESN Groningen. They can be contacted through email or WhatsApp and are bound by confidentiality. Find here how to contact them.

If you do have a complaint and think it is necessary for ESN Groningen to take action, you can, for anonymous complaints, fill out the complaint form. You can also reach out directly to our Complaint Committee. The Complaint Committee consists of ESN external advisors who are not closely related to the organisation or its members. They are bound by confidentiality, and only the people mentioned in the following complaint procedure will be informed. You can contact them via complaint@esn-groningen.nl.

After having filled out the complaint form or having reached out to the complaint committee, the following complaint procedure will occur.

1. Your complaint will be processed by the Complaint Committee.
2. The Complaint Committee will gather necessary information, if possible, hear out both sides, form a preliminary advice, write a report and share their results with the Executive Board of ESN Groningen within three weeks after receiving your complaint.
3. The Executive Board will receive their advice. Following that, they will hold a meeting and determine the measures needed to be taken.
4. The decision of the Executive Board will be shared with those who are directly affected, the Complaints Committee and the General Board of ESN Groningen.
5. In case that you disagree with the decision and the undertaken measures, you have the possibility to appeal the decision within fourteen days of receiving the decision in writing. This can be done by emailing the Complaints Committee. The notice of appeal should include at least:– the complaint number corresponding to the decision of the Executive Board that the person objects to;
   – the reason why this decision is appealed against;
   – the desired solution.
   
6. If all criteria are met and the appeal is of relevance, the General Board will hold a meeting and determine whether the complaints procedure was followed correctly.
7. If the complaints procedure was followed correctly, the General Board will uphold the Executive Board’s decision. If not, the General Board will require the Executive Board to reconsider their decision, following the procedure correctly. In both cases, everyone affected will be informed.

 

Be aware that if any of the people in the above-mentioned procedure are a close contact of yours or the person the complaint is about or are otherwise connected to the complaint, they will be excluded from the procedure. 

If you have any questions about the Complaints procedure, the Complaint Committee or the confidential contact persons, please contact president@esn-groningen.nl.