Complaints

Our policy is:

• To provide a fair complaints procedure that is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.

• To make sure everyone who works for Salisbury Vineyard Church knows what to do if a complaint is received.

• To make sure complaints are investigated fairly and in a polite and timely way.

• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired and reconciliation achieved.

• To gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

What kind of complaints are not covered by this procedure?

• Safeguarding concerns relating to child or adult protection.

Any safeguarding concern should be reported to the church’s safeguarding officer using by emailing safeguarding@salisburyvineyard.co.uk or by filling in an incident form on the safeguarding page: salisburyvineyard.co.uk/safeguarding

• An employment grievance.

The church has a staff grievance procedure which is set out in the employee’s handbook. Employment-related grievances should be dealt with in accordance with that grievance procedure.

• A criminal activity.

  Any criminal activity should be reported to the relevant authorities.
  

Please note complaints that are deemed to be trivial, mischievous, vexatious, or a repeat of a previously concluded investigation, will not be considered.

This procedure cannot normally be used for complaints relating to events that occurred more than 6 months ago.

Your complaint

Wherever possible the church would prefer to follow Scriptural principles of reconciling differences (Matthew 5:23; Mathew 18:15-16; Proverbs 19:11).

We encourage all communication to be conducted in a spirit in keeping with Biblical principles (Ephesians 4:15; Ephesians 4:2-3).

Step 1 – Informal Resolution

Wherever possible it is always better to try and resolve any disagreements/grievances informally before making a formal complaint. If it is appropriate to do so, we would always encourage people to reach out to an individual or team that is responsible for causing a grievance and ask them to address this with you. In most cases, complaints and grievances that can be resolved informally usually bring about reconciliation in a speedy and fair way by mutual discussion.

Step 2 – Get leaders involved

If this approach doesn’t seem to be working, then we encourage you to raise the issue with the senior leaders of the church or the church Leadership Team

Ed & Clare Evans

edevans@salisburyvineyard.co.uk

clare_evans@salisburyvineyard.co.uk

Chris & Katharine Backhouse

chrisb@salisburyvineyard.co.uk

katharineb@salisburyvineyard.co.uk

If your complaint relates directly to the senior pastors and you are unable to resolve the issue with them, you may contact their Regional Leaders and invite their involvement in trying to resolve the issue.

Nigel & Jo Hemming (Regional Leaders) Vineyard Churches UK

nigel@winchestervineyard.org

jo@winchestervineyard.org

Winchester Vineyard Church, 69 Bar End Rd, Winchester, SO23 9NP

If, you have been unable to resolve your issue informally, then it should be escalated to a formal complaint. We also recognise that sometimes it is not always possible, or appropriate, to address a matter informally first. In such cases, it may be necessary to start by raising a formal complaint.

Step 3 - Raising a formal complaint

Where all reasonable attempts to resolve an issue informally have failed, you can submit a formal complaint to our Chair of Trustees. 

When submitting your complaint, please use the complaint form at the bottom of this page.

Alternatively, a complaint form can be downloaded here, this should be marked “Private and Confidential” and sent to: complaints@salisburyvineyard.co.uk

OR in writing to:

Chair of Trustees, Salisbury Vineyard Church, Lower Offices, St Martins Church Centre, St Martin’s Church Street, Salisbury, SP1 2HY

Step 4 - Acknowledgement

We endeavour to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 10 working days. All correspondence must be received through the above email or postal address. We will not respond to any correspondence other than that received through these official channels.

Step 5 - Understanding your complaint

In order to fully understand the nature of your complaint, it may be necessary for us to ask for further information from you, which will be required in writing. If we need to discuss your complaint with you, or relevant others, appropriate arrangements will be made.  

Step 6 – Investigating your complaint

Depending on the nature of your complaint, it will be investigated by whoever the trustees deem the appropriate body. It may include:

•   Appropriate Pastors and leaders of Salisbury Vineyard Church
•   Trustees of Salisbury Vineyard Church
•   External advisors (including Vineyard Churches UK)

We aim to deal with any complaint within an appropriate timeframe and you will be informed of the outcome of any investigation in writing by our Chair of Trustees.  We will endeavour to keep in touch with you throughout the process.

Step 7 - Resolving your complaint

We hope that having investigated your complaint we will have come to a resolution that you are happy with. We will communicate in writing the findings of any investigation and the action points taken.

After a formal complaint has been resolved or a final decision has been issued, the Church will reflect on the matter, with the aim of learning from the process, improving, and preventing actions that could lead to future complaints

What if I am unhappy with the outcome?

An appeal may be considered if compelling new evidence, which was not available at the time of the original complaint, is presented. In these circumstances, please submit your grounds for appeal, together with appropriate evidence in writing to the Chair of Trustees (using the same contact details given for Step 3)

Please note that any appeal must be received within 1 month of the date of the original complaint decision or otherwise the matter is considered closed. Your appeal will be considered by whom the Chair of Trustees deems the appropriate body to be within a commensurate timeframe. You will be informed of the outcome of any appeal in writing by the Chair of Trustees.

At this point, the decision reached is final, the matter considered to be closed and with no further right to appeal.

Alternatively you may raise the issue with Vineyard Churches UK or go directly to the Charity Commission:

Vineyard Churches UK

https://www.vineyardchurches.org.uk/vcuki-complaints-policy/

The Charity Commission

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

Complaints Form

The Church will make every effort to handle all complaints with a high degree of integrity and confidentiality. However, confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed.

The nature of the circumstances of the complaint may be such that it is not possible to maintain complete confidentiality throughout the investigatory process. By detailing the complaint made against an individual, so that they may give their response, it is possible that the identity of the complainant could be surmised. If this is likely to be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant before further action is taken.

All formal complaints and responses made to the Church will be recorded and filed in a secure place in accordance with the Church’s Data Protection Policy.