Limmud

Dedicated to Jewish learning in all its variety

LIMMUD COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE 

Scope

We hope that everyone has an enjoyable time at our events or as a Limmud volunteer. We work hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly, and since almost all the event organisers are volunteers, we ask for your understanding when things occasionally don’t go to plan.

If something does go wrong at an event, please speak to the event helpdesk team as a first port of call.

If you need to submit a complaint in writing, this can be done by emailing complaints@limmud.org. 

If you have a complaint about a person, (whether a volunteer, staff member, a participant, presenter or contractor), an element of an event, or something about the organisation, we will follow the procedures set out in this policy.

Limmud takes all complaints seriously, including allegations of harassment. We will deal with them promptly and in confidence. We will try to deal with complaints in alignment with our values, especially Respect, Empowerment, Participation and Arguments for the Sake of Heaven (which includes that disagreements should be respectful and not personal or abusive). What we mean by harassment is set out in both our Event Code of Conduct for all attendees of our events and our Volunteers Agreement; this includes bullying, victimisation or any other sort of unacceptable conduct.

We have two complaints procedures:

  • Complaints at, or about Limmud events and programmes: if you wish to make a complaint about the conduct of another person at a Limmud event or programme, or the organisation of the programme. This may be dealt with as an Informal or Formalcomplaint.
  • Complaints about Limmud volunteers and staff: if you are a member of a volunteer team and wish to make a complaint about a fellow volunteer or a member of staff. This may be dealt with as an Informal or Formal complaint.

Complaint Procedure at Events and Programmes

This procedure applies for issues which arise at events and programmes such as unacceptable behaviour by anyone towards a volunteer, member of staff, site staff member, or another participant (“the complainant”).

This includes shouting and abusive language as well as physical attacks.

We will always:

  1. Seek to establish the chain of events in question
  2. Attempt a mediation and facilitate an apology or other mutual understanding
  3. Alternatively take quick action to deal with the complaint where possible
  4. As a last resort, escalate in the manner described in the Formal Procedure section 

Informal procedure

  1. The person dealing with the incident must ensure it is recorded at the time the incident is reported / witnessed (or as soon as possible afterwards) – by emailing a note to complaints@limmud.org. The person dealing with the incident might be the complainant, a witness or a team member or helpdesk volunteer to whom a complaint has been made.
  2. If discussion with the complainant establishes early on that they do not wish to take the complaint any further than that discussion, they should still be given the option of logging the complaint if not done so already.
  3. As a preliminary step, if there is a suitable volunteer in a supervisory role (hereby referred to as ‘volunteer supervisor’) who has oversight of the relevant area/role (for example dining room manager, resource room manager, bar manager), the complaint should be reported to them in the first instance.
  4. The ‘volunteer supervisor’ may take the opportunity to speak to the subject(s) of the complaint, if they wish and it is appropriate, to try to diffuse the situation by pointing out any unacceptable behaviour and obtaining an apology if appropriate. If there appears to be a disagreement about what happened or the complaint cannot be resolved in this manner, the ‘volunteer supervisor’ should refer the complaint to the relevant team chair.
  5. A ‘volunteer supervisor’ should not feel obliged to deal with the complaint if they feel uncomfortable doing so. In this case they should refer it on to their team chair immediately. If the team chair does not feel comfortable dealing with the complaint, they should refer it to the event chair.
  6. If there is no ‘volunteer supervisor’ available, or if the ‘volunteer supervisor’ does not think it is appropriate to speak to the subject(s) of the complaint, the incident should be referred to the relevant team chair in writing or in person (at Festival this will be a steering group member) as soon as possible. The team chair will record the notification (including details) of the incident and deal with it on behalf of the team.
  7. If the volunteer handling the complaint is on a shift, the volunteer should be asked by their supervisor whether or not they are willing to extend their shift in order to aid in the resolution of the complaint.
  8. The team chair is the person primarily responsible for reviewing the incident and deciding if it should be treated as a formal complaint. If they consider the complaint to be relatively minor they may if they wish find the complainant to discuss it further with them.  Should a team chair not be available, then the Director of Operations is notified.
  9. The action taken by the team chair should be logged in a note attached to the complaint which will be forwarded to the Limmud Executive Director.
  10. All complaints, even if resolved at an early stage with an apology, should still be logged and notified to the Executive Director.
  11. The Trustees may, at their discretion, decide to treat an informal complaint as a formal complaint, if the formal complaints procedure is considered a more appropriate way to manage the informal complaint.

Formal procedure:

  1. In the case of a formal complaint, the Executive Director will consult with member(s) of a panel of senior / experienced Limmud volunteers, to be determined by the Executive Director and the Trustee Chair. The panel will arrange to meet with the complainant and the subject(s) of the complaint to talk through the issue.
  2. Panel members should be aware that the subject(s) of the complaint may have been provoked or had a legitimate issue to raise. However, conduct which is unpleasant or causes upset is rarely, if ever, justified – no matter the scenario. If rude or abusive conduct is admitted to, even if it is said to be justified, this should be recorded. If there is a dispute about what in fact took place, the panel members may have to speak to others who were present at the time of the incident being reported.
  3. The panel may resolve the complaint in a number of ways:
    1. (1) By establishing that there is no proper basis for the complaint,
    1. (2) by obtaining an apology,
    1. (3) by issuing a warning to the subject(s) of the complaint, which should be recorded in writing and sent to them by email after the conversation, or
    1. (4) the panel may also decide and recommend that further action is required.
  4. In the event of multiple incidents by the same person(s), a serious incident, or if the panel is unable to resolve the issue and it merits further attention, they should refer the whole matter to the Executive Director and Board of Trustees. The Chair(s) will assemble a panel of 3 Limmud Executive and Trustee Board members to reach a decision and ask the subject(s) of the complaint to attend a meeting of the panel. If not appropriate, for example when the complaint is regarding a member of the Executive or Trustee Board, senior / experienced Limmud volunteers may be asked to be part of the panel.
  5. If the issue is serious and the complaint is upheld, the subject(s) of the complaint should be asked to leave the event. If this decision is taken, the Executive Director will liaise with the Limmud Trustee Chair, the Limmud Staff, the site and security (as necessary) to arrange for the individual to be removed from the event. The Executive Director will inform the subject(s) of the complaint verbally, in person, and subsequently send a formal email advising them of the reasons for the decision. This email will also include any terms by which the subject(s) of the complaint may or may not be allowed to participate in future Limmud events. The Executive Director’s decision is final.
  6. All stages in the process should be made the subject of a written note after any relevant conversation and the notes kept by the Director of Operations (or another nominated member of staff). The outcome of all complaints should be notified to the event chair and any board link, as well as the Limmud staff, and notified in writing (email / text is sufficient) to the original complainant, supervisor, team chair and anyone else involved in managing the complaint. 
  7. The complainant is free to withdraw their complaint at any time. While it would be beneficial for the reason for withdrawing the complaint to be noted, it is not required for the complainant to provide a reason.

Appeals

If the complainant or subject(s) of the complaint disputes the decision of the Executive Director, a request for an appeal may be put in writing to appeals@limmud.org and a panel of 3 Limmud Trustees or other independent adjudicators will be assembled to review the complaints process and decide whether to uphold the decision of the Executive Director, or to re-open the investigation.

Data Protection

At all stages of the process the complaint will be kept confidential and only shared with those involved in investigating the complaint. All confidential information regarding all parties will be processed, stored and erased where necessary, in accordance with GDPR. 

Complaints Procedure for Volunteers and Staff

This process applies to issues with volunteers and staff. Ideally a resolution of the complaint would result in repairing an ongoing working relationship between the individuals involved. In serious cases, the sanction might include removing a volunteer or staff member from a current or future role.

“You” in this process refers to the volunteer who is making the complaint.

Informal procedure:

  1. If you think an incident may be harassment (including bullying, victimisation or abusive conduct of any sort), you may prefer, initially, to want to attempt to resolve the problem informally yourself if you feel able to do so. In some cases it may be possible and sufficient to explain clearly to the person responsible for the unwanted conduct that the behaviour in question is not welcome, that it offends you or makes you uncomfortable and that it interferes with your work. You should make it clear that you want the behaviour to stop.
  2. In circumstances where it is too difficult or embarrassing for you to resolve the situation on your own, you could seek support from a friend, fellow volunteer, Organisational link, or staff member.  If the incident concerns an event participant, presenter, supplier or other third party, you may wish to ask your team chair or event chair to intervene for you on an informal basis.
  3. If you are in any doubt as to whether an incident or series of incidents constitute harassment, you should approach a team/event chair or a member of the Board of Trustees on an informal, confidential basis. They will be able to advise you as to whether the complaint necessitates further action, in which case the matter will be dealt with formally/informally as appropriate.
  4. If the conduct continues or if it is not appropriate to resolve the problem informally or you do not feel able to raise it informally, it should be raised through the following formal process.

The Trustees may, at their discretion, decide to treat an informal complaint as a formal complaint, if the formal complaints procedure is considered a more appropriate way to manage the informal complaint

Formal procedure:

  1. Where informal methods fail, are not appropriate, or a serious incident occurs, you are advised to complain formally in writing (by email) to your team’s organisational link or liaison. If you don’t feel that that is an appropriate person or know who that is, you should complain to the Executive Director (adam@limmud.org). Your written complaint should set out full details of the conduct in question, including the name of the subject(s) of the complaint, the nature of the conduct the complaint relates to, the date(s) and time(s) at which the behaviour occurred, the names of any witness(es) and any action that has been taken to attempt to stop it occurring or resolve the issue.
    If you’re unable to submit a written complaint for any reason, you should talk to your team’s organisational link/liaison or the Executive Director in a space where you can speak openly and confidentially. The organisational link/liaison or Executive Director will be expected to take notes as part of this conversation, which you will then review and approve.
  2. If your complaint is against Executive Director, the actions of step one above should be directed to the Chair of Trustees (chairtrustees@limmud.org).
  3. While the complaint is investigated, consideration will be given to keeping the complainant and the subject(s) of the complaint separated, if at an event or there are team activities at which both would (like to) be present. In serious cases, the alleged subject(s) of the complaint may be suspended from their role in order for the complaint to be investigated.
  4. A senior volunteer, who is not connected to the complaint/allegation in any way, will be asked to investigate the complaint. You will be interviewed by that person to establish the full details of the incident(s). You may bring someone with you to this meeting for support if you choose. The senior volunteer will then carry out a thorough, independent, impartial and objective investigation as quickly as possible. Anyone who the senior volunteer requests to assist with carrying out the investigation will not be connected with the allegation in any way. An investigation will be carried out quickly, sensitively and with due respect for the rights of both you and the subject(s) of the complaint.
  5. Where your complaint is about someone other than a volunteer, such as a participant, supplier, or visitor, we will consider what action may be appropriate to protect you (and anyone else involved) pending the outcome of the investigation, bearing in mind the needs of our business and the rights of that person. We will try to discuss the matter with the third party where appropriate.
  6. The investigation will involve interviews with the person against whom you are making the complaint and any other relevant witnesses. The subject(s) of the complaint will be given full details of the nature of the complaint and will be given the opportunity to respond. The investigation may also need to examine relevant documents, including emails and other evidence.
  7. Strict confidentiality will be maintained throughout the investigation into the allegation. Where it is necessary to interview witnesses, the importance of confidentiality will be emphasised to them.
  8. When the investigation has been completed, you will be informed of the investigating volunteer’s conclusions.
  9. If the allegation is upheld, disciplinary action may be taken against the person alleged to have committed the behaviour you are complaining about. The actions taken will be appropriate to the circumstances and the seriousness of the complaint, so far as it is within Limmud’s power to do so.
  10. If the allegation is not upheld, consideration may be given to whether it is necessary to reassign roles / tasks or reschedule the work of both or either party, in cases where it would not be appropriate for either of you to continue to work together.
  11. Limmud takes these matters very seriously. However, malicious complaints can have a serious and detrimental effect upon the individual against which a complaint is made and the workplace or event team dynamic generally. Any unwarranted allegation of harassment or other misconduct made in bad faith may be dealt with in the same way as above. We are sure that all volunteers and staff appreciate that this is necessary to protect the integrity of this policy.
  12. The complainant is free to withdraw their complaint at any time. While it would be beneficial for the reason for withdrawing the complaint to be noted, it is not required for the complainant to provide a reason.

Appeal

If the complainant or subject(s) of the complaint disputes the decision of the Executive Director or Chair of Trustees (if a complaint is against Executive Director), a request for an appeal may be put in writing to appeals@limmud.org.  A panel of 3 Limmud Trustees or other independent adjudicators to review the complaints process and decide whether to uphold the decision of the Executive Director or Chair of Trustees, or to re-open the investigation.

Data Protection

At all stages of the process the complaint will be kept confidential and only shared with those involved in investigating the complaint. All confidential information regarding all parties will be processed, stored and erased where necessary, in accordance with GDPR.

Policy Monitoring

The Executive Director has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy, and for reviewing the effectiveness of actions taken in response to concerns raised under this policy.

The Director of Operations has day-to-day operational responsibility for this policy, and individuals should refer any questions about this policy to them in the first instance.

This policy is due for review

  • every 12 months, or;
  • following any legislative changes, or;
  • following any learning by Limmud, or;
  • as required by the Charity Commission, or;
  • any change in jurisdictional guidance, whichever comes first.

The policy will be reviewed every year by the Director of Operations before final approval by the Board of Trustees.

Appendix: Resources

POLICY MONITORING
Person Responsible for PolicyDirector of Operations
Person/Committee Responsible for ReviewExecutive Director
Date of ApprovalDecember 2024
Frequency of Review**Annually
Date of Next ReviewDecember 2025