Speak Up For Change: Complaints Procedure
Speak Up For Change: Complaints Procedure
IY(UK) has a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, bullying, and abusive behaviour by its members, including sexually abusive behaviour. We are also committed to equity, fairness and transparency in all of our activities.
We recognise that people can be put off making a complaint because the process may seem intimidating, they may fear that they would be labelled as ‘trouble-makers’, or maybe they do not have confidence in the complaints process within IY(UK). Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to raise their concerns or issues, and for these to be dealt with in a timely and proper manner; while also noting that IY(UK) have a responsibility to represent all members, including those subject to a complaint.
Key to this is a robust and accessible policy that allows students of Iyengar Yoga and members of IY(UK) to draw our attention to problems and make complaints if appropriate.
We actively encourage members to raise concerns where appropriate by inviting them to ‘Speak up for Change’. We will also consider historic concerns: and will treat these in the same way as more recent ones.
Finally, Iyengar Yoga (UK) recognises its legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and any later amendments to such legislation or subsequent equality related legislation that may be relevant. A summary of the Equality Act 2010 is available here.
Relevant IY(UK) documents:
- Equity Policy
- Policy to encourage positive behaviour within IY(UK)
- Harassment and Bullying Policy
- Ethical Guidelines for Iyengar Yoga Teachers
- Guidelines for Iyengar teachers on the art of adjustment and the issue of consent in teaching
- Behaviour Guidelines for those Teaching Children
How to make a complaint
There are three ways of making a complaint to IY(UK):
Complaints Stage 1: An anonymous report raising awareness of areas of concern
Complaints Stage 2: A report seeking resolution of specific issues through mediation
Complaints Stage 3: A formal investigation following the IY(UK) Complaints Procedure
Complaints Stage 1
This type of report is informal and allows members to let us know anonymously of incidents causing concern, effectively acting as an online suggestions box. A single report is unlikely to lead to any further action by IY(UK), but it will be kept on record in case more complaints of a similar nature are received. Several similar reports may lead to a number of different actions, such as changes in policy, relevant training etc.
Complaints Stage 2
This type of report is more formal and allows members to provide details of specific incidents or issues and then be contacted to allow for further investigation and an appropriate response.
The aim of Stage 2 is for informal resolution and could involve supporting the complainant in directly contacting the person being complained about, or for IY(UK) to provide mediation (usually in-house but it may become necessary in some cases to employ professional mediators).
If informal resolution doesn’t work, then the complainant has the option to use Complaints Stage 3.
Complaints Stage 3
Reports in this category are Formal Complaints and will be considered if the issue remains unresolved after previous attempts at resolution.
In some cases, the complainant will already have followed Complaints Stage 1 and 2 in an attempt to resolve the complaint; where this is not the case, the next step will be to attempt to resolve the issue informally.
If this fails, complainants can make a Formal Complaint against other members of IY(UK) or against IY(UK) itself, using Complaints Stage 3
