The Family Therapy Training Network is committed to building equality into everything that we do.
FTTN will treat Co-operative members, staff and students with dignity, courtesy and respect. The Family Therapy Training Network values difference and is committed to treating each individual on an equitable basis, and will pay special attention in the areas of age, gender, caring responsibilities, disability, marriage and civil partnership, ethic or national origin, religion or politic belief, and social-economic background.
Equality and diversity sit at the heart of our employment and training practices. The policies and procedures we have implemented have been designed to reflect best practice, ensuring equality and fairness for all of our employees.
We aim to ensure our students receive the highest quality training in a respectful and safe environment.
We will therefore undertake to:
1. Advertise all posts and courses publicly.
2. Ensure that application criteria are accessible and clear.
3. Make sure staff and trainers of the FTTN have had appropriate training in anti-discrimatory procedures and understand their duty to ensure that no discrimination occurs. Any complaint that is made will be looked at using the FTTN complaint procedure.
4. Make adaptations to employment and training practices to accommodate individualÕs needs, to try to ensure their full participation and contribution.
5. We will seek and be receptive to feedback on our procedures and practices.
The Family Therapy Training Network (FTTN) want to invite any participant on a course or Co-operative member who has a concern, to feel able to bring it to the attention of any member of course team, a member of staff or Director with whom they feel comfortable and address the matter informally.
The FTTN encourages students in the first instance to seek to resolve issues with the person who is the source of the complaint before initiating the complaints procedure.
If this does not satisfactorily resolve the situation, the next stage would be to speak with or write to the Network Leader who will try to resolve the issue informally to the satisfaction of all parties.
We will try where possible to resolve complaints at the informal level of the procedure; however in some instances it may be necessary to invoke the formal stage and use the complaints procedure.
FTTN Complaints Procedure
1. Individual or agencies who have a complaint shall make the complaint , in writing and in confidence, to the Network Leader.
2. The Network Leader will forward the complaint to the FTTN Directors to be investigated and considered. The process will be coordinated by the Network leader.
3. When a prima facie breach of the FTTN’s code of Ethics and Practice has been committed, the subject will be notified and informed by the Network Leader that a formal investigation will take place (a written copy of the Complaints Procedure will be made available to the parties involved).
4. In furtherance of the above formal investigations, the Directors may invite the complainant and subject, together or separately, to a meeting.
5. The Directors will decide upon any additional investigation that may be considered appropriate: and it may involve other relevant members of the organisation.
6. If the Directors find that there is no case to answer, they shall inform the subject and the complainant of this in writing along with the reasons for the finding, also informing the complainant that he/she may appeal.
7. If the Directors uphold the complaint in whole, or in part, both the complainant and the subject will be informed in writing, with reasons given for the decision.
8. Following 7 above, the Directors will, if necessary, refer to the disciplinary process.
9. In the case of either the subject of the complainant being dissatisfied with the outcome, it will be open to them to appeal to the Chairperson of the Directors and they would appoint up to three people not previously involved in the case to hear the appeal, including one person from outside of the Family Therapy Training Network
10. The appropriate professional body of which the subject is a member would be informed if a clear breach of a Code of Conduct has occurred.
11. All correspondence pertaining to complaints will be held in strictest confidence for a maximum of two years, after which all documents will be destroyed.
