MOD has tightened up the way it deals
with allegations of harassment. Until now, the three Services
and civilians have had their own separate procedures. This has made
cross-Service complaints — allegations
by civilians against Service personnel or vice versa — difficult
to deal with.
There have also been concerns that allegations
take too long to resolve, and involve unnecessary secrecy resulting
in dissatisfaction with no “closure”. But for the past
12 months a project has been underway to introduce a unified procedure
for use by civilians and Service personnel
alike. It came into effect on 1 April 05 with the publication of
JSP 763 — the
MOD Harassment Complaints Procedure.
Project manager, Andrew Hill,
believes this represents an improvement in the way the MOD treats
its people. “For the first time we
have one process for everybody, regardless of the colour of the cloth
they wear. The new procedure sets out in clear and unambiguous terms
what is involved in making a complaint of harassment, considering
and investigat
ing it, and dealing with the outcome.”
The procedure is the result
of intensive discussion involving Royal Navy, Army, RAF and civilian
representatives from across the MOD. Richard Brooks, Director
of Logistics Personnel for the DLO, said: “The
replacement of the four existing and different processes with one
common procedure will simplify how an individual complains about
inappropriate behaviour, and how management deal with it.”
The
procedure has been structured on a set of broad, underlying principles.
For example, everyone can make a complaint if they think that they
have been harassed, but best practice will
try
to resolve complaints informally and quickly before they escalate
to a formal investigation. Where an investigation is necessary,
skilled
people with clear deadlines will do this and both parties will be
told the outcome.
The JSP contains a definition of harassment, which
includes bullying, and information about the legal aspects of harassment.
It also sets
out sources of help for complainants and respondents and explains
how a formal complaint should be made. Where a formal investigation
is
commissioned, the JSP contains a principles-based approach to carrying
out this investigation and detailed guidance for deciding officers
in considering and acting on the outcome. Finally, the avenues of
appeal for anyone dissatisfied with the handling of a complaint
are spelt
out.
JSP 763 will be accessible through the Defence intranet, and
in CD-ROM or hard-copy format where required.
Associated threads in our public
forum ::
- Discussion
of how to deal with harassment
- Getting lifestyle advice and help
dii
Link :: JSP 763 – The MOD Harassment Complaints Procedure
(authorised access)
This article was originally published in Focus Magazine, the MOD in-house
staff publication.
