A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the organisation’s work (including the York Model Railway Show), staff, or volunteers.
Should a complaint be raised about any of the above, an investigation will be instigated by the Show Manager, with support from another Director. If the complaint is about the Show Manager, two Directors of York Model Railway Show should handle the investigation. The investigation must be handled sensitively.
If the complaint is received during the show, and evidence is required to be gathered at the show, then it should be dealt with immediately.
If the complaint is not of an immediate nature, then an investigation into it can be carried out after the close of the show.
If the complaint is regarding a third party service provider at the show, this should be passed immediately to the third party for them to resolve separately.
If the complaint is of a serious nature, this must be handled differently. Safeguarding/Illegal Activity: If the complaint concerns serious harm, abuse, or illegal activity, it should be reported to the police or relevant authorities immediately, not just handled through the standard procedure.
Standard Resolution stages:
1: Informal resolution: Encourage staff to resolve issues immediately if possible.
2: Formal Stages:
- Stage 1 (Internal): Acknowledge within 5 working days; respond within 20-30 days.
- Stage 2 (Escalation): If unhappy, the complaint is reviewed by a Director not previously involved. Acknowledge within 5 working days; respond within 20-30 days.
3: Response: Provide a written, fair, and thorough response explaining findings and actions at each stage as well as any next steps. Include a note that the complaint will be held on record for two years.
4: Recording & Monitoring: A log of formal complaints will be maintained by the Company Secretary to track trends and improve services, reporting to Directors at the next formal meeting.
Any formal complaints should be sent to secretary@yorkshow.org.uk in the first instance.
This procedure will be reviewed two years after adoption by the Board, and will be published on the YMRS website as a publicly available document.
DATE OF ADOPTION: July 2026