Compliments and Complaints

As a Christian community, we continuously strive for harmony and good relationships, recognising that community does not just happen; rather it must be worked at, built and nurtured. Community is built up by encouragement – compliments if you like, and by honest expression of difficulties – complaints. We value your positive and negative feedback because it helps us improve the service and support we provide to our students, parents, staff and the broader MECS community. We welcome the opportunity to assist you and aim to respond promptly and effectively.

Compliments

Encouragement is a great way to verbally bless others. We welcome the opportunity to pass on any compliments you wish to address to our students, staff, parents, the Board or the broader MECS community.

If you would like to Celebrate or Compliment anyone involved in our school community, we would love you to share a compliment with us by using one or more of the following methods. We will share the compliments with their intended recipient, and may consider them for posting on our website, Facebook page, or in our weekly newsletter. That would only occur with your permission.

You can send a compliment by letter (MECS 135 York Rd Mount Evelyn 3796) or email

Complaints

We welcome the opportunity to help resolve any concerns or complaints you wish to address with us.

What should you do first?

If you have a complaint, there are some steps that can help us to help you.

• Act quickly - please inform us as soon as possible. The earlier you tell us, the sooner we can act.
• Go to the source - many concerns can be resolved quickly and easily by speaking with the teacher or staff member concerned. Face to face communication with the teacher or staff member is far better than email to detail the issue. We recommend you only use email to make arrangements to discuss a complaint.
• Do not use Social Media - airing a complaint or grievance in the public space of social media inevitably results in more complication and slower resolution. We are not able to respond to social media complaints in a way that is faithful to biblical dispute resolution processes.
• Make it clear – clearly outline the issue or if an event, describe it in the order that it happened. This might include dates, times, what action has been taken so far and any supporting information. It would also be helpful if you tell us what outcome you’re seeking or the action you want us to take.

How does the process work?

Despite best efforts, times of disagreement, challenge and broken relationships are inevitable in any community.  There are numerous biblical exhortations to seek restoration of these relationships and it is the character and commitment of each of the members of our school, to restore these relationships while seeking God in the choices we make together. At MECS, we believe that good communication is key to resolving conflicts and addressing issues in a positive, Godly and caring way. Should you experience a disagreement or problem that requires resolution or restoration, please review the outline below.

Everyone is responsible for something

All persons involved in a disagreement are responsible for:

• Applying Biblical principles in their dealings with each other.
• Seeking God’s will by praying earnestly, both individually and when meeting to discuss matters of dispute or complaint.    

MECS is committed to:

• Providing an environment of mutual respect and open communication, where expression of opinion is encouraged
• Dealing with disputes, complaints and complainants with fairness, equity and consistency
• Establishing mechanisms to promote prompt, efficient and satisfactory resolution of grievances in a biblical manner, and where possible, between the persons concerned
• Complying with all legislative and statutory requirements

We have a four Stage Grievance and Dispute Resolution Process

1. Personal & Informal Discussions
2. Formal Discussions
3. Formal Mediation
4. Formal Arbitration

Grievance and Dispute Resolution Process