The complaints committee hearing: a playbook for the chair and secretary
At a complaints committee hearing, the complainant and the organisation complained about explain their positions orally and the committee asks questions. That way the committee hears both sides before it reaches a view. Time limits, composition and next steps depend on the statute or regulations that govern your committee.
Below you will find what applies in each sector, and a playbook with invitation, agenda, roles, checklist and report that you complete with your own choices.
What happens at a hearing?
The chair opens the hearing and explains how it will run. The complainant and the organisation complained about then each explain their position, the committee asks questions and the parties respond to each other. The chair asks whether everyone has been able to say everything and explains what happens next. No decision is given at the hearing itself. The committee deliberates afterwards, without the parties.
Step by step, a hearing at which both parties are heard together looks like this:
- Opening. The chair introduces the committee, explains the procedure and announces any recording. A party can object to a member at this point.
- The complainant explains. What happened, what does the complainant hold against the organisation, and what does the complainant want to achieve?
- The organisation explains. If the complaint concerns an employee, that employee can give their own account.
- Questions from the committee. The focus is on the facts: what happened, when, and what was agreed?
- Responses to each other. Each party can respond to what the other said.
- Close. The chair asks whether everyone has been able to say everything, and explains when the decision will follow.
- Deliberation. The committee confers without the parties. This leads to the advice or the decision.
How long does a hearing take?
No statute or set of regulations prescribes how long a hearing lasts. Kifid, the Dutch complaints institute for financial services, usually allows three quarters of an hour for its hearings. The playbook on this page allows just over an hour for a case with two parties, plus half an hour for deliberation. With witnesses, several complaint points or separate hearings, it takes longer. How long it takes to reach the hearing and the decision depends on the sector.
Schedule the deliberation immediately after the hearing. Everything is still fresh, and the secretary can start straight away on the report and the draft advice. How to structure that advice is explained in Writing the complaints committee's advice: template and guidance.
What is the difference between a hearing and a court case?
A complaints committee hearing is usually held in private, and the committee usually gives advice or findings from which the organisation may depart if it gives reasons. A court case is in principle public and ends with a judgment. At a complaints committee, the parties usually tell their own story. They may bring someone along, but they do not have to.
What the law requires in each sector, with the time limits
Which rules apply depends on the statute that governs your committee. Whether a committee is mandatory in your sector is covered in the overview guide Complaints committee: when it is mandatory, by sector. This section sets out what the rules say about the hearing and the time around it.
Housing association
- The parties may explain their position orally at a hearing, unless the complaint is not taken up.
- Within three weeks of receiving the further substantiation and information, the committee notifies the parties of the date and time of the hearing, in principle with all the documents. At least five working days must pass between the invitation and the hearing.
- The committee sits with at least three members, including the chair and at least one member nominated by a tenants' organisation. The hearing is not public.
- The advice is issued within three weeks of the hearing. The board decides within one month of receiving it.
Healthcare: Care and Coercion Act (Wzd) and Compulsory Mental Healthcare Act (Wvggz)
- The complainant and the person whose decision the complaint concerns are given the opportunity to be heard, and may be assisted.
- The hearing takes place at a location the client can reach easily.
- The decision is given within 14 days of receipt of the complaint, or within four weeks if the decision complained about no longer has any effect.
Healthcare: Wkkgz
- The Healthcare Quality, Complaints and Disputes Act (Wkkgz) does not require a complaints committee. If the care provider does have one, the complaints procedure determines how the committee hears the parties.
- The complainant receives the care provider's written, reasoned decision no later than six weeks after submitting the complaint. This can be extended by up to four weeks if the care provider informs the complainant in writing before the period expires. The hearing and the advice must fit within that period.
Youth care and Veilig Thuis
- The complainant and the person complained about may give their explanation orally or in writing, and may be assisted.
- The person whose conduct is directly complained about takes no part in the handling of the complaint. The chair does not work for or at the organisation.
- The committee gives its findings within the period set in the complaints procedure. If it departs from that period, it says so with reasons and states the new period. Within one month of the findings, the organisation says whether it will take measures, and if so which.
Municipality or other public authority, with a complaints advisory committee
- The complainant and the person whose conduct the complaint concerns are given the opportunity to be heard. The committee may delegate the hearing to the chair or a member, and decides whether to dispense with hearing the complainant.
- A report is made of the hearing, and it is included in the report of findings.
- The complaint must be dealt with within ten weeks of receipt. This can be postponed by up to four weeks; any further delay only with the complainant's written consent.
Education: primary and secondary schools
- The complainant and the person complained about may explain their view orally or in writing, and may be assisted.
- The person whose conduct is directly complained about takes no part in the handling of the complaint. The chair is not part of the competent authority and does not work for or at it.
- The committee's time limits are set in the school's own complaints procedure. Within four weeks of the findings, the competent authority says whether it agrees with them and what measures it will take.
Education: vocational and higher education
- In vocational education (mbo), the Awb rules on hearings, reports and time limits apply to complaints handling, among others. In higher education, complaints handling follows Title 9.1 of the Awb.
- The complainant and the person concerned are heard, and a report is made of the hearing. Article 9:11 of the Awb sets six weeks for handling, or ten weeks if a committee advises, and one postponement of up to four weeks. The vocational education statute (WEB) does not say in as many words whether the ten weeks apply in mbo, so set the period in the complaints procedure.
Own regulations: employer, sport or association
- For a committee dealing with complaints about inappropriate behaviour at an employer, in sport or in an association, the law prescribes no procedure. The regulations determine how and when you hold the hearing. Make sure they also guarantee that both sides are heard and the right to be assisted.
The complaints regulations for housing associations have been designated by the minister and apply to all approved housing institutions (Housing Act, Article 55b(3)). The time limits in them therefore apply to every housing association. Where the regulations make no provision, for example on recording or hearing the parties separately, the committee decides for itself (Article 14).
Hearing both sides: together or separately
Hearing both sides means that each party knows what the other has put forward and can respond to it. That starts before the hearing. The regulations for housing associations say that documents from one party are copied to the other, so that everyone has the same case file. The Awb requires the person complained about to receive a copy of the complaint (Article 9:9). Do not use anything in the advice that a party has not been able to respond to.
Hearing the parties together or separately
Neither the statutes nor the regulations for housing associations require the parties to sit at the same table. Hearing them together is the obvious choice, because the parties then hear each other directly and can respond. Hearing them separately is appropriate if the relationship is such that a party cannot speak freely, for example in a complaint about intimidation, or if a party is a minor.
If you hear the parties separately, tell each party the gist of what the other said, and give the complainant the chance to respond at the end. Record in the report that the parties were heard separately and how each side was given the chance to respond. The playbook below handles this if you choose Separately.
Witnesses and experts
The regulations for housing associations give the committee three options. It can seek advice from an expert, it can make a site visit before the hearing, and it can invite people to the hearing who can contribute something. The committee notifies both parties of whom it has invited when it sends the invitation. Employees who are the subject of the complaint are given the opportunity to give their own account.
- Ask the parties to tell you in advance whom they are bringing and what that person can speak about. The committee decides whether to hear them.
- Have a witness present only for their own part, so that their statement is not coloured by what others said.
- Have questions from the parties go through the chair. That keeps the chair in control.
- If an expert has put something in writing, send it to both parties before the hearing.
Online or hybrid hearings
The regulations for housing associations refer to a hearing without saying where it takes place. Article 9:10 of the Awb says nothing about the place or the format either. The Wzd and the Wvggz are stricter: the hearing takes place at a location the client can reach easily. So first ask what works for the client. In primary and secondary education, youth care and Veilig Thuis, a party may also explain its position in writing.
Which format fits depends on the case and on the people attending. Ask the parties in the invitation whether they would prefer to attend in person or online, and record in the case file why you chose a particular format. If you hold the hearing online or in hybrid form, these arrangements help:
- Send the link separately, open the connection fifteen minutes early and test sound and video.
- At the start, ask who is in the room. Someone listening in without the committee knowing is not compatible with a confidential hearing.
- Keep a phone number to hand. If the connection drops, adjourn the hearing. Record in the report what was missed and how it was put right.
- In a hybrid hearing, make a point of giving the floor to those joining online, and use a microphone that picks up the whole room.
- If a party cannot or will not join online, offer an in-person hearing or another suitable format.
Recording: the GDPR, and a report or a recording
A recording lets you check exactly what was said when you write the report. A recording is, however, a processing of personal data, and in healthcare often of data concerning health. The rules of the GDPR apply.
- A lawful basis. All processing needs a lawful basis under Article 6 of the GDPR. Consent is only one of them. Record which basis your committee relies on, for example in its privacy statement. For data concerning health, Article 9 also applies.
- Inform people in advance. Tell the parties in advance that you will record, for what purpose, on what basis and how long you will keep the recording (Article 13). Put it in the invitation and repeat it at the opening. Ask whether anyone objects, and have the answer recorded in the report.
- No more and no longer than necessary. Record only the hearing, not the deliberation. Do not keep the recording longer than necessary for its purpose (Article 5).
- Access. A party can ask for access to their own personal data, and for a copy (Article 15). That can include the recording. Take into account the rights of others who can be heard on it.
A report or a recording
The recording is a tool. The document that counts is the report. Under the Awb, a report of the hearing is mandatory, and the committee's report of findings includes it (Articles 9:10 and 9:15). The regulations for housing associations require the secretary to keep all reports and documents until five years after the ruling (Article 11). A good report sets out the gist of what each party said and what the answers to the questions were. A verbatim record is not needed. Adopt the report first. Then deal with the recording as announced in the invitation.
The playbook: invitation, agenda, roles, checklist and report
Fill in the case, the hearing and the committee in four steps. The preview immediately shows the five documents as they will appear on paper: the invitation to both parties, the agenda, the roles, the checklist for the chair and the report. Anything still open is lightly highlighted, so that you can fill it in on paper. Nothing you enter is stored.
Four steps. Every choice updates the documents straight away.
Applies: Designated complaints regulations (Housing Act, Article 55b), Articles 7, 8 and 9
The times in the agenda are a suggestion. Adjust them to the case.
Document 1 of 5Invitation to the hearing
| To | ................, complainant, and the housing association |
|---|---|
| Case number | ................ |
| Date of this letter | ................ |
| Subject | Invitation to the hearing |
Dear Sir or Madam,
The complaints committee is dealing with the complaint by ................ about the housing association. We invite you to the hearing on this complaint. At the hearing you can explain your position orally and the committee will ask you questions.
| Date of hearing | ................ |
|---|---|
| Start | 14:00 |
| End | around 15:05 |
| Location | ................ |
If you have questions about how to reach the venue or about its accessibility, please contact the secretariat.
The committee will hear you together. That way you hear what the other party says and can respond to it.
For this hearing, the committee consists of ................ (chair) and ................. ................ is the secretary. If you have doubts about the impartiality of any of the members, you can say so at the start of the hearing.
Enclosed with this letter are the agenda and the documents the committee has received. Both parties receive the same documents. If you wish to submit anything further, please send it before ................. The committee will forward it to the other party.
You may bring someone to assist you, or be represented. Please let us know who this will be before ................. If you do not attend in person, your representative will need written authorisation.
If you need an interpreter or other support to follow the hearing, please also let us know before .................
If the complaint concerns the actions of an employee of the housing association, that employee will also be given the opportunity to be heard.
The committee will record the hearing, solely in order to prepare the report. Only the committee and the secretariat have access to the recording. The committee will keep the recording until ................. How the committee handles your personal data is explained in its privacy statement. If you have questions or objections, please let us know before ................. We ask you not to record the hearing yourself.
The hearing is not public. The committee does not reach a decision at the hearing. It will issue written advice to the board of the housing association and to the complainant within three weeks of the hearing. The board will announce its decision within one month of receiving the advice.
If you are unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible, with the reason. The committee will decide whether to reschedule the hearing.
Please let us know before ................ whether you will attend, and with whom. If you have any questions, please contact the secretariat: .................
Yours faithfully,
................, secretary to the complaints committee
Not publicHearing playbook, adminiolex.com
Document 2 of 5Hearing agenda
| Case number | ................ |
|---|---|
| Date | ................ |
| Location | ................ |
| Time | Item | Who | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:45 | Committee pre-meeting, without the parties: divide the questions and agree the order | Committee, secretary | 15 min |
| 14:00 | Opening: introductions, attendance, procedure and confidentiality, and the recording | Chair | 5 min |
| 14:05 | Complainant's explanation | Complainant, with any supporter | 15 min |
| 14:20 | Explanation by the housing association | The housing association | 15 min |
| 14:35 | Committee's questions to both parties | Committee | 15 min |
| 14:50 | Responses to each other | Both parties | 10 min |
| 15:00 | Final word, explanation of next steps and close | Chair | 5 min |
| 15:05 | Committee deliberation, without the parties | Committee | 30 min |
The times are a suggestion. Adjust them to the case. The pre-meeting and the deliberation take place without the parties.
Not publicHearing playbook, adminiolex.com
Document 3 of 5Who does what at the hearing
| Role | Name | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | ................ | Opens and closes, establishes who is present, gives the floor, makes sure both sides are heard and keeps time, summarises, and explains what happens after the hearing. Announces the recording and asks whether anyone objects. |
| Members | ................ | Have read the case file, ask the questions divided in the pre-meeting, and take part in the decision during deliberation. At least three members sit, including one nominated by a tenants' organisation. |
| Secretary | ................ | Sends the invitation and the documents, receives the parties, records who is present, starts and stops the recording, and writes the draft report. The secretary is not a member and has no vote. |
| Complainant | ................ | Explains the complaint, answers questions and responds to the housing association. May be assisted. |
| The housing association | ................ | Sends someone who knows the case and is authorised to speak on behalf of the organisation. An employee who is the subject of the complaint can give their own account. |
| Supporter or representative | ................ | Assists a party or speaks on its behalf. If a representative takes the place of a party who is not present, the committee asks for written authorisation. |
Not publicHearing playbook, adminiolex.com
Document 4 of 5Checklist for the chair
Beforehand
- The invitation and the documents have been sent. You know who is coming, who they are bringing and whether anyone needs an interpreter or other support.
- Both parties have the same documents. Anything received after the invitation goes to the other party.
- The invitation went out at least five working days before the hearing, in principle with all the documents.
- At least three members are sitting, including you and a member nominated by a tenants' organisation.
- No member has a connection with a party or with the case.
- If a representative is attending in place of a party, there is written authorisation.
- The questions were divided in the pre-meeting: who asks what, and in which order.
- The recording has been tested, and it is agreed who starts and stops it.
At the opening
- Introduce the committee and the secretary, and ask the parties to introduce themselves. Have the secretary record who is present and in what capacity.
- Explain what the committee does: it hears both sides and reaches its view later, not at the hearing.
- Say that the hearing is not public and that what is discussed here remains confidential.
- Announce that the hearing is being recorded, for what purpose and how long the recording will be kept. Ask whether anyone objects and have the answer recorded.
- Ask whether either party wishes to challenge a member on grounds of impartiality.
During the hearing
- Let each party speak without interruption, then give the other party the chance to respond.
- Probe the facts: what happened, when, who was there and what was agreed.
- After each explanation, briefly summarise and ask whether that is correct.
- If a new document is produced at the hearing, show it to the other party and let them respond, or allow time for that after the hearing.
- Do not let any view slip through.
Closing
- Ask whether everyone has been able to say everything.
- Explain what happens now and when: advice within three weeks of the hearing.
- Record any agreements about documents still to be submitted, with a date.
- Stop the recording before deliberation begins.
After the hearing
- Deliberate immediately after the hearing, without the parties, and record what the committee thinks and why.
- Have the report prepared and adopt it.
- Do not keep the recording longer than stated in the invitation.
Not publicHearing playbook, adminiolex.com
Document 5 of 5Hearing report
| Committee | The complaints committee |
|---|---|
| Case number | ................ |
| Date and time | ................, ................ to ................ |
| Location | At ................ |
| For the committee | ................ (chair), ................, ................ (secretary) |
| Complainant | ................, assisted by ................ |
| On behalf of the housing association | ................ |
| Apologies | ................ |
| Record | The hearing was recorded. This report gives the gist and is not a verbatim record. |
1. Opening
The chair opened the hearing at ................, introduced those present and explained the procedure. The chair announced that the hearing was being recorded for the report. Objections: ................. Challenge to a member: .................
2. Complainant's explanation
What does the complainant hold against the housing association, which facts does the complainant mention, and what does the complainant want to achieve?
3. Explanation by the housing association
How does the housing association see it, which facts does it mention, and what has it already done or offered?
4. Committee's questions and the answers
For each question: who asked what, and what was the answer?
5. Responses to each other
What did the parties respond to, and what did they say?
6. Agreements
Further documents: ................, to be sent before ................. The committee will forward them to the other party.
7. Close
The chair asked whether everyone had been able to say everything, and closed the hearing at ................. The chair explained what happens next: advice within three weeks of the hearing.
Adopted by the chair on .................
................
Chair
................
Secretary
Not publicHearing playbook, adminiolex.com
Where things often go wrong
- A document only one party has seen. A late letter that the other party first sees at the hearing undermines the right to respond. Forward everything, or allow time after the hearing for a response.
- A view that slips through. A remark such as "you would have done better to handle that differently" gives a party reason to doubt the committee's impartiality.
- No time for deliberation. If you schedule three cases back to back with no deliberation in between, you end up writing the advice from memory.
- A recording nobody announced. You then have to explain afterwards why you recorded. Put it in the invitation.
- The online party drops out. Without a prior arrangement, it is unclear whether the hearing continues. Agree that you will adjourn.
- A time limit that has almost run out. Under the Wzd and the Wvggz, the 14-day time limit is short. Schedule the hearing as soon as possible after receipt, so that there is time left for deliberation and the written decision.
How Adminio helps with the hearing
Adminio is the working environment in which the complainant, the organisation, the secretariat, the chair and the members work on the same case, each with their own screen. Around the hearing, Adminio takes over the logistics: scheduling, invitations, recording and write-up. The committee hears the parties and makes its own judgement. Below you can see, in six steps, how a hearing runs in Adminio.
Scheduling with the rota
During the online intake, the complainant gives at least three possible dates. The housing association picks the dates on which it is also available, and the members enter their availability in the rota. Adminio puts these side by side. The secretariat schedules the hearing with Schedule hearing, and the chair confirms.
Inviting everyone in one go
For an online hearing, Generate Teams link creates a meeting in Microsoft Teams. For an in-person hearing, you enter the address. Send invitations then sends the complainant, the complainant's supporter, the housing association and the committee members the invitation with the date, time and location or link.
Hearing in the room or online
Whether you are in the room or online, you record who is present, such as the complainant, the supporter and any witness. The committee takes Live notes, which are saved automatically every 30 seconds.
Recording and transcription
Start recording records the hearing in the browser. For an in-person hearing you use the microphone only; for an online hearing, the meeting audio as well, in Chrome or Edge on a computer. If you recorded it yourself, you add the file with Upload audio. After Transcribe, the text of the hearing, with timestamps, is in the case file.
Summary, report and the Adminio Assistant
From all the recordings together, Adminio produces one summary: the essentials, the positions of both parties, the committee's questions and what was agreed. The secretary builds the report on that, and the committee adopts it. To check exactly what was said, you ask the Adminio Assistant, which refers you to the moment in the transcript. Complete hearing moves the case on to the advice stage.
Everything in one environment, for everyone
The complainant, the housing association, the secretariat, the chair and the members work on the same case, each with their own screen and their own permissions. The parties see the date, the location or the Teams link. The housing association can also respond through a secure link, without an account. The committee's internal discussion and the summary of the hearing stay within the committee.
Your own regulations. Adminio is set up around your committee's regulations and working methods. Send us your regulations when you get in touch, and we will show you what the hearing would look like for your committee.
Frequently asked questions
Usually, yes. The complaints regulations for Dutch housing associations give the parties the right to explain their position orally, unless the complaint is not taken up. The Care and Coercion Act (Wzd) and the Compulsory Mental Healthcare Act (Wvggz) give both sides the right to be heard. The General Administrative Law Act (Awb) also requires a hearing, but allows it to be dispensed with if the complaint is manifestly unfounded or the complainant does not wish to be heard. In primary and secondary education, youth care and Veilig Thuis (the Dutch domestic abuse advice centres), the explanation may be given orally or in writing.
Yes. The complaints regulations for housing associations, the Wzd, the Wvggz, the Youth Act, the Wmo 2015 for Veilig Thuis and the Dutch primary and secondary education statutes give the parties the right to be assisted. That can be a family member, a friend or a lawyer. If the complainant does not attend in person, the regulations for housing associations require written authorisation for the representative. Ask in the invitation who will be coming.
First ask why. If someone was ill or the letter did not arrive, set a new date. The regulations for housing associations say that the committee bases its advice on the documents and on what was put forward at the hearing, but do not say what happens if a party stays away. Set out in your own procedure what you will do in that case, and state it in the invitation.
No statute or set of regulations sets a time limit for the report. Do finish it before the committee adopts its advice or decision. For a housing association, the advice must be issued within three weeks of the hearing; under the Wzd and the Wvggz, the decision must be taken within 14 days of receipt of the complaint. Under the Awb, the report forms part of the report of findings. How to structure the advice afterwards is explained in Writing the complaints committee's advice: template and guidance.
Send the playbook to the other members or the secretariat. Would you like to see how scheduling, recording and reporting work in Adminio? We will show you, with your own regulations alongside.
Prefer to call? You can reach us from 09:00 to 21:00 (CET) on +31 85 060 88 49.
This page and the playbook are general information, not legal advice. Sources (Dutch legislation, in Dutch): Decree designating the complaints regulations for approved housing institutions, Articles 4 to 11, Housing Act (Woningwet), Article 55b, Care and Coercion Act (Wzd), Articles 56 to 56c, Compulsory Mental Healthcare Act (Wvggz), Articles 10:4 to 10:7, Wkkgz, Articles 13 and 17, Youth Act (Jeugdwet), Article 4.2.1, Wmo 2015, Article 4.2.7, General Administrative Law Act (Awb), Articles 9:9 to 9:15, Primary Education Act (WPO), Article 14, Secondary Education Act 2020 (WVO 2020), Articles 3.35 and 3.36, Adult and Vocational Education Act (WEB), Article 7.5.2, Higher Education and Research Act (WHW), Article 7.59b, Dutch Constitution, Article 121, GDPR, Articles 5, 6, 9, 13 and 15 and Kifid, oral hearings. Updated: 11 November 2026.