Complaints Procedure
Purpose
We regard a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction about our organisation, our staff, our partners, our contracted service providers or anyone else acting on our behalf. A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.
Our Policy
To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint To make sure everyone at Change knows what to do if a complaint is received To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired To gather information which helps us to improve what we do All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
Procedure
The person who receives an email/written/phone or in person complaint should: Write down the facts of the complaint Take the complainant's name, address and telephone number Note down the relationship of the complainant to Change Tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words
Resolving Complaints
Stage One The complaint will be formally acknowledged within 48 hours and will be logged to our customer feedback register within 2 working days. An acknowledgement will confirm who is dealing with the complaint and when the complainant can expect a reply. A copy of this complaints procedure will be attached. In many cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person responsible for the issue being complained about. If the complaint has been received by that person, they should try to do so if possible and appropriate. If it has not already been resolved, an appropriate person (Director) will investigate and take appropriate action within 5 working days. We may ask the member of staff who dealt with the complainant to reply to the complaint. You may be asked to meet the complainant to discuss and hopefully resolve the complaint. This will be done within 5 days of the end of our investigation. Within 2 days of that meeting we will write to the complainant to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed with you. If they do not want a meeting or it is not possible, we will send a detailed reply to the complaint. This will include suggestions for resolving the matter. This will be done within 5 days of completing our investigation.
Escalation Process
Stage Two If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One, they can request that the complaint is reviewed at Board level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to Group Managing Director. The request for Board level review will be acknowledged within 48 hours of receiving it. The acknowledgement will confirm who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply. The Group MD may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a further opportunity to respond. Stage 2 complaints will receive a definitive reply within 10 working days. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given. The decision taken at this stage is final.
Continuous Improvement
Stage 3 We monitor and review the effectiveness of our complaints handling process to ensure that this continuously improves and learnings from complaints handling are carried through into the organisation. This policy does not cover complaints from staff who should review the Grievance Policy. Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the HR Manager. Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.