NAME

______

COMPLAINTS PROCEEDURES

______

DATE

1. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY

………………………… FRC views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person / organization that has made a complaint.

1.1 Our Policy is to:

  • Provide a fair and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint;
  • Publicise and raise awareness of our procedures so that people know how to make a complaint;
  • Make sure everyone on ...... FRC knows what to do if a complaint is received;
  • Make sure all complaints are investigated in a timely manner;
  • Make sure where possible, that complaints are resolved and relationships restored;
  • Gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

1.2 Definition of Complaint:

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of the Centre.

1.3 Where complaints come from:

Complaints may come from:

  • Participants of programmes / courses;
  • People who come into the Centre looking for information;
  • Parents of children in the Childcare service, After Schools Programme or youth Initiatives;
  • People who avail of a service operating within the Centre;
  • Other agencies who may operate from the Centre;
  • People from the local community;
  • Organisations and agencies that the Centre does business with etc..

A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or by writing a letter.

This policy does not cover complaints from staff as this is managed through the Centre’s Grievance and Disciplinary Policy.

1.4 Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know / or are directly involved following all relevant data protection requirements.

1.5 Responsibility:

Overall responsibility for this policy and it’s implementation lies with both Managers of the FRC Centre and Childcare Service in conjunction with the Board of Directors.

1.6 Review:

This Policy will be reviewed regularly and up-dated as required.

Adopted on: ______

Last Reviewed : ______

2. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

2.1 Contact details for complaints:

Written complaints regarding the Family Resource Centre may be sent to:

Name:

Role: Overall Manager of the Centre

Address: ...... FRC,

Email:

Tel:

Written complaints regarding the Childcare Service may be sent to:

Name:

Role:Manager of childcare service

Address:

Email:

Tel:

2.2 Receiving complaints

Complaints may arrive through channels publicized for the purpose . Complaints received by telephone or in person need to be recorded. The person who is dealing with the complaint needs to use the Complaints Form attached to this document in Appendix 1 to document the issues even if the complaint has been resolved at the time. If the complainant wishes to make a more formal complaint then the relevant Manager will:

  • Write down the facts;
  • Take complainants name, address and telephone number;
  • Note down the relationship of the complainant to the Centre;
  • Explain to the complainant that the Centre has a formal Complaints Procedure that they can initiate should they wish to;
  • If the Complainant wishes to invoke this then explain what will happen next, what will be required and how long it will take;
  • Should the complainant wish to make a formal complaint then this must be sent to the appropriate manager in writing or by email.

2.2 Resolving Complaints

Stage One

Informal Complaint:

In the case of an informal complaint with regard to the FRC all complainants must ask to speak to the FRC Centre’s manager.

In relation to an informal complaint regarding the Childcare service, After Schools or youth work complainants should ask to speak to the Childcare Manager.

The relevant Manager will make every effort to resolve the issues as swiftly as possible where appropriate. The informal complaint and outcomes will be written into the Record Sheet in Appendix 1

Should the issue not be resolved by informal means then the complainant can make their complaint formally in writing.

Formal Complaint:

On receiving an formal complaint, the relevant Manager will record this in the Record Sheet and will delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.

If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a fair

opportunity to respond.

Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within 10 working days. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of this complaints procedure should be attached.

Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within 20 working days. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a

progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.

Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant will describe:

  • The action taken to investigate the complaint;
  • The conclusions from the investigation;
  • Any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Stage Two

If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage 1, they can request that the complaint is reviewed at Board level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Chairperson of the Board who will proceed in raising it with the Board and delegating an appeals sub-group to undertake further investigation.

The request for Board level review should be acknowledged within 10 working days of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.

The person / sub-group who receives Stage Two complaints may investigate the facts of the case themselves or decide of an external person is require to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at 1.

If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a

further opportunity to respond.

The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage 1 will be kept

informed of what is happening.

Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within 20 working days. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a

progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.

Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant should describe:

  • The action taken to investigate the complaint;
  • The conclusions from the investigation;
  • Any action taken as a result of the complaint.

The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board decides it is appropriate to

seek external assistance with resolution.

2.3 For organisations which are charities:

External Stage

The complainant can complain to the Charity Commission at any stage.

Information about the kind of complaints the Commission can involve itself in can be

found on their website at: www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc47.aspx]

2.4 Variation of the Complaints Procedure

The Board may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid

a conflict of interest, for example, a complaint about the Chair should not also have

the Chair as the person leading a Stage Two review.

2.5 Monitoring and Learning from Complaints

Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.

APPENDIX 1:

______

COMPLAINTS RECORD SHEET

COMPLAINTS RECORD FORM
NAME OF PERSON COMPLAINING:
ADDRESS :
TELEPHONE:
MOBILE No:
EMAIL:
DATE OF COMPLAINT:
Describe in detail and with accuracy the facts of the complaint:
What was undertaken to investigate complaint:
What were the outcomes:
SIGNATURE OF COMPLAINANT:
DATE:
COMPLAINANT RECORDED BY:
DATE:
Any follow up actions agreed / outcomes achieved:
What actions might avoid a repeat of the complaint:

APPENDIX 2:

______

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR HANDLING VERBAL COMPLAINTS

When handling complaints relevant parties will make every effort to:

• Remain calm and respectful throughout the conversation;

• Listen - allow the person to talk about the complaint in their own words;

• Will make every effort not to debate the facts in the first instance, especially if the person is angry or upset;

• Show an interest in what is being said;

• Obtain details about the complaint before any personal details;

• Ask for clarification wherever necessary;

• Show that they have understood the complaint by reflecting back what you have

noted down;

• Acknowledge the person's feelings e.g "I understand that this situation is frustrating for you"

• If they feel that an apology is deserved for something that was the responsibility

of your organisation, then apologise

• Ask the person what they would like done to resolve the issue;

• Be clear about what can be done, how long it will take and what it will involve;

• Don’t promise things that can’t be delivered;

• Give clear and valid reasons why requests cannot be met;

• Make sure that the person understands what they have been told;

• Wherever appropriate, inform the person about the available avenues of review

or appeal .

Content sourced through Complaints Procedures developed by Simon Croft