ORIGO CORNWALL LTD

COMPLAINTS & COMMENTS POLICY
Complaints & comments policy

Purpose:

To establish the policy and procedure of Origo Cornwall Ltd (Origo hereafter) with regard to complaints and comments from service users and other stakeholders and how these will be used to improve the range and quality of services.

INTRODUCTION

This document contains a policy statement (part one) and procedural guidance.

(Part Two) The functions of each are set out briefly below.

Part One – Policy Statement.  The policy statement sets out the broad framework of principles within which the particular area of work will be carried out. It sets out the organisation’s broad style and approach to the issue, including any aims and guiding principles.

Part Two – Procedural Guidance.  The procedural guidance sets out the details that staff will require to carry out their duties in this particular area of work.  It also sets out the specific tasks involved in undertaking this area of work and identifies who is responsible for carrying them out.

PART ONE – POLICY STATEMENT

AIMS AND PRINCIPLES

1.  Origo is committed to encouraging service users and stakeholders to come forward with any complaints and comments about the services delivered in order to make sure that quality is protected and service users’ needs are appropriately met.

2.  Origo also undertake to monitor all comments and complaints to ensure that they are used to improve the range and quality of service delivery on a continuous basis.

3. Origo will also ensure that all service users and stakeholders have access to clear information on how to voice complaints and comments.  Service users in particular will be provided with the support they need in order to make result of complaining or making comments.

PART TWO – PROCEDURAL GUIDANCE ON COMPLAINTS & COMMENTS

DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AND COMMENTS FROM SERVICE USERS

1.  If a client wishes to complain or make a comment about the services he/she is receiving, or any other aspect of his/her experience whilst being supported by Origo he/she can do this by speaking with a Project Worker/Volunteer.

2. Should the client not feel comfortable discussing his/her complaint with a Project Worker/Volunteer for whatever reason, he/she can complain to the General Manager or a trustee.

3.  Once a client wishing to complain has approached the Project Worker/Volunteer, they must first establish if the complaint or comment is a minor matter which can be rectified simply and without conflict.  In such cases, there may be no need to seek a written version of the complaint/comment.  This should be discussed and agreed with the client making the complaint/comment.  Such cases are most likely to be situations where a client is requesting a service rather than making a complaint, strictly speaking.

4.  In cases where a Project Worker/Volunteer has been approached about a more serious issue that is a complaint and not a request for a service, they must establish whether the client would like assistance in putting his/her complaint in writing.  No pressure should be exerted on him/her to do this on his/her own, but he/she can be offered the opportunity to ask for help from a project worker to record the complaint, in this case the Project Worker recording the details should read them back for confirmation before seeking the client’s signature that what has been recorded is accurate.  The client will be given the opportunity to have a support person present at the interview.

5.  If the Project Worker, within the boundaries of his/her delegated authority can resolve the complaint he/she should attempt to do so.  However, if the complaint cannot be resolved like this or the complaint is about a project worker the General Manager or a management committee member must lead on resolving the complaint.

6.  If the complaint is about the General Manager, the Chair of the Management Committee must lead on resolving the complaint.

7.  Whichever member of staff is trying to resolve the complaint, they should follow these guidelines:

• Get clear information from the client making the complaint about what went wrong and when.  Also ask for his/her views about how he/she would like her complaint to be resolved – i.e. what will fix the problem.  Record clearly, in writing.
• If the complaint is the result of a poor service or mistake by Origo, this should be rectified immediately and an apology made to the client.
• If the complaint is the result of a poor service or mistake by Origo, the member of staff dealing with the complaint must take this up with Origo and agree who will rectify the problem and apologise to the client.
• If the complaint is considered unjustified by Origo, this should be explained to the client along with why this is.

8.  In all such cases, the member of staff must reply to the client letting them know the outcome of his/her complaint.  He/she should be told this in writing but should be given support in discussing and understanding the situation with a member of staff to ensure that he/she feels an acceptable resolution has been found.

IF A COMPLAINT ABOUT ORIGO REMAINS UNRESOLVED

9.  If it has not been possible to achieve a resolution to the client’s complaint that is satisfactory to both him/her and Origo he/she should be advised that he/she can proceed to the next stage of the process is he/she wishes to pursue the matter.

10.  If the initial complaint made to a Project Worker/Volunteer remains unresolved, the general manager/management committee member must review it.  If the General Management Committee member has already been involved previously, the Management Committee must review the complaint.  The information they will need to consider the client’s complaint is:

• What the problem is
• What actions have been taken to resolve the problem
• Why the client remains dissatisfied
• What the client would consider a satisfactory resolution to his/her complaint

11.  Once the Management Committee has considered the client’s complaint, they must explain to him/her in writing their decision and what the next steps are, if he/she remains unsatisfied.  The client should be offered the same support as described above in discussing and responding to the decision about his/her complaint.

12.  Should the client remain dissatisfied following the Management Committee’s decision with regard to his/her complaint, he/she may make a further complaint to Origo who will deal with her complaint in line with their policy and procedure on Complaints. 

DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS AND COMMENTS FROM

STAKEHOLDERS

13.  the procedure for dealing with complaints and comments from stakeholders will follow the steps set out above, except that these complaints and comments should be addressed to Origo’s Chair of the Management Committee.

MONITORING COMPLAINTS & COMMENTS AND USING

FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE SERVICES

14.  Each time a formal complaint or comment is made in writing, it should be logged on the record sheet by the member of staff who receives it and is dealing with it.

15.  The results of this record should be fed into the form and from there into the following systems and processes:

• Annual business planning, particularly in terms of:

- identifying and prioritising changes and improvements to existing services

- identifying gaps in service provision

• Service reviews (timing will be dependent on the cycle of review)
• Reviews of policies and procedures

16.  The results of the complaints record should also be presented at least annually to:

• the Management Committee
• any service user participation groups