Being thorough and fair
An effective complaints system makes sure colleagues take a thorough, proportionate and balanced look into the issues raised in a complaint. It gives service users fair and open answers to their questions based on the facts, and takes full accountability for mistakes identified.
- Organisations make sure all relevant colleagues have the appropriate level of training, skills, and authority to look into complaints thoroughly.
- Organisations make sure all colleagues who look at complaints have the appropriate resources, support and time so they consistently meet these expectations.
- Colleagues actively listen and demonstrate a clear understanding of what the main issues are for the service user who has made the complaint, and the outcomes they seek.
- Colleagues discuss timescales with key parties involved in the complaint and agree how they will be kept informed and involved. They provide regular updates, as agreed with the parties, throughout.
- Colleagues look for ways they can resolve complaints at the earliest opportunity.
- Colleagues make sure key parties (including those being specifically complained about) know how they will look into the issues. This includes what information complaints colleagues will need, who they will speak to, who will be responsible for providing the final response and how they will communicate their findings.
- Colleagues give key parties the opportunity to share their views and respond to emerging information where appropriate. They take everyone’s comments into account and act openly, transparently and with empathy when discussing this information.
- When a complaint does not suit early resolution and needs more detailed consideration and investigation, this is done fairly. Where possible, a colleague who has not been involved in the issues complained about should look at the complaint. If this is not possible, the person looking into the complaint should openly demonstrate they are acting fairly when they consider all the issues.
- For complaints that involve multiple service areas or organisations, the colleagues and organisations involved should work together to deliver a co-ordinated and comprehensive response and ensure learning from complaints.
- Organisations publish a complaints procedure that meets the Complaint Standards and all relevant Government guidance. Each procedure clearly sets out how colleagues will handle complaints and which quality standards and behaviours they are expected to follow when doing so.