Welcoming complaints in a positive way
An effective complaint system goes out of its way to create a positive environment in which complaints are welcomed and resolved at the earliest opportunity. Service users know how to complain and can do this easily and without fear that it will affect the service they receive. They are confident their complaint will be taken seriously, looked at with empathy and answered as quickly as possible.
- Colleagues openly welcome complaints so they can identify and resolve issues quickly. Colleagues receive training in how to do this and make sure service users are being listened to and treated with empathy, courtesy and respect.
- Organisations clearly publicise and promote how service users can raise complaints in a range of ways that suits them and meets their specific needs. They make it easy for everybody to understand how the process works. This includes being clear about who can make a complaint and what will happen next.
- Organisations actively reassure service users that the service they receive will not be compromised if they make a complaint, and explain what they can do if they feel it has been.
- Each stage in the complaints procedure is responsive to the needs of each individual and organisations make reasonable adjustments where required.
- Organisations make sure service users know how to get advice and support when they make a complaint. This includes giving details of appropriate independent complaints support and advice providers, and other support networks.
- Organisations make sure colleagues who are specifically the subject of a complaint are made aware of the issues as soon as possible, and are given details of how to get ongoing advice and support.
- Colleagues make sure they respond to complaints at the earliest opportunity. They consistently meet expected timescales for acknowledging a complaint. They also give clear timeframes for how long it will take to look into the issues, taking into account the complexity of the matter.
- Organisations make sure colleagues can identify when issues raised in a complaint should be (or are being) addressed via another route at the earliest opportunity, so a co-ordinated approach can be taken. Other possible routes include appeals, reference or statutory review by a tribunal or action in a court of law or disciplinary process. Colleagues know when and how to seek guidance on such matters so they can give service users information on the relevant process and explain where they can get advice and support.
- Organisations regularly promote their wish to hear from service users and show how they are using learning from all feedback (including complaints) to improve services.