Complaints Policy and Procedure
1. Introduction
Addiction Recovery Agency (Ara) is committed to providing an excellent service and endeavour to ensure that professional standards of service provision are adhered to. We continually strive to improve our services through training, policy and service reviews with the aim of developing best practice.
We believe that service user satisfaction and feedback are key to delivery of excellent services. However, there are times when people feel a valid complaint needs to be made and it is our intent to hear feedback or criticism, whether it is an offer for improvement or a case where there is a grievance. In all circumstances Ara will endeavour to respond to the person complaining in an honest, open and fair manner.
We treat all complaints and other feedback seriously. Where our services fall short of our high standards and what you expect, we will investigate and put it right. We will learn from complaints and use this learning to improve our services for the future.
Ara will ensure that we never treat any service user who makes a complaint in a negative or adverse way, because of making a complaint.
Ara welcomes complaints and sees them as a useful way to help improve what we do.
2. Purpose of our complaints policy
Ara views complaints as a significant source of learning and provide us with opportunities to improve:
- outcomes for service users
- the quality of services
- the service user experience
This policy and procedure will enable us to:
- Respond to complaints fairly and objectively
- Reflect our aim of providing an excellent service
- Empower staff through training to view complaints in a positive way
- Use feedback from clients, stakeholders and any other person making a complaint to improve services and business planning
- Respond to complaints appropriately taking into account the needs of the person making the complaint, whether they are a client, stakeholder or member of the public
3. What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction by a client, stakeholder or member of the public, about our services, or action that we have or have not taken.
A request for action is not a complaint and will be dealt with by the relevant Ara team. An example of this may be a request for a repair to a property, or a report about Anti Social Behaviour.
An enquiry is when we are contacted for information, for example a request by a client for a balance on their rent account. Or another agency wanting to refer a potential client.
An ‘informal concern’ and a ‘formal complaint’, for the purposes of this policy may both be defined as ‘any expression of discontent that requires a response’. There are however some differences in the manner in which ‘informal concerns’ and ‘formal complaints’ are managed; these are outlined within this policy.
4. How we will deal with a complaint
Confidentiality and consent
The information about Informal Concerns and Formal Complaints, and about all the people involved, is strictly confidential. Any information is only disclosed to those with a demonstrable need to know in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 which sets out the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Informal concerns
If a client has a concern or complaint we would encourage an initial discussion with their service contact. If a client was unwilling or unable to do this, perhaps because the complaint is against a member of staff, they should ask for a meeting with a more senior member of Ara.
The aim of this informal discussion would be to see if we could resolve the problem quickly, simply and fairly. It is hoped that the great majority of issues can be settled to the satisfaction of the person raising the concern /complaint at this initial stage.
The raising of Informal Concerns and other feedback including constructive criticism, made through client surveys or in discussion with staff, is always welcome as help towards raising our service’s standards.
Formal complaints
If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily informally, the complainant will be advised to formalise the complaint, by detailing the problems and issues they are facing in writing and referring it to the relevant Service Manager.
All complaints and subsequent reviews will be recorded in writing. Each separate review or appeal as it progresses will be carried out by a different senior member of staff to ensure that at each stage there is a new unbiased view on the detail and process.
Upon receipt of any complaint, we will ensure that any specific needs or preferences of the complainant are identified, for example in relation to:
- disability and any adjustments required
- gender of the investigating manager
- providing information in appropriate
What happens next?
The Service Manager is responsible for making sure we deal with the complaint and will acknowledge it within 5 working days of receipt.
The Service Manager or delegated representative will investigate the complaint. A full written response will be made within a further 10 working days, informing of the outcome of the complaint and any action Ara may be taking.
Following receipt of the response, if the person making the complaint is not satisfied with the outcome and action taken, they have 10 working days to request in writing that the complaint be reviewed.
The review request will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt.
The Senior Manager will assess and investigate your review request. A full written response regarding the outcome will be made within 10 working days of receipt of the review request.
Should the person making the complaint still not be satisfied with the outcome of the review, they will be informed of the process to bring the matter forward to the Chief Executive and/or the Board of Ara.
If the person making the complaint is still not satisfied, we will advise them of any relevant bodies which can independently hear the complaint, for example the Housing Ombudsman, or commissioner of the service.
Where it is not possible to resolve all of the issues of a formal complaint within the timescales outlined above, and where exceptional circumstances apply, Ara will liaise with the person making the complaint with the intention of negotiating and agreeing an extension timeframe.
5. Support and advice with complaints
Throughout the entire process the person making the complaint will be given contact details on any organisations that may be able to assist them and advocate on their behalf.
Service users who make a complaint have the right to be accompanied at meetings at any stage of a complaint, by a friend, relative or advocate.
We will make every effort to ensure that meetings in relation to complaints are arranged at a time that is mutually convenient for all in relation to time and venue, and at venues that are accessible for those attending.
6. Making a complaint if you are an external stakeholder or other interested party
If you have a complaint, you should contact a Service Manager by phone or formally in writing. Ara will deal with any complaint within the same timescales and processes listed above.
7. When we cannot deal with a complaint.
Ara is dedicated to ensuring that everyone who comes into contact with our organisation and services are satisfied with their experience. However, there are some situations that are beyond our control and where the complaints procedure may not be able to provide a resolution.
Examples may include:
- Persons or bodies over which we have no control
- The general law, g. appeals against court rulings such as possession orders
- Against a refusal to allocate a service where a person is not eligible
Where this is the case and there is another organisation involved, we will pass the complaint to the relevant organisation and inform the person making the complaint of our action.
8. Client Care and Access
We will make sure that our complaints policy and procedure are easy to access and well publicised.
Clients will be informed that Ara welcomes complaints and comments as part of its Quality Procedures.
We will ensure that we never treat any client who makes a complaint in a negative or adverse way, because of making a complaint.
9. Implementation, Monitoring and Review
We will monitor who is using this policy and compare this to the current community of our clients so that we can further improve our services.
Any monitoring information will be used to improve our services and ensure that all of our clients can access our complaints policy and procedure. This information will in no way be used to influence individual complaints.
Ara will review complaints as part of our quality procedures, identifying trends, improve services and inform service and staff developments.
A Complaints Log will be maintained, and it will include the nature of the complaint and the action taken.
The Senior Leadership Team will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this policy, taking into account service user and staff feedback, with a particular focus on client satisfaction with the complaints policy and the outcome of complaints.
The Board received regular quarterly updates on complaints and compliments as part of Service Performance Reports.
This policy will be regularly reviewed to look at ways in which it can be improved
If you have any concerns on the effectiveness of this policy, please report this to a Service Manager.
10. Retention
Complaint records will be retained for twenty-five (25) years from the date of their resolution.
