Whetstone Good Neighbours Scheme views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or person’s that has made the complaint.
Our policy is:
- To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint
- To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way
- To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved so that relationships are repaired
- To gather information which helps us to improve what we do
Confidentiality
All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
Receiving Complaints
Complaints received by telephone or in person need to be recorded.
The person who receives a phone or in person complaint should:
- Write down the facts of the complaint
- Take the complainant’s name, address and telephone number
- Note down the relationship of the complainant to WGNS, e.g. User, volunteer, other
- Tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure
- Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take
- Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words
Resolving Complaints
Stage One
Our aim would be in any dispute the people concerned to resolve the matter informally. This would be presented to the chair within 5 working days.
On receiving the complaint the Chair would log this in the complaints book, and if this has not already been resolved the Chair would investigate the complaint, where the complainant should be given a definitive reply within one month.
Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.
A copy of the complaint’s procedure should be given to the complainant.
Stage Two
If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One, they can request that the complaint is reviewed by an independent adjudicator, such as Citizens Advice who will aim to resolve the matter quickly and amicably.
External Stage
It is our hope that an independent body will provide an impartial and fair conclusion to having the complaint resolved.