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Complaints procedure
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June 2008
One Parent Families|Gingerbread (OPF|GB) hopes that everyone coming into contact with us will find us reliable, informative and helpful. For details of the standards we aim to achieve, please see our quality statement.
We recognise, however, that if we are to maintain the highest possible standards of service there will be room for improvement, and there may also be occasions when those coming into contact with us are unhappy with the information or standard of help we have given, the service we have provided, or the manner in which it is provided. We therefore believe that it is vitally important that we have an open and accessible complaints procedure in order to ensure that we are able to respond to comments by lone parents and others and to continue to work towards the enhancement of the overall quality of our work.
Complaints may be made in a number of ways:- in writing
- by telephone
- by email
- in person
OPF|GB recognises as a complaint any situation in which we have done something or failed to do something to someone who has been in contact with us, and where they have identified themselves as making a complaint, either on their own initiative or in response to a staff member asking formally if they want to make a complaint. This latter situation could arise where an individual has been in conversation or correspondence with a member of staff about something that has made them unhappy and where the member of staff feels that in order to progress matters it would be helpful to invite the individual to make a formal complaint.
Any member of staff may be the first to receive a complaint, and this first contact will create an important impression in the complainant's mind of our organisation and how we will deal with their concerns. We should therefore endeavor at all times to remain polite, friendly, calm, and to deal efficiently with the complainant. The following notes are intended to support staff in handling complaints.
Separate and detailed guidance exists for complaints about Lone Parent Helpline, and should be referred to in the first instance when complaints relate to those services.
Complaints received by phone
Where a member of staff receives a complaint by telephone, he/she should first attempt to resolve it him/herself. The exception to this is where a non helpline-related complaint is taken on the helpline (or on reception), in which case the complainant should be transferred immediately to the relevant department (or to the Chief Executive's PA where the person receiving the call is unsure where the call should be handled).
If the complainant is happy with the outcome of the telephone discussion, a note should then be made of the complaint, the action taken and the caller's response, and be passed to the Chief Executive's PA for the Chief Executive or Deputy Chief Executive to read and decide if further action is needed. The note will then be placed on the Complaints File.
If the member of staff is unable to handle the complaint, they should offer the caller the chance to speak to a more senior staff member - either the head of the relevant department or supervisor. If the senior member of staff is available, they should be asked if the call can be passed to them at once. But if this is not possible, the caller should be asked if they will leave their name and telephone number and times when they can be called back. A copy of our written complaints procedure should be offered to the caller and dispatched on the same working day if requested. The senior staff member's name will be given to the caller. The senior member of staff will then make telephone contact with the caller normally within no more than 5 working days.
On speaking to the complainant, the department head will deal with the complaint, make a note of what has occurred and pass to the Chief Executive's PA for action as above.
If at any stage the caller wishes to write to us with details of their complaint, they should be asked to write to the head of the relevant department, and be given the department head's name, email address and our full postal address.
Complaints in writing
These should be passed to the relevant department head for a response within 10 working days. The response may be by telephone, in writing or by email as the department head judges fit.
The correspondence (or a note of any telephone call) should be passed to the Chief Executive's PA as above.
Email complaints
These should be passed to the relevant department head for a response within 10 working days. The response may be by telephone, in writing or by email as the department head judges fit.
The correspondence (or a note of any telephone call) should be passed to the Chief Executive's PA as above.
Complaints in person
The member of staff receiving the complaint should endeavour to resolve it, or to fetch a senior member of staff (supervisor or department head) to resolve it, immediately and while the complainant is present. A note of the complaint and outcome should then be passed to the Chief Executive's PA for action as above.
If the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, the complainant should be asked to leave contact details (telephone or post), which should be passed to the relevant department head to action. The complainant should be offered a written copy of our complaints procedure. The department head should respond to the complainant within 5 working days.
A note of the complaint and outcome should then be passed to the Chief Executive's PA as above.
All complaints
If a complainant has spoken to or received correspondence from the relevant head of department and remains dissatisfied, they should be advised that they can complain to the Chief Executive /Deputy Chief Executive. The complainant should be offered a call back from the Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive and contact details obtained and times agreed for the call. Alternatively, if the complainant prefers, they should be given details of how they can contact the Chief Executive /Deputy Chief Executive in writing.
Any complaint received about the Deputy Chief Executive will be dealt with by the Chief Executive in accordance with these guidelines. Any complaint about the Chief Executive will be dealt with by the Chair of the Committee of Management, in accordance with these guidelines.
If the complainant insists, an appointment may be made to see a senior member of staff. This must be in office hours and at our premises.
Investigating complaints
When a complaint is received, it may be necessary for the member of staff dealing with the complaint to investigate, including interviewing other members of staff as well as the complainant. The complainant should be advised, by telephone or in writing, if an investigation is necessary, with a clear timescale of when the member of staff will be able to revert to the complainant with a response to the complaint. In any event, this should be no more than 10 working days after the original complaint is made.
In some circumstances, it may be appropriate for the complaint to be investigated by a neutral party. The Chief Executive (or Chair of the Committee of Management where the complaint is about the Chief Executive) will determine when this is appropriate and appoint an investigator who will be asked to investigate and produce a report, which may either find the complaint groundless or, where the complaint is found to be justified, setting out any remedial action, including changes in internal procedures if appropriate.
Monitoring complaints
Records of all complaints handled will be passed to the Chief Executive's PA for sight by the Chief Executive /Deputy Chief Executive as soon as the complaint is resolved. A Complaint Record Form is appended to this guidance which may be used for this purpose.
The Chief Executive /Deputy Chief Executive will decide if any further immediate action is required.
Complaints records will be held on file and reviewed by the Chief Executive, and by the designated trustee on behalf of the Board of Trustees, every 6 months.
Suggestions for improvement
In addition to complaints, we may receive suggestions as to how our work could be improved. Telephone comments should be noted and passed to the relevant department head, who will decide what action to take. Alternatively, if they prefer, callers may be invited to put their suggestion in writing/email to the relevant department head, who should respond to the suggestion. Written suggestions will be passed to the department head to respond.
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