Complaints Policy
Heart n Soul Complaints Policy
Heart n Soul is committed to having a fair and open approach to complaints and comments.
This policy covers complaints about the services that Heart n Soul provides to the people we work with.
We want to ensure that everyone we work with is happy about the experience they are having with us.
Therefore we will make sure:
Making a complaint is as easy and clear as possible.
That we deal with complaints appropriately and within an agreed time frame.
We treat a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction with an aspect of what we are doing, which calls for action to be taken.
We respond in the right way – for example, with an explanation or an apology where we have got things wrong.
If something has gone wrong or has fallen below standards, it is seen as an opportunity to do things better and make changes where needed.
However:
We have the right to refuse to accept a complaint where the complaint is clearly malicious or motivated by racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory attitudes.
If the complaint threatens or abuses Heart n Soul staff/volunteers.
Complaints Procedure
How do you make a complaint?
Wherever possible we will try to respond and resolve the situation informally. If you are still not happy and would like to take the complaint further than you must contact us in writing.
Formal complaints should be made to the Associate Director/Chief Executive:
● E-mail: info@heartnsoul.co.uk
● Letter: Heart n Soul, The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
We will require your name, address and phone number so that we can contact you.
Time limits on making a complaint
Normally complaints should be made within one month of the event or within one month of the complainant becoming aware of cause to complain.
We understand that in certain instances people may wish to remain anonymous. In such cases, we will review the nature of the complaint and decide on follow up action if we feel it is necessary.
Assistance, where possible, will be offered to all parties in a complaint procedure.
All complaints will be kept confidential to those who are involved, unless a concern is raised in relation to a safeguarding matter or serious criminality. In which case we reserve the right to contact the relevant authorities.
However, the complaint will normally be made known to the Associate Director or Chief Executive. They will discuss the matter with the Heart n Soul Board of Trustees where necessary.
What happens next?
We aim where possible to address complaints quickly.
We will let you know that we have received your complaint within 7 days from when it was received.
The Associate Director will review the complaint to see whether further investigations are needed to be carried out
When investigating complaints the Associate Director will ensure that:
● The complaint is fully understood – this may require meeting with or talking to the person.
● We may also speak to staff and volunteers who were present at the time of the incident to fully understand the situation.
● Everyone will be offered the opportunity to bring someone with them to discuss the complaint in more detail
Responses:
In most cases we aim to provide a full response within 20 days after having received the complaint. However, if this is not possible because, for example, a detailed investigation is required, we will provide an interim reply explaining what is being done to deal with the complaint and a timeline for submitting a full response.
In some cases the person who has made the complaint may prefer to discuss its outcome on the phone. However, we will always follow this up with a letter so that both parties have a written record of what has been decided.
Any actions that need to be taken as a result of the complaints will happen as soon as practically feasible.
Appeals Procedure
If someone is dissatisfied with the response they have received, they are entitled to appeal the decision within 7 days of receiving the response.
In cases where the Chief Executive is the subject of the complaint, the appeal will be referred to a member of the Heart n Soul Board of Trustees.
Appeals will be responded to within 15 days in writing.
In all cases complaints will be recorded. These will then be included in the board reports and reviewed on a quarterly basis.
If you have any questions about our complaints policy, please contact us
● e-mail: info@heartnsoul.co.uk
● Letter: Heart n Soul, The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
For further information:
Charity Commission - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission
