1. We will ensure that our service is accessible to all.

This means that we will:

  • Not charge for our service
  • Be customer focused
  • Understand your needs
  • Guide you through the complaint process
  • If appropriate, direct you to another organisation which may help

2. We will communicate effectively with you.

This means that we will:

  • Treat you courteously, respectfully and with dignity
  • Communicate with you by your preferred method where possible
  • Explain our role to you
  • Let you know what we can and cannot do
  • Explain our process for handling complaints
  • Keep you regularly updated of the progress of your complaint and  timescales
  • Provide you with contact details for the member of staff dealing with your complaint
  • Provide accurate information, in plain and clear language

3. We will ensure that you receive a professional service from us.

This means that we will:

  • Ensure staff have relevant knowledge, training and skills to determine complaints, or access to suitable professional advice
  • Deal with complaints in a timely manner
  • Provide appropriate remedies for any faults we identify
  • Promote wider learning and improvement
  • Keep accurate records, and hold data securely
  • Where necessary, share information appropriately
  • Follow our processes for considering complaints about us, and acknowledge and apologise for any mistakes we make
  • Seek and use feedback to improve our service

4. We will be fair in our dealings with you.

This means that we will:

  • Work with you without discrimination or prejudice
  • Make decisions on the basis of the relevant evidence
  • Explain the reasons for our decisions
  • Explain how to challenge our decisions
  • Explain our approach to unacceptable behaviour

5. We will operate in a transparent way.

This means that we will:

  • Publish details of our most senior members of staff and the rules under which we operate
  • Have procedures to deal with any conflict of interest in handling complaints
  • Be open with you about the investigation
  • Publish lessons learned from complaints
  • Provide information about our approach to handling complaints about us
  • Explain to you what we can do if the body does not implement our recommendations

In this factsheet, we explain how we will communicate with you in line with our Service Standards.