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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