Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde Complaints Procedure
- Policy Statement
Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde is committed to providing members, organisations, individuals, volunteers, and funders with the best possible service. We want to know about concerns and resolve them quickly. This policy aims to ensure that you know how to make a complaint and that it will be dealt with fairly.
- Definitions
YOU and YOUR: refer to the person making the complaint.
COMPLAINT: is a report to us that you are not satisfied with the Headway’s services or goods.
SERVICE USERS: includes individuals that use Headway services, such as people directly impacted by brain injury, including survivors, their family members and carers, professionals accessing Headway support via the website, publications or corporate and individual members of Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde.
STAKEHOLDER: includes volunteers, fundraisers, professionals, contractors, corporate partners, and others that come into contact with Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde.
- Principles
The procedure aims to be simple, clear and fair to all parties involved.
We will handle complaints sensitively.
The procedure is accessible to all regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, belief or sexual orientation. Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde will not treat anyone less favourably for bringing a complaint in good faith.
Making a complaint will not harm or prejudice the services that are offered to the complainant.
Complainants are treated with respect and courtesy and receive appropriate support throughout the handling of the complaint.
We will share information about complaints only with those staff relevant to the complaint or who can help resolve it. Other people named in a complaint would normally be informed of the issues in the complaint and the investigator would offer give them a right to reply.
Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde will make every effort to ensure that Headway staff observe the confidential nature of issues raised. People making complaints are also expected to respect confidentiality. On rare occasions, Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde may not be able to keep all information confidential. We may need to tell someone to protect you or other people from harm. The investigator will tell you if they need to share the information with people outside of Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde. Learnings from complaints will be used to improve Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde’s work and drive forward a culture of continuous improvement.
- Scope and Limitations
This policy applies to all who use and are impacted by Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde and its services, except for complaints from staff should be raised via the Grievance Policy.
- Procedure
If your complaint is about Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde including issues relating to our volunteers, there are three stages below that can be used to try and resolve the problem.
- Stage One – Informal
Most problems are straightforward and can be resolved quickly.
You should speak to or email the staff member, or their line manager if known, as soon as possible when a problem arises. Staff will try to work with you to find a solution quickly and let you know what they can do to resolve the issue.
If you do not know who to contact or do not wish to contact the individual involved, please email complaints@headway.org.uk .
In order for us to help you resolve the issue, please ensure that you provide as much information as possible regarding your complaint.
You should receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within 7 working days, and a full response within 8 weeks. If you are not satisfied with the response you should continue to follow the procedure outlined below to make a formal complaint.
- Stage Two – Formal
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive at Stage One, or you would prefer your complaint to be formally investigated, you can request your complaint to be escalated to Stage Two, either through your contact at Stage One, or directly when raising your complaint.
To complain formally you should email complaints@headway.org.uk or in writing FAO Complaints, Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde c/o Easthams Solicitors Limited, 292 – 302 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3QA
You will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within five working days.
A Trustee will be assigned to investigate your complaint.
Once we have completed our investigation, you will receive a written response.
We aim to respond no later than 20 working days from the date of acknowledgement. The investigator will keep you informed. It can take longer to investigate complex matters. The investigator will let you know if the investigation will take longer than 20 days.
If your complaint is upheld, the investigator will let you know the outcome and what action we will take, if any. Where the complaint is not upheld, the investigator will let you know the reasons for this and how you may appeal.
- Stage Three – Appeal
If you are not satisfied, with my response, you have the right to an appeal.
To make an appeal you should write to the relevant Trustee as detailed in the complaint outcome letter.
The letter should be sent within 10 working days of the date of you receiving your outcome letter. You should include your full reasons for your appeal. If as a reasonable adjustment for a disability, you require an extension to this time frame then please raise this with the relevant Trustee as detailed in the complaint outcome letter.
You will receive an acknowledgement of your appeal within five working days.
This will be the final decision of the complaints process and will ensure that the Appeal Trustee has reviewed the investigation and made any further enquiries.
We aim to respond no later than 20 working days from the date of acknowledgement. The Appeal Trustee will keep you informed throughout the appeal in particular if this will take longer than 20 days.
- Regulator Complaints
If you are not happy with the way in which we have handled your complaint, you can contact the relevant regulator.
If your complaint relates to a fundraising matter and you are dissatisfied with Headway Blackpool Wyre & Fylde’s response to your complaint you can contact the Fundraising Regulator
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/ to access its independent complaints procedure.
Alternatively, you can contact the Charity Commission. Further guidance on when and how to make a complaint about a charity is available at www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity.