Complaints Policy

Stage 1

Formal complaints must be made to Mr Peter Hogg. This may be done in person, in writing (preferably on the Complaint Form), or by telephone.

He will record the date the complaint is received and will acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within five working days.

Within this response, he will seek to clarify the nature of the complaint, ask what remains unresolved and what outcome the complainant would like to see. Mr Hogg can consider whether a face to face meeting is the most appropriate way of doing this.

During the investigation, he will:

• if necessary, interview those involved in the matter and/or those complained of, allowing them to be accompanied if they wish
• keep a written record of any meetings/interviews in relation to their investigation.

At the conclusion of the investigation, there will be a formal written response within fifteen working days of the date of receipt of the complaint. 

If unable to meet this deadline, the complainant will be provided with an update and revised response date.

The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions VIP  will take to resolve the complaint.

The complainant will be advised of how to escalate their complaint should they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of Stage 1.

Stage 2 

• If the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome at Stage 1 and wishes to take the matter further, they can escalate the complaint to Stage 2 – a meeting with The Director or his appointed representative. This is the final stage of the complaints procedure.
• A request to escalate to Stage 2 must be made to the Director within five working days of receipt of the Stage 1 response.
• The Director will record the date the complaint is received and acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing (either by letter or email) within five working days.
• Requests received outside of this time frame will only be considered if exceptional circumstances apply.
• The Director will write to the complainant to inform them of the date of the meeting. He will aim to convene a meeting within fifteen working days of receipt of the Stage 2 request. If this is not possible, the Director will provide an anticipated date and keep the complainant informed. 
• If the complainant rejects the offer of three proposed dates, without good reason, the Director will decide when to hold the meeting. It will then proceed in the complainant’s absence on the basis of written submissions from both parties.
• The complaints committee will consist of the Director and Senior Leaders plus a member of our HR team.
• The committee will decide whether to deal with the complaint by inviting parties to a meeting or through written representations, but in making their decision they will be sensitive to the complainant’s needs. 
• If the complainant is invited to attend the meeting, they may bring someone along to provide support. This can be a relative or friend. Generally, we do not encourage either party to bring legal representatives to the committee meeting. However, there may be occasions when legal representation is appropriate. 
• Note: Complaints about staff conduct will not generally be handled under this complaints procedure. Complainants will be advised that any staff conduct complaints will be considered under staff disciplinary procedures, if appropriate, but outcomes will not be shared with them. 
• Representatives from the media are not permitted to attend.
• Any written material will be circulated to all parties at least two working days before the date of the meeting. The committee will not accept, as evidence, recordings of conversations that were obtained covertly and without the informed consent of all parties being recorded. 
• The committee will also not review any new complaints at this stage or consider evidence unrelated to the initial complaint to be included. New complaints must be dealt with from Stage 1 of the procedure.
• The meeting will be held in private. Electronic recordings of meetings or conversations are not permitted unless a complainant’s own disability or special needs require it. Prior knowledge and consent of all parties attending must be sought before meetings or conversations take place. Consent will be recorded in any minutes taken.

The committee will consider the complaint and all the evidence presented. The committee can:

• uphold the complaint in whole or in part
• dismiss the complaint in whole or in part.

If the complaint is upheld in whole or in part, the committee will:

• decide on the appropriate action to be taken to resolve the complaint
• where appropriate, recommend changes to the company’s systems or procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.

The Chair of the Committee will provide the complainant and VIP with a full explanation of their decision and the reason(s) for it, in writing, within five working days.

The response will detail any actions taken to investigate the complaint and provide a full explanation of the decision made and the reason(s) for it. Where appropriate, it will include details of actions VIP will take to resolve the complaint.