- Introduction
Jariba International Recruitment aims to provide its Employees with a fair and high quality service, within our stated aims and priorities and welcomes feedback from service users, members, other individuals and organisations we work with, on all aspects of our services. Such feedback is invaluable in helping us to improve our work.
| The purpose of this document is to: Set out our policy and feedback, including complaints, and how we will respond;Ensure that everyone knows how to make a complaint or compliment;Ensure that complaints are dealt with consistently, fairly and quickly;Ensure that compliments and complaints are monitored and used to make changes to improve our services. |
We will:
- Listen carefully to all feedback, including complaints
- Wherever possible treat complaints as confidential
- Ensure that wherever possible, and except for reasons of legality or confidentiality, our management of complaints is open and transparent
- Record and store all information in accordance with the Data Protection Act
- Fully investigate the complaint quickly
- Write to the complainant with the results of the investigation, inform them of any actions implemented to prevent a recurrence and to tell them of any right of appeal
- Report to each Management Committee Meeting the number of compliments and complaints received, the findings of any investigations and actions taken.
| This Policy and Procedure does not replace any legal rights an individual or organisation may wish to explore. |
2. Definitions
| A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction by anyone using our services whether justified or not. An individual or other organisation may make a complaint if they feel that Jariba International Recruitment has: Failed to provide a service or an acceptable standard of serviceDelayed in providing a serviceMade a mistake in the way it has provided a serviceProvided an unfair serviceFailed to act in a proper way |
| NB: There may be occasions when the Jariba International Recruitment are required by law to refer a complaint to law enforcement or statutory agencies, or the Association is informed about a complaint by a law enforcement agency, solicitors or bodies with statutory powers of investigation. At all times legal, statutory or professional investigations will take primacy over the Complaints Policy and Procedure and the Association will not undertake any actions that may compromise any external investigations. In such cases: The Complaints Policy and Procedure will be initiated and the governing body may take such action to protect clients, users, or the Association through suspension of a member or other volunteer until such a time as any legal procedures or investigations are completed to the satisfaction of the external agencies concerned. If the complaint involves a paid member of staff then the Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure will be used. Once immediate actions have been taken the Complaints procedure will become suspended until such a time as any legal procedures or investigations are completed to the satisfaction of the external agencies concerned. The Association will keep full and accurate records of its actions in respect of such a complaint. |
Compliments
Any verbal or written compliment will be recorded by the person receiving the compliment and be passed to the Secretary (or other appropriate person) for recording in the Compliments Register/Book. Feedback on compliments will be shared with staff at appropriate times.
3. Data Protection
To process a complaint we will hold personal data about a complainant, which the individual provides and which other people give when investigating the complaint. We will hold this data securely and only use it to help to address the complaint. The identity of the person making the complaint will only be made known to those needing to consider the complaint and will not be revealed to other people or made public by Jariba International Recruitment . However it may not be possible to preserve confidentiality in all circumstances, for example, where relevant legislation applies or allegations are made which involve the conduct of third parties.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, individuals have a right to obtain a copy of their personal data. However, there are exceptions to this right. HACA will normally destroy its complaints and compliments files in a secure manner 6 years after the complaint has been closed or compliment made.
4. Monitoring
Compliments and complaints are an important tool, which alongside other user feedback and evaluations will allow us to learn about the services we provide. They provide a useful source of information about how individuals see our services and how we are serving them. To ensure that we learn from compliments and complaints the following information will be collected:
Compliments
- Name and address
- Date compliment received
- Nature of compliment
- Action(s) taken recommendations made in response to the compliment (where appropriate)
Complaints
- Name and address of complainant
- Date complaint received
- Nature of the complaint
- Name of person dealing with the complaint
- Date of response to the complaint
- Action(s) taken recommendations made in response to the complaint (where appropriate)
- Lessons learnt
Compliments and complaints information will be considered on a regular basis and reported quarterly to the Management Committee. Wherever possible the information will be used to improve and develop services.
If the Association receives a complaint about another member of the Association the formal complaints procedure will be used and the Association will also carry out any actions in accordance with our constitution. Disputes will be handled in accordance with our Conflict Resolution Policy.
5. The Procedure
There are two stages to the complaints procedure:
Stage One: The Complaint
- What you need to do
Write to Jariba International Recruitment explaining your complaint as fully as possible. Your letter should be addressed to the Chair at the above address and marked “Private and Confidential”. Please include your name, a contact address and telephone number and the name of the organisation you represent, if appropriate. The Association can help you to put your complaint in writing, or signpost you to someone who can support you to do this. We cannot respond to anonymous complaints.
- What the Association will do
If an individual prefers to make a verbal complaint then the person dealing with it must record the details on the Complaints Form. If an individual asks for a copy of the Complaints Policy and Procedure including a Complaints Form the Association will send these out where possible on the same day or within 3 working days of the request.
On receiving a complaint the Association will ensure that it is logged on to the complaints register and will send an acknowledgement.
The Chair will contact you within 10 days with written confirmation that your complaint has been received and that an investigation has begun. If the Chair is not available, the Vice-Chair will deal with the matter. If both are unavailable another Committee/Board member will deputise.
The Chair (or deputy) may be able to resolve the complaint quickly by way of an apology, by providing the service required or by providing an acceptable explanation. The Chair will complete a ‘Complaints Investigation Report’ (see appendices) and send a copy of this to you.
If it is not possible to resolve the complaint quickly then the Chair (or deputy) will fully investigate the complaint by interviewing any relevant staff. The Chair may seek advice from our insurers and/or from external advisers. If the investigation is likely to be time-consuming or complex, the Chair may involve up to two other Board members. Notes will be taken of any interviews and the interviewees will receive a copy. If interviewees do not agree with the record they can raise any points with the Chair who will have the final say as to whether it is an accurate record of the interview. The Chair will list any evidence seen (e.g. letters, files, emails, etc.).
| All parties involved in the investigation will be asked to keep the matter private and confidential. Staff may seek the advice of trades unions or other advisers if they consider that the Jariba International Recruitment Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure will need to be invoked. |
You will receive a copy of our “Complaint Investigation Report” within 21 days. This will be in writing, unless you have requested that we use another medium. It will include a summary of what has been done to investigate the complaint and any proposed action to remedy the situation. Having received the report you then need to complete the return slip indicating if you are satisfied with the outcome of the investigation or not.
If you are dissatisfied with the outcome the return slip provides the Association with details of your intention to move to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Appeal against the Chair’s decision
- What you need to do
If you are dissatisfied with the decision that has been made you can appeal. This must be done within 10 working days of having received the Complaints Investigation Report. You make your appeal by completing the return slip indicating that you are not satisfied and wish to move to Stage 2 of the complaints procedure.
- What the Association will do
You will be invited to make your appeal in person to an ‘Appeals Panel’ consisting of 3 Association Committee Members not previously involved in the investigation. They will have been given a copy of the Complaints Investigation Report, but will not have discussed the matter with the investigator or the staff involved.
The role of the Appeals Panel is to see if your complaint has been dealt with properly and fairly and whether an appropriate decision has been reached, not to re-investigate the complaint. Where the complaint is against a member of staff, that person will be given the opportunity to submit a written statement to the Appeals Panel. This will be considered alongside the original complaint, the investigation report and any action suggested to remedy the situation.
You will be given at least 10 working days’ notice of the date, time and venue of the Appeals Panel meeting and all reasonable efforts will be made to hold the meeting at a time convenient to you. You may bring someone to assist you, or to witness the procedure.
The Appeals Panel will write to you within 10 working days to notify you of its decision and any actions to be taken to address the complaint. The Appeals Panel’s decision will be final and no further correspondence will be entered into.
| Policy and Procedure adopted on: | |
| Policy and Procedure review date: |
Appendices:
- Complaints Form
- Complaints Investigation Report
