OUR COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

VERBAL COMPLAINTS

A verbal complaint will, wherever possible, be dealt with at the point of service, by the person providing that service and as quickly, sympathetically and efficiently as possible. All employees of the Agency are, potentially, recipients of oral complaints, and upon receipt, an employee will:

• Attempt to deal with the matter to the overall satisfaction of the complainant, and subsequently;
• Prepare a comprehensive written record of the complaint using the form designed for this purpose; and
• Submit the form to the Agency Manager, who will maintain an accurate record of oral complaints, and, where necessary, will seek assurance from the complainant that the matter has been dealt with satisfactorily.

However should the employee not be capable of dealing immediately (or the same day) with the initial complaint (for whatever reason, but usually because the matter refers to operational policy, which the employee is incapable of changing, or is a matter outside of their normal responsibility, or the matter is clearly serious in its nature), then the employee will inform the complainant that the matter will have to be referred. In such situations the complainant will be advised that their complaint will be acknowledged, formally, in writing, within three working days.

At this point the matter will be dealt with as if it were a written complaint.

WRITTEN COMPLAINTS

• All written complaints (together with unresolved oral complaints) should be addressed (or forwarded) to the Agency Manager;
• Any written complaint addressed to someone else within the Agency should be referred to the Agency Manager for action and resolution;

Any complaint about the Agency Manager should be addressed to: The Manager, The Bay Care Group, 49 Torquay Road, Paignton, TQ3 3DT.