Complaints Policy
1. Policy Statement
People who access Who Cares? Scotland and use our services should feel their views are listened to and acted on. Who Cares Scotland’s staff should encourage discussion and action on issues raised by children and young people with experience of care, or others, before they develop into problems and complaints. However, if problems do arise, children and young people should feel enabled to bring their concerns to the notice of staff or management without concern.
This policy and procedure may also be used by other professionals or members of the public seeking to make a complaint about Who Cares? Scotland and our services.
Who Cares? Scotland is a learning organisation and we welcome compliments and comments for improvement from people involved with the organisation.
Most complaints can be resolved informally in discussion. We recognise however that some people may not feel able to discuss their complaint with staff or may feel doing so has not improved matters. Therefore, Who Cares? Scotland has a formal Complaints Procedure.
Complaints will always be dealt with in the strictest confidence. If others need to be informed, the person making the complaint will be informed. Where external mediation might be of help, support can be offered by identifying relevant agencies.
Complaints should be dealt with informally within three weeks (Stage Two below). If it is likely to take longer, the person making the complaint will be kept informed.
All complaints should be recorded, with details of findings, action and outcome. Who Cares? Scotland will monitor and collect information on all complaints received by the organisation.
A complaint about a member of the Senior Management Team should be sent directly to the CEO Louise Hunter. Write to:
CEO
Who Cares? Scotland
40 Wellington Street
Glasgow
G2 6HJ
A complaint about the Chief Executive should be sent directly to the Chair of Who Cares? Scotland’s Board of Directors. Write to ‘Chair’ at the same address.
Please mark your envelope Confidential.
2. Scope
This policy applies to children or young people with experience of care who want to make a complaint.
The policy also applies to all others, including representatives of any external body or members of the public.
3. Procedure – What to do if you want to make a complaint
STAGE ONE
Try to solve your complaint informally – speak to a member of staff
↓ STAGE TWO
No satisfactory resolution, escalate to a Manager.
↓ STAGE THREE
No satisfactory resolution – write to a member of the Senior Management Team
If you have a complaint or would like to give feedback in the form of a compliment or a concern, please send details to feedback@whocaresscotland.org.
You should receive an acknowledgement within three working days and a full response to your complaint / feedback no later than 20 working days from the time you contact this email address.
4. Stage One (Staff try to solve your complaint informally)
If you have a problem of any kind about Who Cares? Scotland, we want you to feel able to talk about it to a staff member you choose. This helps us to understand your concern and sort it out as quickly as possible.
A note of the problem and the solution will be kept.
5. Stage Two (Manager Level)
If talking with staff does not help, or if you feel more comfortable talking with someone else, you can ask to meet with a Manager. S/he will listen to your complaint and try to help you sort out the problem. You can bring another person with you to the meeting – this can be anyone you think can support you.
A note of the problem and the solution will be kept.
This informal process (Stage Two) should take no more than three weeks.
6. Stage Three (Formal Complaint – Senior Management Team level)
If these informal discussions do not help and you are still not satisfied, you can make a formal complaint by writing to a Director at Who Cares? Scotland.
On receiving your letter, the SMT member will write to you within seven days explaining the process to follow. S/he will arrange for an investigation into your complaint. This may involve a meeting with you. You can bring another person with you – anyone you think can support you. The SMT member will then let you know in writing what action is proposed to resolve your complaint.
This formal process (Stage Three) should not take more than three weeks – this is from the date of receiving your letter to arriving at a proposed solution.
7. Support
Who Cares? Scotland recognises employees or volunteers subject to a complaint may require additional support to deal with a stressful process. This support will be available to all employees or volunteers subject to a complaint. The appropriate nature of that support will be considered depending on the particular circumstances.