Making sure people know how to complain

Welcoming complaints in a positive way  

• Organisations clearly publicise and promote how people can raise complaints in a range of ways that suits them and meets their specific needs. They make it easy for everybody to understand how the process works. This includes being clear about who can make a complaint and what will happen next. 
• Organisations make sure service users know how to get advice and support when they make a complaint. This includes giving details of appropriate independent complaints support and advice providers, and other support networks. 
• Organisations regularly promote their wish to hear from service users and show how they are using learning from all feedback (including complaints) to improve services. 

Being thorough and fair 

• Organisations publish a complaints procedure that meets the Complaint Standards and all relevant Government guidance. Each procedure clearly sets out how colleagues will handle complaints and which quality standards and behaviours they are expected to follow when doing so. 

Managing Public Money says:  

• ‘A4.14.1 Public sector organisations should operate clear accessible complaints procedures. They are a valuable source of feedback which can help shed light on the quality of service provided, and in particular how well it matches up to policy intentions. So all complaints should be investigated.’ 

• Make it clear to everyone who uses your service, and anyone who supports them, that you welcome complaints as a way to help improve your service. 
• Tell people they can raise their concerns with any colleague and be confident that the matter will be taken seriously. 

Make sure all colleagues, particularly those with an outward-facing role, know that listening to service users and dealing with complaints is an important part of their work. Colleagues should be:  

• trained and supported in how to deal with complaints as they come up 
• confident in explaining how to make a complaint and how it will be dealt with 
• able to signpost people to any internal or external sources of help, advice and support they can access when making a complaint. 

One of the main reasons people give for not raising their concerns is they think Government organisations are too busy to listen and they do not think their complaint will make a difference. 

• Encourage people to speak up by showing them that: 
  • you have the time to listen and act on what they say 
  • taking the time to complain can make a difference. 
• Share the actions you have taken and the changes you have made as a result of someone making a complaint – for example, on posters, in a publication, or through digital media. Be as creative as you can.  
• Whatever approach you choose, make sure it tells service users that speaking up has led to positive change for them, your organisation and other service users.  

As well as telling people how much you value their complaints, it is important to share clear information about: 

• how people can raise a complaint 
• any available help, advice and support.  

There are lots of ways to do this.  

• Think about how people get information about, or interact with, your service. They might look at your website, see day-to-day communications, receive newsletters or information sheets, hear from national and local charities and advice organisations, or by visit your organisation in person. 
• Once you have identified these communication channels, think about how you could use them to share information about making a complaint or giving feedback. 

Once you have worked out how and where people get information about your service, you need to develop information about your complaints process. 

• Different people like accessing information in different ways, so provide the information in a range of formats and make sure it’s visible and easy to access.  
• Give contact details that clearly explain how people can raise their concerns with your organisation.  
• Include contact details of any help that is available. This could include advice organisations or networks. 
• Communicate clearly what people can expect when they raise a complaint with you.  

Some people are worried about making a complaint because they think it will be difficult and they do not have any help or advice. That’s why it is important that all staff recognise when someone is sharing information that might lead to their making a complaint and signpost them to suitable sources of help. 

• If your organisation provides sources of advice and support for service users, make sure these are impartial and independent of your service provision.  
• Make sure the colleagues who give advice are trained in supporting service users through your complaints process.  
• As far as possible, signpost people to support from organisations independent of your own. 
• To signpost people effectively, make sure you know about and can identify all the sources of external and independent support relevant to your service. This will usually include: 
  • local and national organisations (including charities) that specialise in supporting people who want to make a complaint  
  • national organisations like Citizen’s Advice 
• It may also be helpful to consider appointing an independent advice and support provider, such as a professional advocacy service, to help your service users. 
• Once you have identified all relevant sources, tell service users about them and give details so they can access this support if they need to. See Help, support and advice for people who complain for more information. 

• Once you have identified sources of support, including up-to-date contact details, you need to find the most effective way to share this information. 
• When you develop communication channels, involve service users and people who support and represent them. They can help you understand what approach will be most effective for specific audiences. This will make sure any materials you produce, such as leaflets or posters, and the different options for making a complaint, meet your service users’ needs. 

• Regularly ask service users, and the people who represent them, if they know how to raise a complaint. This is important to confirm you are giving people the information they need in the ways that work best for them.  

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Doing this will also help you measure the success of your complaint service and improve the information you provide over time.