Complaints Policy 2019

Complaints Policy

Policy Statement

Play Inclusion Project believes that children, parents, staff and volunteers are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve our services and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of our activities and projects. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff. If this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with complaints.

All complaints will be kept confidential to the parties concerned unless a concern is raised in relation to a safeguarding matter or in relation to serious criminality in which case, we reserve the right to escalate the matter to the relevant authorities. However, the complaint will normally be made known to the Charity Manager who will discuss the matter with the Board of Trustees where necessary.

Complaints Procedure

Wherever possible we will try to respond and resolve the situation at an informal level. The matter will go no further unless the complainant is still dissatisfied, at which point the formal process will then begin.

Formal Complaints Procedure

Formal complaints should be made in writing to the Charity Manager and contain the details around the complaint, the complainants name and contact details.
We acknowledge that in certain instances a complainant may wish to remain anonymous. In such incidences we will review the nature of the complaint and decide on follow up action if deemed necessary.

When investigating complaints, the Charity Manager will ensure that:

The complainant is fully understood m- this may require meeting with or talking to the complainant
There is an understanding of the response of staff or the situation in which the problem arose. This may involve speaking to and/or interviewing staff and volunteers or reviewing any written records
When interviewing complainants, staff or volunteers, they should be offered the opportunity to bring someone with them.

As a result of the investigation, actions may include:

Specific Improvements to service
Bringing together parties to mediate the dispute
Recommendations on staff training
Should the Charity Manager consider that an accusation be deemed so serious so as to question the safety of any child/children in our care, immediate action will be taken to remove the person involved, against whom the accusation has been made or rectify/make safe the area of concern.

Timescales

All complaints will be acknowledged within 7 working days.
In most cases we aim to provide a full response within 14 working days. However, if this is not possible because, for example, a detailed investigation is required, we will provide an interim reply explaining what is being done to deal with the complaint and providing a revised timetable.
A full response will be then sent in writing within 14 working days. In some cases, the complainant may have expressed a preference for a telephone discussion regarding the outcome. However, this will always be followed up by a written response so that both parties have a written record of the outcome.
Actions identified as a result of a complaint should be implemented within a reasonable timetable.
All records will be kept on file for 5 years.

Appeals Procedure

The following appeals procedure will apply in cases where the complainant is not satisfied with the initial response:

In cases where the complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint, they are entitled to appeal the decision within seven day of receiving the response to the trustees.

Appeals will be responded to by the trustees within 14 working days in writing.