Complaints Policy and Procedure
Introduction
Acaster Lloyd Consulting is committed to providing a good standard of service to everyone we work with. We welcome feedback from individuals and organisations on all aspects of our services. Feedback is extremely valuable in helping us evaluate and improve our work.
The individuals and organisations that we work with have the right to raise concerns or complaints. The aim of this Complaints Policy and Procedure is to ensure:
- everyone knows how to make a complaint and how a complaint will be handled
- complaints are dealt with consistently, fairly and sensitively within clear time frames
- complaints are monitored to improve our services
This policy and procedure relates only to complaints received about Acaster Lloyd Consulting Limited, its services or employees.
Definition of a complaint
An individual or organisation (external to Acaster Lloyd) who wishes to make a complaint about Acaster Lloyd Consulting Limited, its services or employees. This includes (but it not limited to) clients, research participants, suppliers, contractors or subcontractors.
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction by an individual or organisation, whether justified or not.
Anyone may raise a complaint if they feel that we have:
- Failed to provide a service or an acceptable standard of service or if we have made a mistake in the way the service was provided
- Failed to act in a proper way
- Provided an unfair service
Concern or Complaint
It is important to establish the difference between a concern and a complaint. Taking informal concerns seriously at the earliest stage will reduce the likelihood of them developing into formal complaints.
In the first instance, we recommend that you speak with your key contact at Acaster Lloyd Consulting Limited (for example the Project Director or Project Manager) as soon as possible, so they can quickly understand your concerns and try to put things right.
If you are not happy with the response to your concern and/or you want to make a formal complaint, please follow the procedures below.
Complaints Procedure
Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of an incident or of the matter coming to your attention.
If you’re complaining on behalf of someone else, please include their written consent with your letter (if you’re making your complaint in writing) as this will speed up the process.
However, consent is not required if you’re making a complaint in the name of:
- A deceased person
- Someone who lacks the capacity to make their own decisions
- A child
Our standards for handling complaints:
- We will listen carefully to all complaints.
- We will deal with your complaint in confidence, where possible.
- We will deal with your complaint promptly.
- We will record, store and manage all complaints accurately and in accordance with UK GDPR.
- We will investigate the complaint fully, objectively and within the stated time frame.
- You can expect to be treated with courtesy, respect and fairness at all times.
- We expect that you will also treat our team dealing with your complaint with the same courtesy, respect and fairness.
- If you need to attend any meetings, then an advocate of your choice will be able to attend with you.
- We will notify the complainant of the results of the investigation and any right of appeal.
- We will inform the complainant of any action that will be implemented in order to ensure that there is no re-occurrence.
- We will not treat you less favourably than anyone else because of your:
- Gender (including gender reassignment, whether proposed, commenced or completed)
- Legal marital or same-sex partnership status (including family status and responsibility for dependants)
- Sexual orientation
- Race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin.
- Disability
- Religious or political beliefs, or trade union affiliation
- Any other unjustifiable factors, for example language difficulties, age, pregnancy and maternity.
Our Complaints Process:
- Complaints can be written or verbally reported.
- Speak to: your key contact at Acaster Lloyd and they will document the complaint on your behalf.
- Email us at: complaints@acasterlloyd.com or via your key contact at Acaster Lloyd
- Write to us at: Acaster Lloyd Consulting Limited, Lacon House, 84 Theobalds Road
- Call us on: 020 3978 1680 and an administrator will document your complaint.
- Complaints should include the complainants name and address, the nature and date of the complaint and how you would like to see it resolved.
- Upon receipt, your complaint will be logged on our internal Complaints Register.
- A senior member of our team will review, investigate and respond to your complaint as quickly as possible.
- We will keep you updated during out review and investigation process.
- You will be sent an acknowledgement of your complaint within 3 working days and a full response within 30 working days.
- You will receive written confirmation of the outcome of any investigation any recommendations/remedies made, such as reviewing of policies, staff development and training or appropriate improvement to our services.
- There may be instances where we are unable to send a full response within 30 working days. If this happens, we will let you know why the response is taking longer than we would have liked and we will keep you regularly updated of our progress.
- If you are satisfied with the response the complaint is closed.
- If you are not satisfied, we will ask a Company Director to assess the complaint.
- A Company Director will send you an acknowledgement within 5 working days and a final response within 30 working days.
- Company Director will either uphold any action taken by senior member of the team or make changes to the recommendations and or actions.
- The decision reached about this complaint will be deemed as final, however, other options are available.
- If you are not satisfied with the final response, you are able to seek advice from a solicitor (at your own expense) or seek free advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau (for those in the UK). This should be done within one month of receiving the outcome from the company.
Anonymous complaints
Complaints received anonymously will be recorded and considered, but action may be limited if further information is required to ensure a full and fair investigation.
Data protection
To process a complaint, we will hold personal data about the complainant, which the individual provides, and which other people give in response to the complaint. We will hold this data securely and only use it to address the complaint. The identity of the person making the complaint will only be known to those who need to consider the complaint and will not be revealed to other people or made public. However, it may not be possible to preserve confidentiality in some circumstances, for example, where relevant legislation applied or allegations are made which involve the conduct of third parties.
We will normally destroy complaints files in a secure manner six years after the complaint has been closed.
Monitoring
We will maintain a record of the number of complaints received, the outcomes and any actions taken. Complaints information will be considered on a regular basis by our Directors and wherever possible the data will be used to improve and develop our services.
