COMPLAINTS & SUGGESTIONS FORM & GUIDELINES

COMPLAITS & SUGGESTIOS FORM & GUIDELIES Corporate Policy Title of Document Complaints & Suggestions Form & Guidelines First Issue Date This Version umber and Re-Issue Date Version 6 Signed off by Chief Executive ext review date July 2015 Has Equality Impact Assessment been es completed? Distribution All Projects All Regional & Local Offices Head Office

COMPLAITS & SUGGESTIOS FORM & GUIDELIES Corporate Policy Equality Impact Assessment for this Policy or negative impact on minority ethnic groups? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? We are committed to providing excellent services which meet the needs of our service users and tenants; as such this policy outlines out complains and suggestions process which has no positive or negative impact on any particular group. or negative impact due to gender (including pregnancy and maternity)? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact due to disability? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact on people due to sexual orientation? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact on people due to their age? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact on people due to their religious belief (or none)? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact on people with dependants/caring responsibilities? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this?

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 4 or negative impact on people due to them being transgender or transsexual? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? or negative impact on people due to their marital or civil partnership status? What evidence (either presumed or otherwise) do you have for this? Can any adverse impact be justified on the grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for a particular group? (For example, the policy may be deliberately designed to promote equality for disabled people but may run the risk of this being at the expense of nondisabled people which is permissible under law). Has this policy been amended or developed in the last review in order to promote equality of opportunity for any particular group? (please note any changes made) o Amendments made in accordance with changes in legislation Has the policy been amended or developed to take account of changes in legislation, statutory guidance or accepted good practice? o Consultation/involvement from service users and tenants

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 5 We Welcome our Views This policy is available in alternative format i.e. audio, large print, easy read, other languages. If you would prefer the policy in an alternative format please contact Head Office on 0161 236 0829. Creative Support aims to provide excellent services which meet the needs of our service users and tenants. We are committed to reaching the highest standards of customer care. In order to achieve this, we are constantly seeking feedback from service users and tenants, their families and other agencies. We are always grateful for suggestions as to how we may improve our services and we view complaints positively as a means of being able to identify and correct any failings in the services we provide. By letting us know if you have any complaints we can investigate the matter and hopefully resolve any areas of dissatisfaction. Our Complaints Policy is there to be used and we will assist service users and tenants, carers and others in using our procedure. Who Can use this Policy? Service Users and Tenants Carers and their families Purchasers and other referrers Workers from other agencies Members of the public Members of staff, including volunteers Students on placement Why you may want to use this Policy? To share a concern To make a complaint To make a suggestion To give feedback about the service you have received To pass on a compliment

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 6 1. What to Do if ou Have a Complaint If you have a complaint or a suggestion, please raise the matter in the first instance directly with the worker with whom you have most contact (e.g., your Key Worker or Support Worker) who will acknowledge your complaint immediately and attempt to resolve the matter to your satisfaction. However if this is not possible, you can of course speak to any member of the staff at any time or request to see the locally based manager. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction or if you feel that you cannot raise the matter with a worker directly, you may use the Complaints Procedure outlined below by contacting the Service Manager or their nominated deputy, by telephone or letter, stating the nature of the complaint. All verbal or written complaints to Service Managers will be acknowledged within three days of receipt. 2. Complaints Procedures 2.1 Stage One If a service user or other person has a complaint or concern they should raise the matter in the first instance directly with a worker with whom they have most contact (e.g. Support Worker) who should then report this to the Project Manager immediately. The Project Manager will acknowledge the complaint immediately and attempt to resolve the matter to the Complainant s satisfaction. Alternatively, the Complainant can speak directly to a senior member of staff at any time or request to see the Project Manager. The worker who first receives the complaint should always record the complaint on Creative Support s complaint s form and should communicate the complaint to their line manager as a matter of course. All details of the complaint should then be sent to the Complaints Team at Head Office who will ensure the complaint has been appropriately dealt with in line with our complaints procedures. If the matter is not resolved to the Complainant s satisfaction in this manner or if they feel that they cannot raise the matter with a worker directly at project level, they may use the formal Complaints Procedure outlined below by contacting the relevant Service Manager, in person or by telephone or letter, stating the nature of the complaint. All verbal or written complaints made known to Service Managers will be acknowledged in writing within three days of receipt to the Complainant s home address or the address they have supplied. Where preferred we would be happy to community verbally or via email. It is usual practice to follow any complaint up in writing to ensure that there is a written record of the complaint and action taken, however, we recognise that sometimes it is better to communicate verbally as well as in writing. If the complainant prefers to talk to someone who is not involved directly in the provision or direct management of their care and support, they may speak directly to the Complaints Team. If the complaint is not resolved in the initial stages it is the Project Manager s responsibility to inform the relevant Service Manager who will then investigate the complaint within ten working days and the decision will be communicated in writing (as well as verbally if preferred) to the person making the Complaint within three working days thereafter. Complaints do not have to be written in order to be acknowledged. The complaint may be expressed verbally, by letter, or by completing a Complaints & Suggestions Form.

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 7 2.2 Stage Two If the complaint is not resolved at Stage One, the matter may be raised with the Complaint Manager or Chief Executive of Creative Support who will investigate the complaint within fifteen working days. The decision will be communicated to the Complainant within three working days thereafter. The complaint may be expressed verbally, by letter, or by completing a Complaints & Suggestions Form. 2.3 Stage Three If the complaint is not resolved at Stage Two, the matter may be raised with the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Creative Support. The complaint will be investigated by a member of the Board of Trustees. The complaint may be expressed verbally, by letter, or by completing a Complaints & Suggestions Form The complaint will be investigated within four weeks and the decision will be communicated to you within three working days thereafter. The decision of the Board of Trustees will be final in terms of Creative Support s internal procedures. Independent Ombudsmen Although the above three stage process is final in terms of Creative Support s internal procedures complainants do have the right to contact the Ombudsmen if they remain dissatisfied. Local Government Ombudsman The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) can deal with complaints about Councils and care providers. They will usually only deal with a complaint after you have exhausted the complaints policy of the organisation you are complaining about and you should raise your complaint with them within 12 months of knowing about the problem. Creative Support will fully co-operate with any requests for information from the Ombudsman. ou can contact the Local Government Ombudsman on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983. As with Creative Support you don t need to raise your complaint in writing and you can do so by ringing them. Housing Ombudsman Service In 2012, Creative Support Ltd became a Registered Provider of social housing (Registration umber 4689). The Housing Act 1996 (amended by the Housing & Regeneration Act 2008) requires all social housing providers to belong to the Housing Ombudsman Service. If Creative Support is your landlord or the managing agent of your accommodation and you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint after you have reached the end of Creative Support s complaint procedure, you have the right to ask the Housing Ombudsman to look at your complaint. Where the Housing Ombudsman can help, they will investigate your complaint and make an impartial decision. They can make orders or recommendations to landlords to take action to resolve disputes where necessary. The Housing Ombudsman Service is free to complainants. ou can find out more about the Housing Ombudsman Service at: http://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk.

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 8 Contact details for the Housing Ombudsman Service are: Housing Ombudsman Service 81 Aldwych London WC2B 4H Telephone: 0300 111 3000 Fax: 020 7831 1942 Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk 3. Representation and Advice At every stage of the Complaints Procedure service users and tenants and others are entitled to seek independent representation to assist them in making their complaint (eg. a friend, relative, counsellor, advocate or any other person so nominated). Such a representative is entitled to attend any interview or hearing at which the complaint is heard at any stage of the procedure. Complainants may wish to seek advice from their local Citizens Advice Bureaux, or other advice and advocacy agencies. Details of telephone numbers and addresses of such agencies will be given to any service user/tenant on request. Staff will be happy to support service users to access support from specialist agencies such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT), Refugee support services, translators etc. If you would prefer to talk to a particular member of staff or would prefer to discuss your complaint with a member of staff of a particular gender, ethnicity or group we would be happy to try to arrange this. 4. Positive Feedback Suggestions and Compliments We also appreciate positive feedback. If you feel we are getting things right we would be very pleased to hear from you. We and our staff are always pleased to know when we are doing a good job. We are also open to ideas as this can help us improve our services. 4.1 How can I make a Suggestion, give Positive Feedback or Pass on a Compliment? By filling in a Complaints/Suggestions Form and handing it in to the Project Manager at any of Creative Support's projects or by sending it to: The Chief Executive, Creative Support, Dale House, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF. All suggestions will be acknowledged in writing, considered carefully and whenever possible put into practice. If you prefer to discuss your suggestion or compliment with a member of staff you can talk to a member of staff at your project or, if you prefer, contact Head Office on 0161 236 0829. 5. Abuse or Poor Treatment Any service user or tenant who feels that they are being treated harshly, abusively or unkindly by any member of staff, student or volunteer working for Creative Support is entitled to raise this immediately and receive a quick and effective response. Complaints about abuse or poor treatment should be conveyed immediately to a member of staff who will discuss it with a senior member of staff or by contacting Head Office. The manager will take appropriate, immediate action to investigate and deal with the matter, giving first priority to ensuring the safety and welfare of the service user or tenant. This may involve alerting the appropriate local authority who may take the lead in the investigation of the allegations of abuse or poor treatment. A copy of our Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults Policy is available on request.

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 9 6. A Commitment to Quality We at Creative Support are committed to continuously reviewing and improving our services. Feedback and complaints are a very important part of this process giving us vital information which we can act on. Details of all complaints are passed to the Complaints Team in order that the matter can be monitored to ensure a satisfactory outcome. Key Contacts At Creative Support Bettina Jeppesen Complaint Lead/Service Director atasha Parmar Personal Assistant Anna Lunts Chief Executive Julie Cooke Safeguarding Lead/Service Director Sam Priestley Quality Lead/Service Director Colette Leigh Service Director Debbie Craddock Service Director Donna Lambert Service Director Emma Knight Service Director Gary Sheehan Service Director Leigh Tudor Service Director Email: bettina.jeppesen@creativesupport.co.uk Fax: 0161 236 9196 Email: natasha.parmar@creativesupport.co.uk Email: anna.lunts@creativesupport.co.uk Email: Julie.cooke@creativesupport.co.uk Email: sam.priestley@creativesupport.co.uk Email: Colette.leigh@creativesupport.co.uk Email: debbie.craddock@creativesupport.co.uk Email: donna.lambert@creativesupport.co.uk Email: emma.knight@creativesupport.co.uk Email: gary.sheehan@creativesupport.co.uk Email: leigh.tudor@creativesupport.co.uk

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 10 Complaints/Suggestions Form Please complete and detach this form and send it to the appropriate person as outlined in our procedure. Summary of Complaint or Suggestion: Date of Complaint/Suggestion:. Person Making Complaint ame of person:... Address:....................... Home Telephone o:...... Day time Tel o:... Person Taking Initial Complaint ame of person:...job Title:... Project:......Day-time o:...

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 11 Follow Up Stage 1 (Project level) ame:.job Title: Project: Date Acknowledged: Follow up action taken to date, or planned action (attach extra sheet if required). Resolved: ot Resolved: Date Concluded: Please note after stage 1 please send to Head Office for the attention of the Complaints Team. Please also send copies of any relevant letters etc in relation to the complaint/ suggestion (direct fax: 0161 236 9196). Stage 2 (Complaints Team) ame:.job Title: Date Acknowledged: Follow up action taken to date, or planned action (attach extra sheet if required). Resolved: ot Resolved: Date Concluded: Stage 3 (Management Committee) ame:. Date Acknowledged: Follow up action taken to date, or planned action (attach extra sheet if required). Resolved: ot Resolved: Date Concluded:

Complaints & Suggestions Form and Guidelines Page 12 Please complete and detach this form and send it to Quality & Complaints Team at Head Office (5 th Floor, Dale House, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF). Who is the compliment regarding: i.e. staff member s name, project name Compliment: Date of Compliment: Compliment Given By: ame of Person:. Address: