The Association aims to provide an efficient, responsive, and personal service. We recognise that Complaints are an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as an opportunity to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.
The Aim of the policy is:
- To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use
- To publicise the existence of the complaints procedure so that people know how to contact the Association to make a complaint
- To make sure Trustees of the Association know what to do if a complaint is received
- To make sure all complaints are investigated or reviewed fairly and in a timely way
- To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired
- To actively use complaints in a positive way to help improve the service we provide
Definition of a Complaint:
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of the
Association’s work or conduct, or the conduct or behaviour of members or an Association
representative.
Our policy covers Complaints about:
- the standard of service you should expect from us
- the behaviour of our Trustees or persons appointed by the Association in delivering that service
- any action, or lack of action, by our Trustees or others engaged on Association business
Our Complaints policy does not cover:
- comments about our policies or policy decisions
- dissatisfaction or complaints expressed with our policies or decisions
- matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaints policy
- anonymous complaints
Where Complaints come from:
Complaints may come from any individual, volunteer or organisation who has a legitimate interest in the Association including the public if something is perceived to be improper. A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.
We do not expect Trustees to tolerate unacceptable behaviour by complainants or any service user.
Unacceptable behaviour includes behaviour that is abusive, offensive, or threatening and may include:
- Using abusive or foul language on the telephone or face to face
- Sending multiple emails or leaving multiple voicemails
- Make persistent and unreasonable demands or expectations of staff or Directors and/or the
complaints process after the unreasonableness has been explained to the complainant.
Confidentiality:
All complaint information will be handled sensitively. All persons involved in any complaint, including the complainant and the person complained about, must treat as confidential any information
communicated to them in connection with any complaint, investigation, or disciplinary matter, including the outcome of that complaint. The Association may determine whether, and to what extent, it ought to publicise the outcome of a complaint having regard to risk (a) to the public or any person(s); and (b) to the reputation of the Association. No person may make electronic recordings of any meetings or hearings conducted under this policy and, while those involved will normally be told the names of any witnesses whose evidence is relevant to any complaint, investigation or disciplinary matter, this will not be the case if the Association believes that a witness’s identity should remain confidential. We will try to deal with complaints constructively and fairly but there are some issues or situations where it would not be appropriate to provide full information to the person making the complaint.
Responsibility and Review:
Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Trustees who will review and update the Policy as required. Any risks identified from complaints will be considered as part of the overall review of Risk Management.
Abusive, persistent, or vexatious complaints and complainants:
The Association recognises that complaints can be made that are vexatious or not founded. The Association will consider all complaints reasonably and in line with the Complaints Policy. Complaints that meet the definition of vexatious or unfounded, will be investigated fully and if found vexatious or unfounded, disciplinary or sanctions may be taken as redress.
Procedure:
When a complaint is received tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure and ask if they could send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words. Advise the Trustees of the complaint to ensure the matter is recorded and dealt with in line with this Policy and Procedure.
Resolving Complaints:
INFORMAL COMPLAINT
Anyone wishing to make a complaint will be advised in the first instance that the best, quickest and easiest way to sort out a problem or misunderstanding is to contact the Chairman to explain their complaint. Informal complaints will normally be those that can be acted on and where possible resolved without the need for detailed investigation or any delay. These matters will generally be resolved verbally. Summary details of informal complaints will be recorded for internal monitoring and service improvement purposes, but they will not be recorded in the formal complaints register that is maintained.
FORMAL COMPLAINT
If the complaint is not resolved through the informal process the complainant can lodge a formal written complaint. Whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information should be passed to the Chairman within five business days. On receiving the complaint, the Chairman records it in the complaints Logbook.
If it has not already been resolved, they delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond. Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within 15 working days. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of this Complaint’s Procedure should be attached. Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within a month. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given. Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation/review, and any action taken because of the complaint
Appeal:
If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved they can request that the complaint is reviewed by the Board of Trustees. The request for Board level review should be acknowledged within 15 working days of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply. The Trustees may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate suitable person(s) within the Board composite to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One. The person who dealt with the original complaint should be kept informed of what is happening. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond. Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within a month. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation or review has not been completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a reply will be given. Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant should describe a summary of the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken because of the complaint. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution. The parties to the dispute must first try in good faith to settle the dispute informally or by mediation before resorting to litigation.
An external facilitator provided by the National Sheep Association can be requested by the complainant. The costs for this service will be met by the complainant.
External Appeal:
If the complainant is still not satisfied, the matter can put forward to an external Arbitrator. A fee of £1,000 is payable to the Association to cover costs to the Association. Any costs and legal fees in excess of this will be met by the complainant regardless of the outcome.