Complaints Policy and Procedure

General statement

Family Intervention Counselling Service aims to provide its members, organisations and individuals with the best possible service. We positively welcome suggestions you may have for how we can improve our service.

Usually, a word with the person at the point of service delivery will suffice should a problem arise. However, we recognise that from time to time there may be occasions when users of our services feel that the quality or level of service provided fall short of what they could reasonably expect. We also want to know about these occasions so that we can make good the problem and plan to avoid its repetition. If you have a complaint, we would like you to tell us about it.

This is what you should do:

  1. If you have a complaint to make, it should be made to the Office Manager who will try to resolve the issue informally.

  2. If the issue is serious, or you are not satisfied after raising it with the Office Manager, you should make a formal complaint.

  3. Your complaint should be made in writing, marked “Private & Confidential", and sent to the Directors who will acknowledge it in writing (normally within 7 days of receipt). Remember to keep a copy of your letter. If you need an interpreter or advocate to help you make your complaint, Family Intervention Counselling Service can arrange this for you.

  4. The Directors shall investigate the complaint. (See separate check list).

  5. The Directors shall communicate the results of the investigation to you within a reasonable time - normally 21 days. 6. Where appropriate, the Directors will make a written apology to the complainant and agree any further action necessary to make good the cause of the complaint.

  6. All formal complaints and the response made to them will be recorded and filed in a secure place.

  7. Any complaints will be discussed at the first available Directors meeting, and consideration will be given to the implications these have for the planning and management of future services annually, as part of Family Intervention Counselling Service’s self-evaluation.

  8.  Family Intervention Counselling Service’s complaints procedure will be publicised to organisations and individuals who use its services.

Review date: March 2021