Complaints Policy

Purpose

Edinburgh Carers Council want to :

  • Ensure everyone knows how to make a complaint and how a complaint will be handled
  • Ensure that complaints are dealt with consistently, fairly and sensitively within clear time frames
  • Provide a fair and effective way to complain about our services
  • Ensure that complaints are monitored to improve our services

Policy

Edinburgh Carers Council always strives to provide quality services and, where we get things wrong, we will try to ensure that we take on board areas where we can learn and improve our work. We would actively encourage comments or suggestions about our service and these can be given anonymously. We will always use them to reflect and make appropriate changes. Comments and suggestions can be made to any member of staff. These will be considered by the Manager and/or Trustees and you will be told of any actions which follow from these if you have given your contact details. We can only give feedback if you declare who you are.

Edinburgh Carers Council recognises that a complaint may be about lack of quality service, failure to deliver what was agreed, or a situation where someone has been treated unfairly or unethically. This can also cover a group as well as individuals.

Procedure

How to make a formal complaint?

We understand that it may not be easy to complain so we have a complaints form (attached) which you can download from our website. You can also complain in person, in writing or by phone. We will always log your complaint in line with GDPR ( General Data Protection Regulation) policies. You can complain yourself or ask someone to do it on your behalf.
Edinburgh Carers Council
14 Links Place
Edinburgh
EH6 7EZ
Tel: 0131 322 8480
Email: info@edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk

Web: www.edinburghcarerscouncil.co.uk

What happens when I make a complaint?

We will inform you who will be dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has three stages.

Stage 1 – Discussion with Staff

It is important that complaints which can be addressed effectively through speaking to the staff team are dealt with quickly. Staff will record and let you know how your dissatisfaction will be addressed. Staff will always make their manager aware of your concerns. If you do not feel comfortable complaining directly to a member of staff, please go straight to Stage 2 of the complaints procedure.

Stage 2 – Written complaint to ECC Coordinator

If the response from Stage 1 is not satisfactory you can put your complaint in writing to the ECC Coordinator. Please outline as clearly as possible what you are complaining or concerned about. Please give details of time and place if relevant and also who was involved.

It is very helpful for us if you can say what you would like to see happen as a result of your complaint This will help us conduct a thorough investigation. Please also include your address and a daytime telephone number, and email if you wish, so that we can contact you about your complaint.

The ECC Coordinator will contact you to discuss your complaint (within five working days). They will listen to the nature of your complaint and let you know how they intend to investigate this.

If any meeting related to your complaint is required, you may attend alone or with a supporter or advocacy worker.

We normally aim to conclude our investigation and resolution of your complaint within 20 working days. Sometimes this may take longer but you will be kept informed of the reasons for any delay. The ECC Coordinator will write to you to explain the outcome of the investigation and if there are any areas of practice that we have changed or improved.

Stage 3 – Written complaint to the ECC Board of Trustees

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the Stage 2 investigation or the way your complaint was dealt with you can ask our Board of Trustees to look at your complaint. To do this write to the Chair outlining why you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation of your complaint. The Chair will arrange for a review of the complaint and the process of investigation within 30 days.

The Chair
Board of Trustees
Edinburgh Carers Council
14 Links Place
Edinburgh
EH6 7EZ

Once the review is complete the Chair will contact you to explain the facts and findings of the case and any proposed actions they intend to take to deal with the situation.

Complaining to other organisations

You can also make a complaint about Edinburgh Carers Council to the City of Edinburgh Council.

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
Social Work Advice and Complaints
1:7 Waverley Court
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh. EH8 8BG

Tel: 0131 553 8395

Email: socialwork.complaints@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

If your complaint is about a service we provide which is funded by NHS Lothian you can complain to them as well as us, or instead.

NHS Lothian Patient Experience Team Waverly Gate 2-4 Waterloo Place Edinburgh EH1 3EG

Tel: 0131 536 3370

Email: feedback@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

 

The Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 gives OSCR the power to make inquiries into apparent or alleged misconduct in charities. OSCR can only investigate complaints where it has a legal power to do so. www.oscr.org.uk

The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
2nd Floor
Quadrant House
9 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY

Tel: 01382 220446

Email: info@oscr.org.uk

Who can help you make your complaint?

If you would like help making your complaint, you can get help or advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, or through an advocacy organisation in Edinburgh. There are protocols between advocacy organisations for this to ensure you have an independent advocate without conflicts of interest.

Monitoring

Edinburgh Carers Council is required to provide City of Edinburgh Council with monitoring/reporting of complaints data every 6 months.

This policy will be reviewed every 3 years.

Date of Review Reviewed by: Comments
August 2019 Edinburgh Carers Council Trustees Policy adopted by the Trustees
February 2022 Edinburgh Carers Council Trustees