Complaints FAQs
|You can view our Complaints Handling Policy Here | You can view our Complaints, Comments & Compliments Policy Here |
How do I make a complaint?
We want to make sure that our complaints process is accessible to all of our customers. You can make a complaint in lots of ways, including by:
- Or request a paper form and send this to us by email or post
- Phoning us and speaking to a member of our HEART team – 01502 527200
- Speaking to us via Live Chat on our website
- Speaking to a member of staff in any of our services
What happens if I am unhappy with the response at Stage 1?
If after we have investigated and responded to your complaint at Stage 1 you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to request that your case is escalated to Stage 2 (the final stage) of our process where it will be reviewed and further investigated. Details of how to do this will be in the written communication that you receive from the Complaints Officer. When submitting your appeal request you should explain what it is you are unhappy about and what outcome you are seeking in resolution to the complaint.
What happens during Stage 2 of the complaints process?
At Stage 2 of our complaints process, your complaint will be reviewed in more detail by a more senior member of staff at Access Community Trust, who will:
- Look fairly and honestly at the concerns that you have raised
- Carefully consider the impact that this has had on you
- Explain what action can be taken to resolve the complaint
The purpose of our investigation is to assess whether staff have responded properly to a given situation and to decide whether their actions were fair under the circumstances.
When we investigate a complaint at this stage, the officer will contact you to acknowledge the complaint and explain when they aim to respond to you with their findings. They may also ask you to give more details about your concerns, or share any other information that you want us to look at. The officer will then review our records and any information you have provided to assess whether we have followed our policies, procedures and any relevant legislation correctly.
They will also consider any other factors which may affect your case need to ensure you have been treated in a reasonable way.
Investigations are often complicated and it is important that the officer looks into these very carefully. Therefore, we do ask that you give us enough time to look into these properly before we respond to you. We aim to respond to you within 20 working days, although wherever possible we will respond sooner.