Complaints Policy

 

1       PURPOSE

This policy details the actions taken by Keysoe International Limited and Keysoe Cuddle Therapy Ponies CIC (collectively referred to as Keysoe) and shall apply to all processes associated with the progression and closure of Customer Complaints. Beyond complaints we welcome all feedback on what we are doing, whether it be what we are good at, or something we can improve.

2       REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

KIF-0002     Complaint/Feedback Form

or

KIF-0026     KCTP Feedback Form

KL-002         Complaint/Feedback Log

3       ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Role Responsibilities
Head of Department or Designated Deputy ·         Overall responsibility for the process

·         Making regulatory notifications, as required
Administrator or Coordinator ·         To record, plan, define authorities and review actions associated with progressing and closing customer complaints to the customer’s satisfaction

·         Analysing complaints
Chief Executive Officer, Head of Department ·         Authorise appropriate actions in line with the requirements of this procedure

4       DEFINITIONS

Complaint Relating to customer satisfaction – An expression of dissatisfaction which requires a response.
Complainant A person making the complaint, whether on behalf of themselves or another.
Harm Physical injury or damage to the health of people, or damage to property or the environment.
Corrective action Action taken to stop a complaint happening again by fixing the root cause.
Preventive action Action taken to stop a potential complaint happening before it occurs.

5       PRINCIPLES

  • We believe that those who access services, their parents, guardians, carers, etc., and all stakeholders have a right to tell us what they think about what we do and how we do it
  • We are committed to using all information collected during the complaints management procedure to help us to improve
  • We will always try to resolve minor complaints informally, but in some circumstances, we will escalate the matter and deal with it as a formal complaint
  • We aim to resolve all complaints promptly and sensitively
  • We will provide support in the event of harm
  • We will use all feedback gathered to improve our service

6       POLICY

6.1      Being accompanied at Formal Meetings

At all formal meetings, complainants are entitled to be accompanied by a companion. This companion may support them and speak on their behalf if they wish.

6.2      Reasonable Adjustments

Any complainant or companion who requires a reasonable adjustment to access this policy or participate in the complaints procedure will be accommodated, where practicable, by implementing reasonable adjustments.

This policy may be provided in other, more accessible formats on request.

6.3      Investigation Process

Upon receipt of a formal complaint, an investigation will be opened as soon as possible.

Investigations will be conducted by the most appropriate team member (or an external party if required) and overseen by the Head of Department.

Should any supplementary information be required to complete the investigation, we will promptly communicate with the complainant to obtain the necessary details and will recommence the investigation once the requisite information has been provided.

6.4      Managing Serious Breached of Policy/Law

If we believe that our organisation or one of our team has committed a criminal offence or breached policy or procedure in a manner where harm has, or may have occurred, we will self-refer the matter to the authorities (Police, HSE, etc.) where required by law and involve our regulators (our Local Authority) as appropriate.

 

6.5      Record Keeping

All complaints and feedback received are recorded and securely stored in our Complaints/Feedback Log (KL-002) for future reference and to assist with quality assurance audits.

All complaints outcomes will be written down, with copies of these being provided to the complainant and, where relevant, the person complained about.

All records relating to individual complaints are to be kept confidential except where the Secretary of State or a body conducting an inspection under section 109 of the 2008 Act requests access to them.

7       COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

7.1      Stage 1 – Informal Resolution

The informal approach allows complainants to informally discuss the issues at hand with the aim of resolving the matter without the need for a formal procedure.

In these cases, we ask that complainants raise the matter as soon as possible, either by speaking to a team member in person or by telephoning 01234 708 400.

The receiving team member must and will, where appropriate, offer a sincere apology and/or refer the matter to another team member or line manager to resolve on an informal basis (for example, when the complainant is distressed or agitated, it may not be appropriate for the subject of the complaint to discuss the matter directly as it may aggravate the situation).

In all cases, notification of a complaint will be passed to the Senior Management Team to learn from any mistakes on our part.

7.2      Stage 2 – Formal Complaint

If we cannot resolve the issue to the complainant’s satisfaction within Stage 1 or if the complaint is serious and the complainant wishes to move straight to the formal procedure, they should submit their complaint in writing to:

Email: Head of Department at info@keysoetherapycentre.com (for complaints relating to the Therapy and Well-being Centre) or Executive Assistant at admin@keysoe.com (for complaints relating to Keysoe International Ltd.)

Postal Address: Keysoe International, Church Rd, Keysoe, MK44 2JP.

Alternatively, complainants may submit a complaint via our Online Feedback Form, which can be found here: https://www.keysoe.com/feedback/.

If submitting a written complaint is either not possible or inappropriate due to the time sensitivity, the complainant may call the relevant Department on 01234 708 400 to discuss the matter.

Complainants are asked to include as much information as possible in their complaint, for example:

  • A detailed description of the incident or issue that led to the complaint
  • The names of any team members or others involved
  • The date, time, and address (if relevant) associated with the incident or issue

Upon receipt of the complaint, we will acknowledge the complaint in writing and initiate a formal investigation within 2 working days.

Following the conclusion of any investigation, the Head of Department will review the findings and meet with the complainant to discuss the matter, disclosing any relevant evidence found that substantiates or disputes the complaint.

During this meeting, the Head of Department will also seek to agree on a satisfactory resolution with the complainant where it is found that we are at fault. However, resolutions must be fair, measured, and appropriate; therefore, any proposed resolutions we consider excessive and unbalanced will not be considered.

The objective at this stage is a speedy formal resolution of the complaint (10 working days).

On the closure of the complaint, the decision will be communicated to the complainant in writing, and any necessary corrective and/or preventative actions will be detailed to ensure that lessons are learnt.

7.3      Stage 3 – Appeal

If we cannot resolve the issue to the complainant’s satisfaction within Stage 2, the complainant may appeal the decision in writing by addressing and email to the CEO at info@keysoetherapycentre.com for complaints relating to the Therapy and Well-being Centre) or info@keysoe.com (for complaints relating to Keysoe International Ltd.), within 10 working days of the decision being communicated.

Any appeal will follow a procedure similar to stage 2; however:

  • The matter may be re-investigated where further evidence is provided; and
  • Any meeting will be heard by a person or persons who were not directly involved in the original decision

The decision as to whether the appeal is upheld or not will be communicated to the complaint (in writing and verbally as required) as soon as possible and within 10 working days of the appeal meeting.

The appeal decision is final.

7.4      Stage 4 – Local Resolution Exhausted

If neither Stages 1, 2, nor 3 reach a mutually acceptable resolution, we will consider the complaint closed as all local resolutions have been exhausted. However, complainants may wish to take the matter to our funders and/or regulators (the Local Authority) regarding our Therapy and Well-being Centre or use the following online form to determine who to complain to regarding Keysoe International Ltd., https://www.gov.uk/complain-company.

8       Extending Resolution Timeframes

The facility to agree on an extended timeframe at any formal stage must not be seen as a means of unduly extending the complaints process. As a guide, this generally only occurs when we need the input of third parties outside of our organisation (e.g., independent witnesses, partner organisations, etc.) or where those required for interviews are temporarily unavailable. In such circumstances, we will inform the complainant in writing why there is a delay and when we believe the matter will be concluded.

 

 

 

9       COMPLAINT OUTCOMES

9.1      If the Complaint is Not Upheld

In some instances, a complaint may not be upheld if it is found to be unsubstantiated, leading to no further action. However, the process may still yield insights leading to improvements or preventive measures, which will be addressed as appropriate.

9.2      If the Complaint is Upheld

We regret any dissatisfaction that our participants and stakeholders experience, and if our investigation concludes that our service has fallen below our usual high standards, we will not hesitate to apologise.

In addition, and as appropriate, we may take further actions which include but are not limited to:

  • Increased team member/departmental training to prevent recurrence
  • Taking Disciplinary Action, for example, where misconduct (a breach of company policy and/or regulatory rules) has occurred
  • Agreeing on mutually suitable corrective actions with the complainant

10     COMMENTS AND OTHER FEEDBACK

To make a comment about our service, let us know how we can improve, or recognise an individual, simply contact any member of our team members, call us on 01234 708 400 or submit any feedback they may have via our Online Feedback Form, which can be found here: https://www.keysoe.com/feedback/.

All feedback, comments, and compliments given in person or over the telephone will be recorded by our team members and passed to the Senior Management Team.

If we feel that a comment should be raised as a complaint or handled under another policy, we will write to the complainant and inform them of the alternative route which will be used to deal with their feedback.

All feedback, comments, and compliments will be reviewed and used to shape our service in the future.

We aim to respond to the individual providing feedback within 30 working days when a response is required.

11     QUALITY ASSURANCE

As part of our quality assurance process, we monitor the number and nature of formal complaints received.

Where trends indicate that improvement is required, an action plan will be implemented.

The number of complaints received will be published annually (where we are obligated to publish such data).

12     MONITORING AND REVIEWING

Keysoe is committed to ensuring our policies and procedures are effective and up-to-date. To do this, we have a process for regularly monitoring and reviewing them.

The Senior Management team are responsible for this process and will review the policies at least once a year or more frequently if needed due to changes in laws or our practices.

 

KIP-0042 Revision 2
Last updated November 2024