Comments and Complaints Policy

Purpose

The aim of this policy is to ensure that the complaints procedure is properly and effectively applied, and that complainants feel confident that their grievances and concerns are listened to and acted upon promptly and fairly.

Context

Where any aspect of the business is seen to be less than satisfactory, Thrive-skills wishes to ensure that all employees, learners, and others affiliated with Thrive-skills are aware of how to complain, and that the organization provides easy-to-use opportunities for them to register their complaints. Thrive firmly believes that, by addressing concerns at their inception, we can remedy the issues raised and improve our service, reducing the need to involve external parties.

Thrive-skills aims to ensure all complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly, and sensitively with due regard to the upset and worry that they can cause to all parties.

Staff Implementation

Management will be responsible for the administration of the procedure.

Procedure

Verbal/Written Complaints - angela.mullings@thrive-skills.com

All verbal complaints should be taken seriously, irrespective of perceived severity.
All contact with the complainant should be polite, courteous, and sympathetic.
At all times, staff should remain calm and respectful and respect professional boundaries.
After talking the problem through, the member of staff or manager dealing with the complaint should suggest a course of action to resolve the complaint.
If this course of action is acceptable to Thrive, then the employee should clarify the agreement with the complainant, either by meeting, email, or letter.
If the suggested plan of action is not acceptable to the complainant, then the member of staff or manager should ask the complainant to put their complaint in writing to the company.

Formal Complaints - Toni.postans@thrive-skills.com

When a complaint is received in writing, it should be passed to a member of the management team, who should send an acknowledgment letter within five working days.
If necessary, further details should be obtained from the complainant.
If the complaint raises potentially serious matters, advice should be sought from an advisor.
Immediately on receipt of the complaint, the establishment should launch an investigation, and within 28 days, should be in a position to provide a full explanation to the complainant, either in writing or by arranging a meeting with the individuals concerned.
If the issues are too complex to complete the investigation within 28 days, the complainant should be informed of any delays.
If a meeting is arranged, the complainant should be advised that they may, if they wish, bring a friend, relative, or a representative such as an advocate.
At the meeting, a detailed explanation of the results of the investigation should be given.
Such a meeting gives Thrive the opportunity to show the complainant that the matter has been taken seriously and has been thoroughly investigated.
After the meeting, a written account of the investigation should be sent to the complainant.
The outcomes of the investigation and the meeting should be recorded on appropriate documentation, and any shortcomings in Thrive-skills procedures should be identified and acted upon.
Thrive should discuss complaints and their outcome at a formal meeting, and the complaints procedure should be audited on an annual basis, or more frequently if required.

If you are dissatisfied with the response, please inform Toni Postans in writing, and your complaint will be referred to the Director. You may be asked to supply further details and/or to meet with the Director or representative to explain your concerns. You will be informed in writing or within 15 working days of receipt of your further complaint of the action agreed by the Director.

There may be instances where due to the complexity of a complaint, it may take longer than the aforementioned time scale; in such instances, we will write to you to make you aware of all delays.

Responsibilities

All colleagues are responsible for:

Reporting all complaints directly received to their line manager within 24 hours
Providing relevant information, advice, and guidance

Management is responsible for:

Briefing colleagues on recognizing and recording queries and complaints
Ensuring all queries and complaints are recorded, actioned promptly (within 5 working days of receipt), and referred to the appropriate individual
Investigating any query or complaint
Recommending, agreeing, and implementing corrective action

The Directors are responsible for:

Providing a report to the local Funding Body should this be required
Dealing with referrals from the managers
Agreeing any future preventative actions

Improvements

Thrive-skills will review any comments or complaints that are made at management meetings.

Where it is felt that the company can make improvements to their working model, they will endeavor to do so.

Review

This policy will be reviewed on 2/5/24, or earlier in the event that internal or external information indicates that change should be made.