Complaints Policy & Procedure
Complaints & Reporting Policy
It is important that those in positions of responsibility within St Leonards Hospital Trust are aware of anything which may have gone wrong. The Complaint Handling Code requires us to deal with complaints in the nature identified and explained in our accompanying complaints procedure. We aim to
- deal with complaints promptly, fairly, openly and effectively
- inform client if we discover any act or omission by us which could give rise to a claim by them against us
- identify, monitor and manage risks, and take steps to address issues identified.
Complaints
Our complaints procedure is below. It explains to residents how we will handle their complaint. Whenever a resident complains about our service or standard, we will adopt this procedure.
Accordingly, if a complaint is made by or on behalf of a resident, notify our Complaints Officer, Miss Elizabeht Gamage. She will then handle the matter, starting with sending the resident a copy of our complaints procedure and implementing Stage 1 of our complaints policy.
Note that the definition of a “complaint” in the Compliant Housing Code is “an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by us, our staff, or those acting on our behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents”.
If any resident asks about our complaint’s procedure, a copy will be sent to them.
Your General Duty to Report
Even if there has not been a compliant, you must promptly report possible mistakes and misconduct of which you are aware to the Complaints Officer.
Our obligation to report extends to an allegation by a resident or third party that there has been a mistake or misconduct, even if you believe the allegation to be malicious or misconceived.
Our Promise to You
If you make a complaint, we will strive to take a constructive and supportive approach to resolving the issue in a timely manner.
St Leonards Hospital Trust Complaints Policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality standard for our residents. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standard of service.
If you have a complaint, please raise the problem with our complaints officer, Miss Elizabeth Gamage.
What will happen next?
Stage 1
1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within five working days of receiving it.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints officer reviewing the issue.
3. Within 10 working days of sending, you the acknowledgement letter our complaints officer will invite you to a meeting to discuss and resolve your complaint. If you do not want to attend a meeting or it is not possible to do so, our complaints officer may instead offer you a chance to discuss the matter by telephone.
4. Within three days of the meeting, or any telephone conversation we have with you instead of meeting, our complaints officer will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
5. In any case we will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including any suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 working days of sending you the written acknowledgment of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
Stage 2
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another representative to review the decision.
7. We will write to you within 14 working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
8. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman:
Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston PR2 0ET
Phone: 0300 111 3000.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.