Explain policies and procedures relating to the handling of complaints

3.2. Explain policies and procedures relating to the handling of complaints

Course-Level 3 diploma in care (RQF)

Unit 3 – Duty of Care in Care Settings

L.O. 3 – Know how to respond to complaints

Policies and procedures on complaints in care settings are important for providing a quality service, contributing to resident safety, and subsequently, a positive relationship between care provider and resident. Complaints policies promote transparency, accessibility and consistency, leading to complaints being addressed and other issues or concerns, that are emergent and similar, being recognised and fair, timely, and thoughtful actions undertaken to resolve situations. 

Purpose of complaints policies

To define the complaints process; outlining the way complaints are made and dealt with and clearly setting out all aspects of 'who, what, when, where and why' for all parties involved.

To define rights of both complainants and respondents to ensure respect and fair treatment is a key tenet of practice for all complainants and respondents.

To define the process to resolve complaints, including timeframes for which complaints are responded to and resolved 

To demonstrate how you obtain and respond to feedback from complainants and respondents that may lead to quality improvement opportunities

To clearly identify who is responsible for each step of the complaints process to provide clear accountability and transparency.

Policies should be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that they are up to date, relevant and fit for purpose for the organisation. It should always be available, accessible, meaningful and in plain language for employees and service users, using visuals and other formats as required.

Key Stages in Dealing with Complaints

Acknowledgement: Every complaint received must be acknowledged as soon as possible, usually within 2-3 working days. Acknowledging the complaint gives the complainant peace of mind that it has been taken seriously.

Investigation: Next, a full and impartial investigation of the complaint needs to be carried out. This means obtaining all the facts about the complaint, interviewing the various parties concerned, and asking for sight of records or practices (where appropriate and pertinent) to ensure that the underlying issues have been reviewed in their entirety.

Resolution: A fair resolution to the complaint should now have been identified from the investigation. This may be a full apology in regard to the matter, an explanation as to procedural issues or corrective action, any features of which must be acknowledged to ensure they do not recur.

Communication: The outcome and completion of the complaint must be communicated to the complainant clearly, in plain language, and in writing to prevent ambiguity and ensure openness.

Escalation: If the complainant is not happy with a conclusion that was reached in regard to his/her complaint, there should be a clear pathway to take the matter to more senior or independent persons.

Record Keeping: You must keep detailed records of each complaint, investigation and decision made to demonstrate transparency and to show that the organisation has learnt from each.

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Support, Equality and Monitoring

In relation to complaints procedures, Hansard refers to the importance of support, equality, and monitoring. Regular training of staff will increase their ability to feel confident and professional when engaging with sensitive issues. 

Organisations should prioritise equality and diversity so that complaints processes can be fair, inclusive and accessible for all service users. Complaint data should be analysed regularly, and procedures reviewed, to enable organisations to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.

Through training, staff become competent to manage complaints sensitively; policies alone will not resolve issues. Analysis of complaints data will enable organisations to identify complaints that require ongoing monitoring. An organisation can continuously improve when they learn from complaints data, which is reviewed regularly.

Conclusion:

An organisation with a complaints policy that presents clearly, is robust, has been effectively trained on, and is updated regularly is best positioned to deliver responsive quality care. You can deliver a responsive policy that demonstrates a commitment to a culture of respect, accountability and continuously improving their service.