Complaints Procedure
Barton Hill Settlement is continually seeking to improve its work, and comments and suggestions are always welcome - they help us review and, if necessary, change what we do.
If you have a complaint about any aspect of a particular project or department, you can:
- Post it one of the Suggestion Boxes in various locations around the Settlement site.
- Talk to a member of staff you feel comfortable with.
- Write to a member of staff, or telephone us on 0117 955 6971.
If you have a complaint about the Family Centre, you can contact Ofsted directly, on 0300 123 1231. You can write to Ofsted at:
Applications, Regulatory and Contact (ARC) Team Ofsted Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD
If you do not feel comfortable with any of the above, you can:
- Contact the Settlement’s HR Officer.
- Contact the Settlement’s Services Manager.
What we will do
An appropriate member of staff will respond, in writing and within seven working days, to acknowledge receipt of the complaint, and to confirm that we are taking action.
- We will fully and equitably investigate the complaint.
- We will inform the Settlement’s HR Officer, Chief Executive Officer, or Services Manager.
- We will work with you to find a resolution that is satisfactory.
- We will inform you of any action taken as a result of the complaint.
If you wish to appeal against the proposed resolution, or need support in making a complaint, please contact HR Officer on 0117 955 6971.
Appeals
If the person complaining is not happy with the proposed resolution, they should appeal, in writing, to the Settlement’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The CEO will respond, in writing and within seven working days, to acknowledge receipt of the appeal, and to explain the procedure that will follow.
The CEO will then set up an Appeal Panel to hear the appeal. The Panel will be made up of:
- Settlement CEO
- A member of the Settlement Board of Trustees (but not the Chair)
- Settlement HR Officer
The Panel will meet within 10 working days of the appeal being received.
The person who dealt with the original complaint will be asked to give the Panel copies of all records relating to the complaint.
If necessary, the Panel will interview any relevant witnesses.
The person who has made the complaint will receive a report on the hearing, and will be informed of any action that will be taken as a result.
Additional Information
This Complaints Procedure is available to all users and visitors to the Settlement, or those who do not use or visit our premises or participate in our activities but who feel they have been wrongly excluded or mistreated in some way. It does not cover staff, who have other avenues of complaint.
Where a staff member is the subject of the complaint, Barton Hill Settlement will operate in a way which is fair to the staff member and allows him/her rights to representation and support. Rights which staff have under their terms and conditions of employment will take precedence over the timetables laid down in this policy.
The Settlement CEO will keep a record of all complaints received under this procedure, and individual project procedures, and will produce an annual report for the Board of Trustees. When considering this report, the Board of Trustees will review, and if necessary revise, this procedure.
Malicious use of this procedure could result in exclusion from Barton Hill Settlement and its projects.
