HWGTA Feedback and Complaints Policy
In order to build on strengths and identify areas for improvement, HWGTA welcomes feedback from our customers, about any element of our service including:
- Apprenticeship Programmes
- Adult Workforce Course Delivery
- Distance Learning Exams
- Room Hire
Your comments will be passed to our Quality team who will respond to you within 5 working days
Complaints Policy Statement
HWGTA values all customer feedback and takes any cause for dissatisfaction very seriously. The Purpose of the Complaints Procedure is to:
- Ensure complaints are recorded and investigated thoroughly in a transparent manner
- Ensure that customers feel that any concerns are dealt with professionally and at the appropriate level.
- Restore customer trust where this has been lost
- Develop services through customer feedback
- Avoid future customer dissatisfaction
To ensure that complaints are investigated as thoroughly as possible and in a timely fashion, we would expect any complaints to be reported within 1 month of any incident or concern.
Scope
All Customers of the Association including
- Employers
- Learners
- Delegates
- Other customers
Complaints are defined as:
A written complaint in email or letter
A verbal complaint – sometimes individuals or employers might make a comment about being unsatisfied with the service that they have been given. This should be treated in the same way as a written complaint unless the individual or company states otherwise.
A negative comment via an evaluation form or process. In this case the manager responsible for counter signing the evaluation forms would decide if the comment should be documented within the complaints system
Responsibilities
1. All staff
2. Chief Executive (CE)
3. Operational Managers (OM’s)
4. Quality manager (QM)
Description
1. Complaints are identified using the criteria above in “scope” section
2. Complaints are reported to the appropriate OM immediately providing all necessary evidence
3. The OM will request complaint log number from QM
4. OM will then allocate investigation of complaint to appropriate member of staff, or usually carry out the investigation themselves
5. The OM will inform the complainant that their issues is being investigated within 24 hours of the complaint being received
6. Full investigation to be carried out, including interview/discussion of all persons concerned (where appropriate)
7. Feedback about the investigation outcome will then be given to complainant and to relevant staff, within 5 working days of receiving the complaint. Where the investigation process is extended due to circumstantial reasons, the complainant will receive an update within 5 working days and given a date when the investigation will conclude.
8. Areas for development will be identified and communicated to all relevant staff, including action plans where appropriate
9. Where a complaint relates to a programme administered by an external agency – eg HSE for First Aid at Work, Awarding Body for NVQ etc. any complaint that cannot be resolved internally is referred to the relevant external agency.
10. Where the complaint relates to issues around Equality and Diversity the Manager responsible for E & D will carry out the investigation, unless the complaint involves this person, then another member of the management team will be nominated
11. Where the complaint relates to issues around Health and Safety, the Manager responsible for H & S will carry out the investigation, unless the complaint involves this person, then another member of the management team will be nominated
12. Where the complaint relates to issues around Safeguarding, the Manager responsible for H & S will carry out the investigation, unless the complaint involves this person, then another member of the management team will be nominated
13. All complaints to be fully documented using the correct form and background information attached
14. Any complaints relating to Equality and Diversity, Safeguarding or Health and Safety to be reported to the Chief Executive immediately they are received
15. CE will countersign all complaint documentation
16. Complaint documentation to be returned, once complete to the QM
17. An annual summary of complaints to be published to all staff