Supporting Communities endeavours to deliver high-quality, independent, and professional support to the communities with which we engage. We are committed to providing excellent service and we invite feedback from service users to ensure the continuous improvement of the services we provide.

Supporting Communities will deal quickly and effectively with any complaints received which may include reviewing policies and procedures to avoid a reoccurrence.

Complaints Procedure

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, in the first instance we suggest that you contact the member of staff concerned to ascertain if the problem can be resolved in an informal manner to your satisfaction. If you feel it’s necessary, you can also address the matter to the relevant member of the Senior Management Team.

If you are not happy with the response received, or if you do not know which member of staff to contact, please follow the steps outlined below:

A letter should be sent containing full details of your complaint and addressed to the Chief Executive or designated Senior Management Team member, marked “Private and Confidential - Complaint”. Your letter will be acknowledged within five working days,
The Chief Executive will investigate the issue raised and will provide a response including any action necessary as a result of your complaint, within 15 working days (on occasion additional response time may be necessary).
The Chief Executive will request that you confirm you are satisfied with the outcome as a result of your complaint.
Should you remain dissatisfied, you may at your request, have your complaint referred to a Complaints Panel which will consist of the Chair or Vice-Chair of Supporting Communities Board. You will be advised of the date of this meeting which you may attend if desired and be accompanied if you wish for personal support. You will be notified of the panel’s decision within one week of its meeting.

If you make a complaint you can be assured:

Your complaint will be taken seriously, dealt with promptly, and handled according to internal procedures.
You will be treated fairly and with respect.
The details of your complaint will be handled sensitively and shared only with those who need to be involved, adhering to data protection requirements.
Your complaint will be filed securely and reviewed after one year to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action. It will be destroyed thereafter.
Apologise where mistakes have been made and aim to put matters right as soon as possible.
Supporting Communities will use what is learned from your complaint to improve the service provided.

This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.