Definition:
Any concerns you may have should in the first instance be referred to the mediator who will hope to resolve matters to your satisfaction as per your signed agreement to mediate. If things remain unresolved, a complaint can be written and occurs when a client registers their dissatisfaction with any element of the service that they have received from Family Mediation South East.
Responsibility:
In most cases it is the Complaints Officers responsibility to investigate any complaint received. However, where the complaint is about the conduct of a member of the office staff then the responsibility for investigation would rest with the Service Manager.
Conflict of Interest:
Should a complaint be made against the Complaints Officer, then the complaint will be dealt with by one of the other Company Directors.
Identifying a Complaint:
Complaints are identified through email contact in the first instance. A complaint should be made within 4 weeks of the issue the client is not happy with. The deadline for a complaint is 3 months after the date of the last mediation session.
Procedure:
Complaints are brought to the attention of the Complaints Officer.
The client will receive an acknowledgement email within 2 working days. If the complaint may take some time to investigate. This email will advise that the Service is currently investigating the issue and will respond within 10 working days.
Alternatively, it may be possible to investigate immediately. In these cases, the client will either be emailed or contacted by telephone to resolve the issue.
After the initial response by telephone or by mail, should the client still feel aggrieved, the complaint will be referred to the Professional Practice Consultant. The client will receive a written decision on this investigation within 10 working days.
Should this second investigation not resolve the complaint, the client will be advised of the contact details for the Family Mediation Standards Board (FMSB).
Recording a Complaint:
From the receipt of a complaint, through to completion of the investigation, all actions taken, correspondence and discussions within the Service will be recorded in summary form with dates and the names of any significant personnel.
This record is kept in a central file.
Review:
Each complaint is dealt with on an individual basis and should processes, practices or procedures need to change as a result, these will be put into effect immediately. In addition, at the end of the calendar year all centrally recorded complaints will be reviewed in writing by a Company Director. Once this review is complete, the Service Manager will ensure that any necessary Policy or Procedure updates are put into place by the end of January.