Complaints Policy

Statement

  1. LimeCulture Community Interest Company (CIC) is committed to providing a quality service for its customers in a way that builds the trust and respect of all our clients. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers and clients, and in particular by responding positively to complaints, and by putting mistakes right.
  2. Therefore, LimeCulture aims to ensure that:
  • We treat a complaint as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our services which calls for an immediate response;
  • We deal with it promptly, politely and, when appropriate, confidentially;
  • We respond in the right way – for example, with an explanation, an apology where we have got things wrong, information on any action taken, etc;
  • We learn from complaints, use them to improve our services, and review annually our complaints policy and procedures.
  1. LimeCulture CIC recognise that many concerns will be raised informally and should be dealt with quickly, with a record kept where relevant. We aim to resolve any informal concerns quickly and to enable mediation where needed between the customer and ourselves.
  2. An informal approach is appropriate when this can be achieved. However, if concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, or are sufficiently serious for this to be inappropriate, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed.

Definitions

  1. For the purposes of this policy, LimeCulture defines a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction with LimeCulture as a company and/or with a member of LimeCulture staff (including consultant trainers), that relates to us and therefore requires a formal response. The formal complaints procedure set out in this policy is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and transparently, and, wherever possible, resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.

 

 

Responsibilities

  1. In the event a complaint is received, LimeCulture’s responsibility will be to:
  • acknowledge the formal complaint in writing;
  • respond within a stated period of time;
  • deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint; and
  • take action where appropriate.
  1. Where a complaint has been made, a complainant’s responsibility is to:
  • bring their complaint in writing to our attention, usually within 1 week of the issue arising;
  • raise concerns promptly and directly with a member of staff;
  • explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date by LimeCulture to address the issue;
  • allow a reasonable time to deal with the matter; and
  • recognise that some circumstances may be beyond LimeCulture’s control.

Confidentiality

  1. Save in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be made to ensure that both LimeCulture and the complainant maintain confidentiality.
  2. However, the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality (with each complaint judged on its own merit), including if the complaint raises any concerns relating to safeguarding. Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant.

Safeguarding

  1. Should a safeguarding concern be identified through a complaint, LimeCulture’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedure will be followed.

Formal Complaints Procedure

Stage 1

  1. In the first instance, if you are unable to resolve the issue informally, you should write to LimeCulture via e-mail or letter. If your complaint concerns a member of staff, you should write formally to us stating the name of the individual concerned.
  2. In your written communication, you should set out the details of your complaint, the consequences for you as a result, and the remedy you are seeking. You can expect your complaint to be acknowledged within 7 working days of receipt. The relevant contact details can be found on the home page of the LimeCulture website.

Stage 2

  1. If you are not satisfied with the initial response to the complaint, you can write to us asking for your complaint and the response to be reviewed. You can expect us to acknowledge your request and formulate a response within 15 working days.
  2. LimeCulture aims to resolve all matters as quickly as possible. However, inevitably some issues will be more complex and therefore may require longer to be fully investigated. Consequently, timescales given within this policy for handling and responding to complaints are indicative.
  3. If a matter requires more detailed investigation, you will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, and when a full reply can be expected and from whom.

Stage 3  

  1. If you are not satisfied with the subsequent response, then you have the option of writing to the Chief Executive of LimeCulture, stating the reason why you are dissatisfied with the outcome. You must do this within 10 days of receiving the written response.
  2. The Chief Executive will respond usually within 15 working days to inform you of the action which will be taken to investigate your complaint, and when you can expect to hear the outcome of the investigation.