Complaints policy and procedure

Accessibility and support

We are committed to ensuring our complaints process is accessible to everyone. If you need this policy in an alternative format (for example, large print, audio or another language), or if you need assistance submitting a complaint, please contact us. We will make reasonable adjustments to support you in raising your concern.

How to raise a complaint

Informal resolution

In the first instance, where possible, we ask that you raise your complaint with the person you have been dealing with within the Institute. They will discuss the matter with you and aim to resolve it promptly.

The staff member has a duty to report your complaint and a summary of the issues involved to the relevant Director so it can be logged and monitored. We encourage informal complaints to be raised as soon as possible and ideally within 10 working days of the issue arising.

Formal complaint

If the issue cannot be resolved informally or you feel unable to raise it with the individual involved, please submit a formal complaint in writing including:

■   a clear description of the issue

■   the steps taken so far to resolve it

■   dates, names and any supporting documents

■   your preferred contact details (for example email and/or mobile number and which you would prefer to be contacted through if you supply more than one means of contact).

Details should be sent to improveIT@employment-studies.co.uk

All complaints will be treated sensitively and confidentially. Information will only be shared with those directly involved in investigating and resolving the matter.

Dealing with your complaint

We undertake to deal with your complaint efficiently and fairly as follows:

■     We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receipt and confirm who is managing it. Our response may be via email, or by telephone depending on your preferred contact mode.

■     The CEO will appoint the investigator, who will be a senior staff member of a higher grade than the individual subject to the complaint. This will usually be a Director or Manager within IES. They will follow the standards set out by ACAS and internal policies.

■     We aim to complete the investigation as quickly as possible. Ideally, we will respond to you within 28 days with our findings and proposed resolution. If the investigation takes longer, we will update you with an explanation and a revised timescale.  

■     We will retain a record of your complaint and our response for six years, in line with our data protection policy.

We will treat all complainants with respect and will not tolerate retaliation or disadvantage against anyone who raises a complaint in good faith.

Escalating your complaint (Stage 2 - CEO review)

If you are unhappy with the outcome or how your complaint was managed, you may request a review by the CEO of the Institute.

To do this, please write to the CEO via the complaints email address (improveIT@employment-studies.co.uk), within 10 days of receiving our response, stating why you are dissatisfied and what outcome you are seeking. We will:

■     acknowledge receipt of your request within five working days of receiving it

■     review the original complaint, investigation and response

■     contact you for further information or to discuss the matter if required

■     provide a full written response within 30 working days or inform you of any delay and a revised response date.

The decision of the CEO is usually final.

External escalation

If you remain dissatisfied after our internal process is complete, you may contact an appropriate external body, depending on the nature of your complaint for example:

■   Data protection matters: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – https://ico.org.uk.

■   Employment or workplace advice: ACAS – https://www.acas.org.uk.

■   Charity or governance issues (if applicable): Charity Commission for England and Wales – https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

We will cooperate fully with any external investigation or review.

Learning and continuous improvement

We view complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve. We review complaint data twice yearly and report anonymised trends on an annual basis to our Board, to identify lessons learned and areas for development. Where appropriate, changes will be made to our policies, training or operations as a result.

Data protection and confidentiality

All personal data provided in connection with a complaint will be handled in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and our Privacy Policy. For information on how to make a Subject Access Request, please see our Privacy Policy or contact improveIT@employment-studies.co.uk.