Introduction
Compliments & Complaints
& Procedure
ISWP offers the following assessment and related services
Introduction
ISWP Assessment Services Ltd are committed to responding to all complaints courteously and promptly. It is our responsibility to constantly improve the quality of our service and we welcome any constructive comments or views from people who feel that our service is unsatisfactory.
All complaints will be passed to the ISWP Asssessment Services Ltd Complaints Officer who will acknowledge the complaint within 48 hours. A full investigation will be completed and a reply. in writing, to the complainant will be provided within 28 days.
Any serious complaints will be dealt with in collaboration with the relevant Local Authority, agency or organisation. We shall provide the complainant with copies of our correspondence with the relevant Local Authority, agency or organisation.
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the outcome of the investigation into the complaint, they will be invited to make separate and further representations to their Local Authority, the Ombudsman, their Member of Parliament or any other organisation they consider will best address their complaint.
ISWP Assessment Services Ltd endeavours to deal with all complaints effectively and promises to resolve matters fairly.
If you wish to make a complaint about a service you have received from ISWP Assessment Services Ltd, contact:
ISWP Complaints Officer
ISWP Assessment Services Ltd
Location:40 Caversham Road, Reading, RG1 7BT
Phone:03301138633
Fax:03333444735
Email:office@iswp.org.uk
Procedure
ISWP offers the following assessment and related services
- Write to us setting out details of your complaint. This should be done within two months of the action that gave rise to your concern. Please be as precise as possible regarding your dissatisfaction so that we can investigate thoroughly.
- ISWP Assessment Services Ltd Complants Officer will investigate your complaint.
- The Complaints Officer has overall responsibility for overseeing your complaint and conducting an investigation, where the complaint could lead to a police investigation, referral to LADO or a serious Data Protection breach.
- We will then contact you setting out, in our response, what action, if any, we propose to take.
- If a resolution to your complaint is not possible and you feel it has not been satisfactorily addressed we will meet with you to discuss the circumstances of your complaint. This will be undertaken by an ISWP Assessment Services Ltd Manager. You are welcome to bring a friend or colleague to this meeting. We will then write to you setting out our proposed course of action
- If you are not satisfied with the Manager’s response you can request that an investigation be undertaken by an independent person appointed by ISWP Assessment Services Ltd. You must make this request within 28 days of the response, to the stage 2 complaint.
- ISWP Assessment Services Ltd Ltd will make a decision whether to appoint an independent person.
- The Manager will then consider the independent report and make a final decision on the matter.
Complaints made during court proceedings
If your complaint is made during the course of live court proceedings we will not usually undertake an investigation until the conclusion of those proceedings as disputed matters remain the province of the court. We might investigate your complaint before the end of the proceedings if there are exceptional circumstances involved.
It will be at the discretion of the ISWP Assessment Services Ltd and their legal advisors as to whether a complaint is investigated during live court proceedings. Any decision in this respect will be put in writing to you within 7 days of receipt of your complaint.
Complaints
Our aim is to deal with any problems and difficulties quickly and fairly. We will do this by monitoring all complaints and suggestions to help us identify what is going wrong and how we can improve and by having a system which:
- Is easily accessible
- Is simple to understand and use
- Is speedy, with established time limits for action, and keeps people informed of progress
- Is fair, with full and objective investigation procedures
- Maintains the confidentiality of both staff and customers
- Effectively addresses all the points at issue, and provides appropriate redress
- Provides information to management so that services can be improved
If you are not happy with a specific aspect of our service, tell the member of staff you are dealing with verbally or you can write to Mr Stanley Tapera at the above address. If the complaints concern our website delivered services you can email us at: office@iswp.org.uk
A further useful source of independent advice throughout the UK is the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Equally, if you wish to provide feedback about our services please feel free to contact us too.
Our Guarantee
Whatever your complaint we will:- Ensure your confidentiality
- Acknowledge your correspondence and give you a reference number
- Review the issue thoroughly and give you a full response within 5 working days
- If we need more time because the problem is complex tell you within 5 working days
- Talk it over with you if your complaint needs special action
- Deal with you in a polite and courteous manner
- Always give you a contact point, name and telephone number
- Consider the appropriate form of redress whenever necessary
Information for ISWP employees and contracted staff re complaints made to the Local Authority and the role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
The LADO works within Children’s Services and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
- Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child.
- Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child.
- Behaved towards a child or children in a way which indicates he/she is unsuitable to work with children including expressing or posing a risk of harm to children.
The LADO role applies to paid, unpaid, volunteer, casual, agency and self-employed workers. They capture concerns, allegations or offences emanating from outside of work.
The LADO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case.
They will provide advice, guidance and help to determine whether the allegation sits within the scope of the procedures.
The LADO helps co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation, with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible.
When a referral is made to the LADO, the employer of the individual(s) concerned must not undertake any investigation, must not seek information from the child/young person or their family, and must not take action towards the employee(s) concerned, including informing them of the allegations. This is to preserve the sterility of evidence and is vitally important.
This applies to cases where the threshold for the LADO involvement is clearly met and in cases where advice is sought from the LADO.
If an allegation has been made and you are uncertain as to whether a referral to the LADO has been made, please contact us using the contact details provided.
It is not always clear when the threshold has been met.
The Local authority will let you know as and when any action or information from you is required.