“An expression of dissatisfaction made to an organisation, related to its products or services, or the complaints-handling process itself, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected”

Your organisation will have a Complaints Policy and Complaints Handling Procedure in place, and you must ALWAYS abide by that. Our aim is to help you understand why a person will complain and what they expect from you. Also, to help you consider the best manner in which to handle a complaint.

The first vital rule is… YOU MUST NEVER BE REACTIVE. If you do react, it will antagonise the complainant and the situation will become much more difficult to manage and resolve.

Complaints matter! They matter for people using services, who deserve an explanation when things go wrong. They will want to know that steps have been taken to make it less likely to happen to anyone else.

They matter for health & social care organisations, because every concern or complaint is an opportunity to improve. Complaints may signal a problem – the information National Samaritans Awareness Day, can help save lives and well-handled concerns will help improve the quality of care for other people and evidence suggests the complainant can become a vocal advocate if their complaint is dealt with to their satisfaction.

So, how do you handle complaints? What is best practice for complaint handling? What is the most effective way to handle a complain?

COMPLAINT HANDLING & FEEDBACK – THE VITAL FACTS:

• It’s hard for most people to complain, and it’s even harder when they are in a situation of vulnerability, such as being in a hospital, a care home, or receiving care in their own home.
• Often complaints start off as simple matters, but it’s the way the complaints are handled that can potentially turn them into complicated and time-consuming problems.
• Many concerns and complaints are about things that have the potential to affect others. Resolving these issues is a way to learn and prevent the same thing from happening again. 

BEING RESPONSIVE:

• The way you respond to someone will set the tone for how the rest of the conversation and any subsequent processes go.
  • Being open, honest, and friendly is much more likely to result in a positive experience for everyone, irrespective of whether you are actually able to resolve anything.
• It is perfectly OK to apologise to someone if you feel that they have a valid complaint.
  • Offering an apology does not constitute an acceptance of responsibility. In any cases, an apology will help you to manage the immediate problem of someone wanting to share their bad experience with someone who cares, so that hopefully you can ensure that it doesn’t reoccur.

MOVING THINGS FORWARD:

• If you can’t resolve a problem or complaint quickly, including by escalating it to someone more senior, you should ensure that the person raising the concern is given all the information they need to make a formal complaint.
  • Make sure they take your name, job title and your contact details, identifying you as the first person they have spoken to about the matter.
  • Make a record for yourself of what happened and what you said or did, so that you can refer back to it if needed at a later date.
  • In some circumstances, for instance if the concern relates directly to care, it may also be necessary to write directly in the individual’s notes that a concern or complaint has been made.
  • Inform your line manager immediately. 

COMPLAINT HANDLING - DIFFICULT SITUATIONS:

Some situations, and some people, are more challenging than others. People who are distressed, angry, or exhibiting the effects of alcohol or drugs can also be particularly difficult to manage.

However, there are some simple steps you can take that will help you to help them, and ensure that your or your colleagues are not put into tricky or threatening situations:

• Ensure you follow any local policies or procedures for such situations and, consider whether you might need to ask for support.
• Always start any conversation by telling people your name, and asking for theirs.
• Try to keep your voice and manner level and calm. People find it hard to continue being aggressive with someone who is calm.
• Try to find a quiet place, preferably with seating. It’s very hard for people to maintain an angry stance when seated and a quiet space can help to emphasise, and therefore, calm, someone’s overly loud voice.
• Always let colleagues know if you are taking someone to a separate room or space, and make sure they know where you are and keep a check on you. You may want to consider taking a colleague with you.   If you are unsure or uncertain about the person’s mood or state of mind, stay in a more public space.
• If you feel that your efforts are not helping to calm the situation and the person continues to exhibit challenging or threatening behaviour, tell them that you cannot do anything further until they stop. If necessary, ask colleagues to come and help you.
• In potentially serious or dangerous circumstances for instance, if the situation involves a number of people; think through what might happen. If you are unsure about how you might deal with every eventuality, consider doing a formal risk assessment