Complaints Management Policy and Procedures
Introduction
Youth Work Ireland Galway aims to create an environment where our service users - young people, their parents and guardians feel comfortable and can provide feedback about services experienced. However, shall complaints arise, we will seek to resolve them as quickly and close to the point of contact as possible.
Youth Work Ireland Galway will consider all complaints and comments and identify the most appropriate mechanism for dealing with them. All Youth Work Ireland Galway staff have an obligation to effectively deal with service user feedback, either resolving the complaint at the point of contact where appropriate or forwarding the complaint to the Youth Work Ireland Galway designated Complaints Officer
Youth Work Ireland Galway staff:
- Partakes in any investigation of a complaint where necessary.
- Is involved in improvement initiatives within their service.
- Provides data relevant to complaints to service managers.
Youth Work Ireland Galway will designate a Complaints Officer (Managing Director) to be responsible for the management of service user complaints where the complaint is not resolved at the point of contact.
Role of the Complaints Officer
- Acknowledge a complaint being received within 5 working days.
- Identify the matter of complaint and communicate with complainant to assist with investigation of the complaint.
- Seek resolution of the complaint using any necessary tools such as mediation.
- Provide complainant with a report of the complaint investigation findings within 30 working days or inform the complainant of delay and update after 20 working days.
- If findings in the report are unsatisfactory to a complainant - provide the opportunity for their response.
Responsibilities of the Complaints Officer
Communication
- Ensure that consumer-friendly information on how to make a complaint is widely available throughout service locations.
Development
- Ensure that the standardised Youth Work Ireland Galway procedures for complaint management are being implemented and adhered to throughout the organisation.
- Monitor the implementation of the complaints management procedures.
- Ensure that the rights and the legitimate interests of service users and staff are being protected in the implementation of the Youth Work Ireland Galway Complaints Management Policy and associated procedures.
Supporting staff
- Ensure that all staff within the Youth Work Ireland Galway are supported to effectively manage complaints at the first point of contact.
- Co-ordination and training for staff in complaints handling.
Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting
- Ensure that standardised forms developed for complaints management and data collection, are being used.
- Determine the overall effectiveness of the complaints management procedures.
- Participate in the evaluation of service users' perception of the complaints management process.
- Co-ordinate the collection of complaints data and to disseminate this information where appropriate.
Organisational learning
- Facilitate organisational improvement and learning through annual feedback on complaints, policy, and procedure adjustment where necessary, and training.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of complaint, he or she may forward the complaint to the Board of Directors of Youth Work Ireland Galway within one calendar month from the receipt of the feedback from the Complaints Officer. The Chairperson of the Board will give a decision in writing to both parties within six weeks.
Complaints such as allegations of neglect, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, bullying or harassment are dealt with via relevant Youth Work Ireland Galway policies and procedures on those specific issues.
