Speaking Up have created two versions of their complaints policy. One provides a step-by-step guide to their complaints procedure, whilst the other is a simplified version which also contains pictures. This makes the complaints process easier to understand for people with learning or other disabilities.
Kindly contributed by and copyright to Speaking Up.
Please note: please bear in mind that these policies have been created for a specific organisation in a specific context, and should therefore be used as a guide rather than adopted wholesale. For further information, please visit our 'top tips on using the Good Practice Bank'.
We liked the complaints policy because it avoided using the terms 'grievance' and 'disciplinary', which are usually found in employment documents for paid staff. The policy explains the complaints procedure very clearly, so that the complainant will know what to expect at every stage of the process.
The accessible complaints procedure dispenses with the formal title of 'complaints policy', and simply states what action a person needs to take if there's something they're not happy with. There is a real move away from the bureacracy of formal procedures towards highlighting that the staff are personable, and will endeavour to do their best to resolve the problem.
