| All organisations want to
provide good services. But sometimes things go wrong. How you handle people and their
complaints, and how you learn from the experience, says a lot about your organisation.
This guide sets out a framework for handling complaints properly and gives examples of
good practice from public services.
A survey undertaken for the Citizen's Charter Unit in May
1997 shows that satisfaction with the way public services deal with complaints is still
low. (For a summary of the survey, please phone 020 7 276 1728.) Clearly, more work is
needed here. Too often people do not know who to contact to complain, and feel that public
services do not want to listen to complaints. Too often people are passed from one member
of staff to another or are told: 'It's not my fault. You'll have to speak to the manager,
who's not here. '
The Government believes that proper handling of
complaints is central to its programme to modernise and improve public services. The White
Paper Your Right to Know, published in December 1997, set out the Government's
proposals for a Freedom of Information Act, which include a duty on all public services to
publish their complaints procedures.
Complaints should not be seen as the responsibility of
the customer service department only. Everyone in the organisation needs to contribute to:
 | handling them effectively; |
| learning the lessons from them; and |
| improving performance. |
The information you get from complaints should be part of
your approach for listening to users, so that their views are at the heart of your
management policy. Remember that handling complaints well depends as much on your viewing
them positively as on effective procedures.
We have produced this guide, building on the excellent
work carried out from 1993 to 1995 by the Citizen's Charter Complaints Task Force, to help
you improve your complaints systems. It replaces:
| the Good Practice Guide, published by the
Complaints Task Force in June 1995; and |
| the Complaints Review Arrangements in Public
Services guidance, published by the Citizen's Charter Unit in March 1997. |
Part 1 sets out good practice
for handling complaints and gives examples. It is designed for all public sector
organisations that deal with members of the public. We recognise that the relationship
between different services and their users varies and that a practice that suits one
organisation may not suit another. The law requires some public services (such as the
National Health Service and social services for children and people in community care) to
have complaints procedures, and this guide is not intended to cut across any legal
requirements. But we encourage all public services to use it as the basic building block
for their complaints systems.
Part 2 gives advice on setting
up arrangements for reviewing complaints. It is intended mainly for government
departments, their agencies, and non-departmental public organisations that have a direct
link with the public but are not under the control of a regulator. But it may also be of
use to other public services. It aims to help you consider whether to set up arrangements
for reviewing complaints; and, if so, how to make sure that these arrangements are
independent and effective.
We would be very interested to know what you think of
this publication. Please phone Paula Andrew on 020 7 276 1766 or fax 020 7
276 1705, or
e-mail paula.andrew@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Or you can write to her at:
Better Public Services
Cabinet Office
Admiralty Arch
The Mall
London SW1A 2WH |
