Complaints Policy

beat  wants to provide the best quality services it can for people affected by eating disorders. It  is committed to providing its users with services that are informative, friendly, and efficient and that exceed their expectations.

beat therefore welcomes feedback on all the services it provides.  Everyone who comes in contact with beat should feel able to comment on its service and know that their comments will be taken seriously and action taken if necessary.

beat understands that sometimes its services fall short of expectations.  It is essential that complaints about the service are investigated appropriately and that the complainant is kept fully informed about the progress and result of any investigation. 

What is a complaint?

beat believes that if an individual has a problem with or concern about any of its services, this should be dealt with as quickly as possible by the beat individual or service involved.  However, if they are not able to answer to the complainant’s satisfaction, beat has a formal Complaints Policy to ensure that the matter is investigated and resolved.

beat has a nominated Complaints Manager who will be responsible for investigating formal complaints.  They will also ensure that the complaints policy and process is adhered to at all times.  All beat staff will receive training in handling complaints or noting concerns appropriately.
beat’s Complaints Manager is Mary George.

Dealing with Complaints and Concerns

People may complain or raise concerns with beat in a number of ways.  They may contact beat via:

• the Helplines or Self-help network
• e-mail or via the feedback section of the website
• letter or through contact with individual staff members or volunteers

beat will always endeavour to resolve the matter there and then.  This may be by:

• rectifying the mistake and apologising
• logging the concern and ensuring that it is passed on to the relevant department or member of staff.

If the matter cannot be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction there and then, the matter will be treated as a formal complaint.   The complainant must then be sent a copy of the complaints policy plus complaints form within 3 working days.  In some cases, it may be appropriate for the staff member to fill out the complaints form with the complainant.  The Complaints Form will be passed on to the Complaints Manager for further investigation.

All service users raising a concern will be offered the opportunity to make a formal complaint should they deem it appropriate.

If the complaint is directly against the CEO, then it is investigated at Stage Three of this process.
If the complaint is against an individual Trustee, the Chair of Board of Trustees, or their nominated deputy will investigate and report to the Board.  Any appeal against the Chair’s decision should be made to the Charity Commissioners.

If the complaint is against the Chair of the Board of Trustees, or the Board as a whole, then the matter is referred to the Charity Commissioners.

Formal Complaints Process

Stage One

The completed complaints form is handed to the Complaints Manager or their deputy who will acknowledge or provide an initial response to the complainant within two working days.  This acknowledgement will include a description of the formal complaints process, right of appeal against any decision made by the Complaints Manager or their deputy and relevant timescales.
The Complaints Manager or their deputy will then investigate the complaint . This investigation may include:

• Interviews with relevant staff and/or their Line managers
• Reference to existing beat policies and procedures
• Contact with the complainant.

The Complaints Manager or their deputy will complete their investigation and will communicate their conclusions to the complainant within 20 working days.  If a complaint cannot be fully investigated and resolved within 20 days, the Complaints Manager or their deputy will provide a written update to the complainant every 15 days until the process is complete.

The Complaints Manager or their deputy will also be responsible for informing staff members of the conclusion of any investigation and may make recommendations to the relevant Senior Manager or Chief Executive to ensure that problems do not reoccur or to improve the quality of the service.

Stage Two

If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response or does not believe their complaint has been investigated thoroughly, they may take their complaint to the Chief Executive of beat.  This will then be further investigated and a written response made within 14 days.

Stage Three

Finally, if the complainant is dissatisfied with the Chief Executive’s response, the complaint may be passed on to a sub committee of the beat Board of Trustees whose decision is final and binding.  The sub committee will be convened as necessary to investigate the matter and will provide the complainant with a full report of their investigation including any actions taken within 3 months.

Monitoring complaints

The Complaints Manager will log all formal complaints.  These will be reported in Monthly Management Reports. The Chief Executive will review all formal complaints to identify any management action necessary to prevent a recurrence of the problem or improve the quality of our services.  These will be presented as a summary to the Board twice a year.
All documentation pertaining to the complaint will be kept securely and stored for 3 years.  

For comments or complaints either write to:-

beat, 103 Prince of Wales Road, Norwich NR1 1DW

or email:  info@b-eat.co.uk