Complaints procedure

Night Church – Chester is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space where everyone is accepted, respected and leaves feeling positive about the experience. We are always interested in people’s feedback in order that we can improve Night Church further. We are particularly concerned to listen to anyone who has a complaint they wish to raise with us regarding the work.

Principles:

  1. All complaints will be dealt with confidentially and only discussed further on a need to know basis in order to carry out an investigation

  2. Night Church – Chester will approach any complaints seriously and aims to learn from them. It will work to the principle of: Listen, Respond, Improve.

  3. Anyone with a complain about Night Church will be treated with respect and dignity, and given clear information on the complaints procedure

Policy:

  1. Some frontline complaints or concerns can be dealt with immediately and do not require investigation. They should still be reported to the Team Leader on the night or to the overall team leader if outside of Night Church opening hours.

  2. Complaints will be recorded on a complaints log

  3. For issues that cannot be immediately resolved the Night Church Team Leader will be informed and an investigation will be started

  4. If the complaint relates to the Team Leader of Night Church then another member of the Leadership Team will be asked to lead the investigation and report directly to the Trustees.

  5. The Night Church Team Leader deals with complaints for Night Church – Chester and this person will take the lead in the investigation and with the correspondence with the complainant.

  6. A complaints log will be used to record all complaints made. It will include: complaint made and date, issue of complaint, dates of letters sent, outcomes.

  7. All efforts will be made to provide an interpreter where barriers of language make it difficult for someone to make a complaint fully.

  8. If the complainant continues to feel dissatisfied with the final response then they will be offered the involvement of an external advisor.

  9. The complaints procedure will be available on the Night Church – Chester website

  10. There is a 12 month limit to making a complaint. It may be possible in some circumstances to investigate complaints that are longer standing, but this cannot be guaranteed

  11. All complaints will be discussed with the Trustees and recorded within the Annual General Report. (Confidentiality will be maintained whenever possible)

  12. Anonymous complaints will be investigated as fully as possible in line with the procedure and reported within the annual review

Complaints Procedure:

  1. All complaints received (by phone, email, letter, in person) will be acknowledged in writing (or by phone initially if no address is available) within 5 working days using the standard acknowledgement letter

  2. Where further information is needed, either a meeting with the person will be arranged or a record form will be sent to clarify information

  3. A record will be kept of all communications and actions taken regarding the complaint

  4. All complaints will be dealt with as promptly as possible, and it would normally be expected that there would be a full response within 28 working days. Any extension to this will be explained to the complainant and the expected timescale given.

  5. Complainants will be kept up-to-date with progress with the investigation using the standard holding letter

  6. On completion of the investigation a final letter will be sent

  7. If there is no follow up then the complaint is considered closed. If further correspondence is received then an external advisor will be brought in to find resolution.