Complaints Procedure

How We Respond to Feedback and Complaints

Policy Statement

The purpose of this policy and the procedures for responding to feedback from our members and those who use our services is to improve what we do and to maintain and build relationships with our audience and those who choose to take up our membership services.

We aim to provide a professional, supportive service and find out if things go wrong so we can fix them (on the spot, if we can) and prevent things from going wrong in the future.

We aim to be transparent in our dealings with you and listen to your feedback so we can constantly shape our services to your needs. To that end, all our policies are subject to review.

This policy covers the following:

  • Feedback on our free-to-access resource base such as www.counsellingtutor.com, our podcast and video feed on the YouTube channel Counselling Tutor.
  • Feedback on our paid-to-access products such as The CSR Resource, CPD library, Courses and Counselling Tutor Publications.
  • Feedback via social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
  • Feedback on the training courses we run.
  • Feedback from individuals, groups and communities, members, supporters, partners, organisations and the wider public.
  • Requests for information (including Subject Access Requests under The General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR)
  • Requests for deletion of personal data subject to exclusions under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR)

What is a complaint, and what is a comment?

All feedback will be treated with courtesy and respect and handled with sensitivity. We also promise to respond promptly.*

Any response will be on a need-to-know basis and will follow any relevant data protection requirements.

Counselling Tutor expects people who provide feedback to do so fairly and appropriately.

We also receive many comments – suggestions, and expressions of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. We believe these are opportunities for us as a business to learn and better serve those who use our services.

However, while we will typically respond to comments, the response is separate from a formal process.

A complaint is a formal claim that Counselling Tutor has failed to meet our code of practice law or regulation.

A complaint requires an investigation, and a formal response goes on the record. It is also an opportunity for us as a business to learn.

Any concerns regarding the behaviour of counselling tutor volunteers will also be treated as a complaint.

Since investigating a complaint makes use of Counselling Tutor limited resources, we expect the person making the complaint to:

  • Provide sufficient information for us to be able to understand the complaint, what happened and how it may be resolved, being clear as to the nature of the complaint;
  • Be willing to be contacted and engage in the complaints process if necessary.
  • Understand that making a complaint triggers a more formal process than a comment.
  • Feedback provided anonymously will be considered and used as an opportunity to learn. However, we cannot respond to anonymous feedback.

We may choose not to respond to feedback that -

  • Is abusive, discriminatory or offensive;
  • Harasses, a staff member
  • Is incoherent or illegible
  • Has been sent to Counselling Tutor and other organisations as part of a bulk communication: in this event, we will choose whether or not it is necessary to reply
  • Seeks to bypass stages in the complaint’s procedure;
  • Is repeatedly stated in a manner not conducive to resolution;
  • Concerns something that Counselling Tutor has no direct connection with (we may choose to respond to clear our name)
  • Pursues a complaint unreasonably or follows an enquiry to the point where it becomes vexatious.

*Regarding responding to complaints from regulatory bodies, we reserve the right to respond within the time frame they outline.

Escalation points in our complaint’s procedure are provided. We will inform you of this decision if we choose not to reply again.

How you can contact us

You speak directly to the Directors Rory Lees-Oakes and Kenneth Kelly by calling 07425 163870. Please note this phone number is not a helpline, and you may need to leave a message that we will respond to.

Responses to any telephone communication are within the business hours of Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 5 pm (please note that this does not include UK Bank Holidays).

You can email us at Rory@counsellingtutor.com.

You must provide your name, address and contact telephone number if you email or write to us so we can contact you quickly.

We will generally respond to you by the method you use to contact us so that we can resolve your complaint quickly.

Your feedback is valuable to us, so please suggest ways to resolve the matter when contacting us.

We also listen to comments on our social media platforms, and we may contact individuals directly in the CSR Members Forums.

Sometimes we will give feedback in person.

We aim to resolve the issue as fast as possible. However, we realise this is only occasionally possible.

How we respond

We treat feedback with courtesy and respect and will when receiving it:

  • Listen carefully
  • Note the facts
  • Note the person's contact details and check these a recorded correctly.
  • Note any requested actions.
  • Inform the person providing the feedback of our policy and where is located on our website.
  • Respond initially within 24 hours and try to resolve the issue within five working days (where practical, please see our statement on working with external organisations. We will inform you if this is the case).
  • If appropriate, ask you to send in a written account by post or email in your own words.

What we aim to do

We are interested in your feedback and will work hard to fix the problem. Wherever possible, your complaint should be resolved by the person responsible. However, this may only sometimes be possible, in which case another team member may handle it.

We promise to keep a record of the complaint to:

  • Monitor the progress of the complaint
  • Provide you with evidence that the complaint was acted upon, and let you know the outcome
  • Identify recurring themes or trends
  • Compile reports, if necessary, for the data protection regulator

 

Updated February 2023