01397 706444
Lochaber Care & Repair Complaints Procedure
Lochaber Care & Repair are committed to providing high-quality customer services.
We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.
If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us. This leaflet describes our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. It also tells you about our service standards and what you can expect from us.
What is a complaint?
We regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by us or on our behalf.
What can I complain about?
You can complain about things like:
- delays in responding to your enquiries and requests
- failure to provide a service
- our standard of service
- dissatisfaction with our policy
- treatment by or attitude of a member of staff
- our failure to follow proper procedure.
Your complaint may involve more than one of our services or be about someone working on our behalf.
What can’t I complain about?
There are some things we can’t deal with through our complaints procedure. These include:
- a routine first-time request for a service, for example reporting a problem that needs to be repaired.
- requests for compensation
- issues that are in court or have already been heard by a court or a tribunal
- an attempt to reopen a previously concluded complaint or to have a complaint reconsidered where we have already given our final decision following a stage 2 investigation. If you are still not satisfied, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman for an independent review of the complaint.
If other procedures or rights of appeal can help you resolve your concerns we will give information and advice to help you.
Who can complain?
Anyone can make a complaint to us, including the representative of someone who is dissatisfied with our service. Please also read the section on ‘Getting help to make your complaint’.
How do I complain?
You can complain in person at our office, by phone, in writing, email or by using our complaints form.
It is easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the service concerned. So please talk to a member of our staff at the service you are complaining about. Then they can try to resolve any problems on the spot.
When complaining, tell us:
- your full name and address
- as much as you can about the complaint
- what has gone wrong
- how you want us to resolve the matter.
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:
- the event you want to complain about, or
- finding out that you have a reason to complain, but no longer than 12 months after the event itself.
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.
Contact details
101 High Street, Fort William PH33 6DG
Telephone: 01397 706444
Email: info@lcr.org.uk
What happens when I have complained?
We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has two stages:
Stage one – frontline resolution
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong and immediate action to resolve the problem.
We will give you our decision at stage 1 in five working days or less, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
If we can’t resolve your complaint at this stage, we will explain why. If you are still dissatisfied you can ask for your complaint to be investigated further through stage 2. You may choose to do this immediately or some time after you get our initial response. We can help you with making this request.
Stage two – investigation
Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: those that have not been resolved at stage 1 and those that are complex and require detailed investigation.
When using stage 2 we will:
- acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days
- discuss your complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for
- give you a full response to the complaint as soon as possible and within 20 working days.
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
What if I’m still dissatisfied?
After we have fully investigated, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.
The SPSO cannot normally look at:
- a complaint that has not completed our complaints procedure (so please make sure it has done so before contacting the SPSO)
- events that happened, or that you became aware of, more than a year ago
- a matter that has been or is being considered in court.
You can contact the SPSO:
In Person: SPSO 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS
By Post: SPSO, Freepost EH641, Edinburgh, EH3 0BR
Freephone: 0800 377 7330
Online contact: www.spso.org.uk/contact-us
Website: www.spso.org.uk
Mobile site: http://m.spso.org.uk
Care complaints
If your complaint relates to a care service we provide, you can choose whether to complain to us or the Care Inspectorate. You can find out more about their complaints procedure, or make a complaint, by contacting the Care Inspectorate.
Information about their complaints procedure, contact details and offices around Scotland, and information about how to complain are all on their website: http://www.scswis.com/
Or you can contact them by:
Telephone: 0845 600 9527
Fax: 01382 207 289
Online complaints form
Email: enquiries@careinspectorate.com
Getting help to make your complaint
We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with our service. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.
You can find out about advocates in your area by contacting the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance or Citizens Advice Bureau.
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
Tel: 0131 260 5380
Fax: 0131 260 5381
Website: www.siaa.org.uk
Citizens Advice Scotland
Website: www.cas.org.uk
Or check your phone book for your local bureau.
We are committed to making our service easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help customers access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing please tell us.
We can also give you this leaflet in other languages and formats (such as large print, audio and Braille).
Our contact details
Please contact us by the following means:
By Post:
101 High Street
Fort William
PH33 6DG
Telephone: 01397 706444
Fax: 01397 704141
Email: info@lcr.co.uk
Online Complaints Form
This form is provided to assist you in making a complaint about any aspect of our services. You can also make a complaint in person at our office, by phone, in writing by letter or by e mail. Whatever method you choose to make your complaints please do so in conjunction with our Complaints Procedure leaflet, which is designed to assist you.
