Complaints Procedure

HEALTHIER BUSINESS UK LTD

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The complaints procedure ensures that clients, candidates, and employees of Healthier Business UK Ltd have a process by which they can highlight any concerns with our service. The business is committed to providing a safe, effective, high-quality service. However, it is recognised that, at times, things can go wrong. When concerns or complaints are raised, the business has a responsibility to acknowledge the concern or complaint, put things right as quickly as possible, learn lessons, prevent reoccurrence, and identify service improvements. 

In most circumstances, the quickest and most effective way of resolving a concern or

complaint is to deal with the issues when they arise or as soon as possible after this. In other circumstances where early local resolution is not possible, the business is responsible for the overall management of concerns and complaints.

This procedure is designed to handle general complaints about services and operations. However, suppose a complaint involves serious misconduct, such as fraud, health and safety breaches, or violations of legal or ethical obligations. In that case, the concern may be raised through the company’s Whistleblowing Procedure. This ensures confidentiality and protection under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA)

• To listen, acknowledge mistakes, explain what went wrong and consider prompt, appropriate and proportionate remedies to put things right.
• To provide a consistent approach to the timely and efficient handling of all concerns and complaints, establishing an agreed complaint plan with the complainant, with an

emphasis on early resolution.

• Ensure organisational openness and an approach conciliatory and fair to people using and delivering services.
• Respect the individual’s right to confidentiality and treat all users of this policy with respect and courtesy.
• Learn from concerns and complaints and use them to improve service quality and prevent mistakes from happening again.

The complaints procedure will be easy to understand, accessible, and publicised in ways that ensure its availability to all service users, as far as is reasonably practical.

• All employees will receive complaints handling e-learning training at induction, enabling them to respond positively to concerns and complaints and resolve issues quickly.
• The business will ensure that service users and candidates can raise a concern or complaint without compromising their service or relationship with staff.
• All concerns and complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days. Where possible, the complaint issues will be clarified, the investigation timescale agreed with the complainant, and the best way to reach a satisfactory outcome will be discussed.
• Investigations will be thorough, responsive, and appropriate to the seriousness of the complaint and conducted within the timescales agreed upon with the complainant.
• The format of the response to the concern/complaint will be agreed upon with the complainant; this may be verbal (by phone or at a meeting), by email or by written letter. Often, a concern can be satisfied with a verbal response. Complaints will require a written response, although some complainants prefer to receive this via email. The response will explain how the complaint has been investigated, apologising where appropriate, explaining the outcome of the investigation, what actions have been/will be taken and what the next steps are for the complainant if they remain dissatisfied.
• The business will strive to resolve all complaints locally.

It is vital to establish the difference between a concern and a complaint. Taking informal concerns seriously at the earliest stage will reduce the likelihood of their developing into formal complaints; however, when a complaint is raised against the business, employee or process, whether in person or writing, it is the duty of all employees, managers and Directors of the industry to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, without hesitation and in line with the ‘Complaints Procedure’. Below are the stages of the procedure through which each complaint should be handled.

Overview of Procedure

There are five stages to the complaint’s procedure: –

• Stage 1 – Acknowledgement of Complaints
• Stage 2 – Investigation of Complaints
• Stage 3 – Timeframes for Resolution
• Stage 4 – Resolution and Feedback
• Stage 5 – Appeal Process

1. Acknowledgement of Complaints:

• All complaints received will be acknowledged within 3 working days. The acknowledgement will include the name of the person handling the complaint, an explanation of the process, and an anticipated timeframe for resolution.

2. Investigation of Complaints:

• Upon receipt, the complaint will be assigned to an appropriate investigator. The investigation process may involve gathering relevant documentation, conducting interviews, and consulting relevant policies or procedures.
• Complaints will be treated with confidentiality and will only be shared with individuals directly involved in the investigation or resolution.

3. Timeframes for Resolution:

• We aim to resolve all complaints within 20 working days of receiving them. An extension may be necessary for complex complaints, and the complainant will be informed in writing with a revised deadline.
• Progress Updates: For complaints that require longer than 20 working days to resolve, we will provide progress updates to the complainant every 10 working days until the complaint is resolved.

4. Resolution and Feedback:

• Once the investigation is complete, the outcome will be communicated to the complainant. If the complaint is upheld, appropriate actions will be taken to address the issue, including corrective actions or improvements.
• If the complaint is not upheld, the reasons will be communicated.

5. Appeal Process:

• If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the initial investigation, they have the right to appeal. The appeal will be handled by an independent reviewer not involved in the original investigation. This ensures impartiality and fairness in the appeals process. The appeal process must be initiated within 30 days of receiving the initial decision
  

Suppose a candidate or customer is still unsatisfied with the decision or how the business has handled their complaint after receiving our complete response. In that case, they have the option to escalate their complaint to relevant regulatory bodies, who may be able to assist with progressing the issue.

Customers, Candidates, and Associates

For complaints related to our service provision, the following regulatory bodies may be able to assist:

• Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (Private Healthcare):
  https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint/if-we-cant-help/private-healthcare
• Care Quality Commission (CQC):
  https://www.cqc.org.uk/
• Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS):
  https://www.iscas.org.uk/
• Safe, Effective, and Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS):
  https://www.seqohs.org

Complaints Involving Clinical Staff: If a complaint involves the professional conduct, behaviour, or service delivery of a clinical staff member, such as Occupational Health Screening Nurses or other healthcare professionals, Healthier Business UK Ltd will conduct an internal investigation following our established complaints and disciplinary procedures.

In situations where the complaint raises concerns about clinical standards, professional conduct, patient safety, or breaches of ethical guidelines, the complaint may be escalated to the appropriate regulatory body for further investigation:

• General Medical Council (GMC): For complaints regarding the professional conduct of medical staff, the GMC may be contacted for further review.
  https://www.gmc-uk.org/concerns 
• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC): For complaints involving the professional conduct of nursing or midwifery staff, the NMC may be contacted for escalation.
  https://www.nmc.org.uk/concerns-nurses-midwives/

In cases where the concern involves serious professional misconduct that could impact public safety, the company may address it under its Whistleblowing Policy. Whistleblowing allows individuals to raise concerns about malpractice, misconduct, or health and safety breaches confidentially and in the public interest.

Healthier Business UK Ltd is committed to cooperating fully with any external investigations conducted by the GMC, NMC, or other relevant regulatory bodies. If an external investigation is initiated, the company will provide all necessary documentation and support as required, ensuring that appropriate actions or outcomes resulting from the investigation are implemented effectively.

If complainants wish to escalate their concerns directly to these regulatory bodies, they are entitled to do so, and the company will guide them through the process.

Complaints received anonymously will be recorded and considered, but action may be limited if further information is required to ensure a full and fair investigation.

Please note that to enable us to investigate your complaint, the person/s investigating it may need access to your personal information (e.g., relevant health records). 

To process a complaint, the business will hold personal data about the complainant, which the individual provides, and which other people give in response to the complaint. To address the complaint, the business will hold this data securely and only use it for which it is provided. The identity of the person making the complaint will only be known to those who need to consider the complaint and will not be revealed to other people or made public by the business. However, it may not be possible to preserve confidentiality in some circumstances, for example, where relevant legislation is applied or allegations involving third parties’ conduct. The business will generally securely destroy complaints files three years after the complaint has been closed.

Healthier Business UK Ltd will handle all complaints with confidentiality, in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR. All personal data collected during the complaints process will be securely retained for [insert timeframe] in line with the company’s Data Retention Policy. Data related to complaints will only be shared with individuals directly involved in the resolution process.

Healthier Business UK Ltd is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in all operations, including handling complaints. All complaints will be managed impartially and fairly, with no discrimination based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Our company’s Equality and Diversity Policy reflects this commitment, which outlines the principles and procedures for ensuring equal treatment and non-discrimination across all business activities. We adhere to the Equality Act 2010 and ensure our complaints process aligns with these legal obligations. If you want more information on how we handle equality issues, please refer to our Equality Policy and Diversity Policy.

All complaints are logged and reviewed for resolution as part of the company’s commitment to continuous improvement. Healthier Business UK Ltd utilises an external system provided by our ISO accreditation body to track complaints, customer recommendations, internal observations, and other feedback forms. This system ensures that all feedback is documented, assessed, and incorporated into our continuous improvement processes.

Lessons learned from complaints will be reviewed regularly, and any necessary changes to policies, processes, or training will be implemented to prevent recurrence. This approach supports our commitment to maintaining high service standards and meeting the requirements of ISO9001 for nonconformity, corrective action, and change management.

Healthier Business UK Ltd is committed to regularly reviewing the effectiveness of its Complaints Procedure. The policy will undergo a formal review on an annual basis to ensure it remains aligned with legal requirements, ethical standards, and ISO9001 standards for continuous improvement.

In addition to annual reviews, all complaints will be systematically reviewed using a review scheduler provided by our external ISO system. This scheduler ensures that complaints are tracked, and appropriate follow-ups are conducted to assess the effectiveness of corrective actions and process improvements. These reviews help identify patterns or recurring issues requiring further policies, processes, or training changes.

By conducting annual policy reviews and systematic reviews related to individual complaints, we ensure that Healthier Business UK Ltd continues to meet its high service quality standards and comply with ISO9001 and SEQOHS standards.

METHODS OF REGISTERING A COMPLAINT

Healthier Business UK Ltd offers multiple methods for submitting a complaint to ensure it is easy and accessible for all service users. You can choose one of the following ways to register your complaint using the Complaints Leaflet and Report Form:

You can also click on the following link https://hbcompliance.co.uk/storage/2024/09/HB-Complaints-Leaflet-and-Report-Form.pdf to download a copy of the Complaints Leaflet and Report Form and submit it using the following methods.

1. Email
   Please email your complaint to info@healthierbusiness.co.uk. Please include as much detail as possible, including dates, individuals involved, and supporting documentation.
2. By Post
   You can send a completed Complaints Leaflet and Report Form by post to the following address:

Healthier Business UK Ltd

Unit 3009, Abbey Mill Business Centre,

12 Seedhill Road,

Paisley

PA1-1JS

Please include your contact details so we can reach out to you to acknowledge receipt and provide a reference number for tracking.