Complaints Policy & Procedure

Why is this policy & procedure required?

To detect flaws and to improve the overall quality of the Company;
To ensure that clients and stakeholders have a voice, feel listened to and understood;
To improve relationships between the Company and our clients and corporate clients;
To mitigate, plan, guide and manage the resolution of complaints.

General Company Statement on Complaints

Addressing concerns early is important and can often prevent escalations to complaints;
Concerns and complaints are best addressed as soon as possible allowing the Company time to ‘put things right’;
When disputing charges and/or invoices, complaints must be made in a reasonable time frame to allow them to be addressed fairly. Disputes over charges must be made within thirty days of receipt of invoice. The statutory guidance is that in the event of an undue delay (i.e., not confirming an invoice as valid and undisputed within the suggested seven calendar days), the invoice shall be regarded as valid and undisputed;
We welcome any feedback about our services and Company as we strive for extremely high standards, and it helps us to evaluate and improve our case management work;
We take any complaint seriously (whether justified or not) and aim to resolve it sensitively, fairly and as quickly as possible;
We strive to ensure that the service provided to our clients is not adversely affected as a result of making a complaint;
Any client, their family or representative, corporate client, external worker, agency or organisation can raise a complaint about our services;
Information gathered when responding to complaints is handled and stored in compliance with GDPR 2018 regulations;
All information about complaints needs to be recorded in the complaints spreadsheet which can be found here. (This hyperlink will only be accessible by relevant BHL Management staff).

Prioritisation

Complaints which directly relate to client safety, wellbeing and clinical input will always be prioritised and swift action will be taken by management staff at Ben Holden Ltd to investigate and take any necessary action.

Timescales on Making a General Complaint

Complaints must be made not later than six months after the date on which the matter which is the subject of the complaint occurred;
Complaints received after six months may be considered by the Company but only after detailed explanation from the complainant as to why the matter was not raised within a reasonable timeframe.

Complaints Procedure

As outlined in the Company service agreements: a complaint can be initiated by making telephone contact with the Administration Manager, Margaret Lambeth. Contact can be made at 01449 737 046, margaret@benholden.net, administration@benholden.net or Ben Holden Ltd, PO BOX 1098, Ipswich, IP1 9FE.

In the initial telephone call, the Administration Manager will take an overview of the complaint and advise the complainant that they will need to put the complaint in writing to the Company either via email or letter via post. If the complainant is unable to put this in writing, we request they ask a family member, friend or their legal representative to do this on their behalf. Alternately a mutually convenient time could be arranged for the complainant to express their complaint in their preferred format directly to the Administration Manager. The Administration Manager should also ask the complainant to detail their desired resolution in their letter/preferred format.

Any mail correspondence issued via either party throughout the complaints process (using Royal Mail or other provider) must use special or recorded delivery.

The Administration Manager will immediately notify the Managing Director, Clinical Services Manager and any other relevant Company staff involved in the complaint.

Upon receiving a written complaint, the Administration Manager will acknowledge receipt in writing within five working days and the Director or other delegate will review the details and complete an investigation. This may involve telephone calls, video calls or ‘face to face’ meetings with relevant parties and/or reviewing Company records.

The Company will formally respond in writing no later than 28 days after receipt of a written complaint via email, post or hand delivery. The response will usually include details of how the complaint was considered, potential opportunities for resolution, whether or not the complaint is upheld in full, in part or not at all and details of any improvements or changes (if any) the Company intends to make. The response and detail will be proportional to the seriousness of the complaint.

It may be necessary to outline an extended timeframe if a full and detailed investigation requires more time. The relevant parties should be given advance notice (prior to the 28 days) that we require additional time to investigate and respond to the complaint.

The Managing Director will oversee the implementation of any recommended changes and improvements to Company training, procedures, policies and/or services.

Other Options

If your complaint is about an element of the care being provided by support workers which is supervised by BHL, you have an option to complain to the CQC directly. Please note the CQC do not regulate our general Case Management work. We insist that all of our case managers have a professional qualification and they all must be registered with their relevant regulatory body.

If you have complained and are not satisfied with the outcome, you have the option to complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Informal Complaints

An informal complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with some part of the service that is raised with BHL in an informal way. This may be in the usual type of conversation with the case manager or other staff, or it could be in person or via email. The informal complaint may be about a range of topics such as, communication issues, a perceived lapse in care and treatment, quality of the service or a particular staff behaviour.

At BHL, we encourage our staff to always report these to management as this helps to improve our relationships with clients and services, it can prevent escalation to a formal complaint and it ultimately contributes to the overall improvement of the service.

All informal complaints should be logged here in the complaints spreadsheet. (This hyperlink is only available to relevant BHL Management staff).

Policy Info.	Staff Member	Date
Policy First Published	Ben Holden	2011
Latest Revision	Ben Holden / Sonia Collin	September 2024
Next Planned Annual Revision	Sonia Collin	September 2025

We are proud to be an official supporter of the Institute of Registered Case Managers

What do our clients & referrers say?

When Jo started supporting me it was also the start of the Covid Pandemic. She took the time to explain physical anatomy which helped me understand the immediate and longer term impact of my injuries. We set attainable goals for me to rebuild all aspects of my life.

With professional understanding of procedures and expectations she liaised with my legal representative for insurance funding and others, securing the further support I needed, for example; intensive physio, counseling, driving confidence lessons, further surgery, occupational health equipment, a PA to support me and relieve the pressure on my family. I would always be happy to recommend Jo as a Case manager to others.

Before I was supported by Jo Forrest at Ben Holden Ltd, I was struggling with EVERYTHING caused by the RTA. I was incapacitated in a hospital bed in my dining room worried about the traumatic impact on my husband and family, not just following the accident, but the reality of my lack of independence, my ongoing care and my own physical rehabilitation.

Please pass on my thanks to all at Ben Holden for their help and patience with me over the past few years. Things are so much better for me now compared to when I came to you and you have all played a part in that, no matter how small, and I greatly appreciate it. Credit where it’s due in my eyes, and everyone at Ben Holden have been kind, courteous but perhaps more importantly understanding of my difficulties if/when I’ve been confused or remiss in remembering an invoice or some such. It is much appreciated.

Christa came to visit me numerous times in the Royal Free Hospital. Having assessed my needs, she organised repair of my wheelchair, hospital bed on my return home. Organised private physiotherapy and stay in care home. Once home, she came with me to private therapist in Harley Street.

Very kind, understanding and caring.

Before I started working with Ben I was struggling with the everyday tasks e.g. getting myself dressed, walking any distance, lifting, getting in and out of bed, bending. Within six months, Ben and his team enabled me to do all these things and return to work gradually, which resulted in me being able to do my pre-injury job.

My life began to significantly change. Ben treated me with the upmost dignity and respect. He coordinated a team of professionals experienced in working with neurological disorders, especially with people who had experienced an accidental severe traumatic brain injury or through illness. I felt confident that Ben would and did manage to select professionals who he somehow knew would manage my challenging eccentric behaviour and complex needs.

It was very reassuring to know that Ben was always at the end of the phone. He was there when I needed him most. He always responded quickly and kept everybody involved well-informed of what was happening with Progress Reports.

I could trust Ben and felt reassured by his knowledge and patience. He has a great and appropriate sense of humour. I would highly recommend Ben to others who would surely benefit from his expertise.

Ben was very helpful and promptly organised a good local physiotherapist for me. There I was given exercises specific to my problem, along with acupuncture and massage. This was invaluable, as nothing had been offered to id my recovery by my local hospital. In addition, Ben organised a six-month gym membership at my local leisure centre.

I always found Ben easy to talk to and he regularly called to check on my progress. I would not hesitate to recommend Ben Holden td, who gave me a very friendly and professional service.

My experience working with Ben was excellent. I felt very at ease, relaxed and confident with him. If I had any queries or needed extra support, he was always on the end of the telephone. Nothing was ever too much trouble.

I highly recommend Ben Holden, for his professionalism, friendliness and for the individual support I got. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben and his team for all their work getting me where I am today, leading a normal life again, and being able to put my accident behind me.

Before Ben Holden started working with me on my injuries, I was struggling daily and unable to progress with my rehabilitation back into normal life. Since Ben Holden Ltd took on my case I have been able to focus on getting my life back together following my accident.

Working with Ben made me feel confident and in control again, his relaxed and easy style made me feel I could talk to him freely about my concerns. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Ben Holden Ltd to anyone facing the prospect of life following a life changing accident.