This policy relates to complaints and feedback by clients and / or other external parties. Separate policies are in place for complaints by staff, music therapists, volunteers and directors of Chiltern Music Therapy (‘Chiltern Personnel’). Chiltern is committed to the principles of good complaint handling which include:
Chiltern Music Therapy is dedicated to providing a high level of service to all its clients. It will listen to and investigate any instances when a client, or someone involved in that client’s care, feels that Chiltern Music Therapy has failed to meet these high standards.
If Chiltern Music Therapy receives a complaint, the complainant will be told the name of the person who will be responsible for looking into the matter, and the complainant will be kept informed of progress until the matter is closed. If the complaint concerns one or more members of Chiltern Personnel, they will not be involved in investigating it; this will ensure an independent review.
A complaint may arise for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) the following allegations:
Whatever the cause, the complaint needs to be investigated, its cause identified, and, if possible, remedial and preventive action taken.
A complaint may be made verbally, in writing or via social media channels. However it is raised, it will be handled efficiently and taken seriously by Chiltern Music Therapy.
1. Submitting a complaint - All formal complaints should be addressed to the Compliance Lead (compliance@chilternmusictherapy.co.uk), with relevant correspondence / documentation attached. If received by another member of Chiltern Personnel, it should be forwarded immediately to the Compliance Lead. If the complaint is made verbally, the person receiving the complaint should report it to the Compliance Lead as soon as possible with any relevant correspondence or documentation.
2. Acknowledgement of Complaint/Initial Actions - Once a complaint is received (written or verbal) it is Chiltern Music Therapy’s policy to send an acknowledgement letter within 7 calendar days. Support will be offered via the Life Circle and/or Team Companion throughout the process of complaint investigation. It is a condition of both Chiltern Music Therapy and each Music Therapist’s Professional Indemnity insurance that all complaints which could result in a claim under the insurance policy are reported at the outset to the insurers. The insurers may require a particular course of action in the handling of the complaint, and this must be followed to ensure that the insurance cover is not invalidated. Depending on the circumstances and initial assessment the HCPC may need to be notified for Music Therapists.
3. Complaint Assessment - The Compliance Lead will minimise the number of individuals involved in the complaint and only share information on a ‘need to know’ basis. The Compliance Lead will assess the nature of the complaint and liaise with appropriate key parties internally e.g. Clinical Services Team to nominate an individual with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to investigate the complaint. On being notified of a complaint, and as required throughout the process, the Compliance Lead will liaise with the Investigation Officer and consider whether to seek advice from the Life Circle on whether suspension from duty might be appropriate. This will be a ‘without prejudice’ action based on any specific risks identified. For individuals engaged on self-employed contracts consideration will be given to a temporary pause in the contract being delivered until the outcome of the investigation is known.
4. Investigation Officer preliminary actions - The individual nominated to lead on the investigation of the complaint will advise any relevant parties as they consider appropriate. This may include (but is not limited to) the manager of the setting or service, the relevant Local Authority, parents or guardians.
5. Investigation - The issues will be investigated by the Investigating Officer. All points raised in the complainant’s correspondence will be looked into. The Investigating Officer will then respond to the complainant, usually in writing, answering all points raised. It is Chiltern Music Therapy’s intention to respond fully within 28 calendar days of receipt of the complaint; if this is not possible, the complainant will be informed within the 28 calendar day period of the likely date for the matter to be concluded and a response given. The Compliance Lead can offer advice on matters relating to procedure and drafting the response but will not be involved in the investigation itself or the conclusion reached.
6. Outcome - At this point we hope to have answered all the complainant’s concerns and that they will be happy with the response and any action Chiltern Music Therapy has taken as a result.
7. Appeal - If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, Chiltern Music Therapy will invite them to attend a meeting at their convenience to discuss their concerns further. The meeting will be chaired by a Director and, if appropriate, any other member of Chiltern Personnel who it is considered may be able to assist (but not any individual who is the subject of the complaint). The Investigating Officer will attend the meeting to outline their findings and conclusions. The outcome of this meeting will be confirmed in writing and will be the final stage of the process.
8. Record and retention of information - A ‘Complaints Index’ will be maintained by the Compliance Lead on Chiltern’s secure Salesforce Platform and will be kept up to date with details and dates of all complaints received, investigative reviews undertaken, and responses given. The Index will be made available to insurers if required.
9. Learning from events - Compliance Lead to review and action any ‘learning from events’ necessary changes.
To effectively handle complaints/negative comments placed on social media channels, Chiltern will respond promptly and empathetically, acknowledging the issue, apologising when necessary, offering a clear solution, and moving the conversation to a private channel if needed; essentially, prioritising quick, personalised responses that demonstrate a genuine effort to resolve the problem and maintain a positive brand image. Responses will be led by the Communications Team with input from other relevant individuals as necessary. The nature of the complaint will be assessed to determine whether the more formal process outlined above for handling general complaints may need to be followed.
Chiltern Music Therapy is an employee-owned not-for-profit organisation and operates within a self-managing model and structure. This means that the Company does not have a system of line management or chains of command, and that each individual employee, contractor and volunteer is responsible for managing their own time and caseload. The onus is on the individual Personnel/Practitioner to take responsibility and seek support for matters relating to equality impact assessments in their work for Chiltern Music Therapy. The Company reciprocally resolves to provide support, training and guidance as necessary.
We are all responsible for the implementation of this policy. You should ensure that you take the time to read and understand the policy and should you have any questions about its content or application, contact the Delivery Circle.
The Compliance Lead has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy. Responsibility for monitoring and reviewing the operation of this policy and making any recommendations for change to minimise risks to our operations also lies with the Compliance Lead.