Introduction
Mainstream Training is committed to ensuring that its work is of the highest quality. Feedback from learners, partners, funders and other interested parties is integral to the continual improvement of Mainstream Training’s Quality Management System. Complaints and compliments:
- Tell us what is working
- Help identify potential service problems
- Help identify and manage risks
- Highlight opportunities for improvement
This policy aims to provide a straightforward and consistent process to how we listen and respond.
Principles
Our approach is underpinned by the following principles:
- Complaints and compliments are an important part of feedback we receive. It is integral to our ISO9001 accredited quality management system that we seek and respond to feedback.
- Our procedures are accessible and easy to understand. Our website will include our complaints procedure
- Complaints are dealt with appropriately and investigated within agreed time frames
- Making a complaint will not prejudice the service being provided to the complainant
- Mainstream Training will learn from complaints and compliments and will use the information to continually improve
Complaints procedure
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about a service provided by Mainstream Training. We take all complaints extremely seriously and all staff are trained and committed to rectify any problem as soon as it is brought to their attention. It is recognised that a customer who has a complaint dealt with to their complete satisfaction is likely to become a repeat customer. Our procedure has three stages:
Stage 1 – Informal
- To make an initial complaint, please bring this to our attention as soon as possible by speaking or emailing the individual concerned or their line manager. Please include as much detail as possible
- We will endeavour to satisfy your complaint and let you know of any action to be taken.
- All complaints will be acknowledged by the member of staff you contacted within 3 working days
- We will respond to stage 1 complaints within 7 working days
Stage 2 – Formal
- Should your stage 1 complaint fail to provide you with a satisfactory resolution, or you feel it is inappropriate to address your complaint informally, please submit your complaint formally via one of the following options:
- Call: 01795 418100, or
- Email: [email protected], or
- Write to Mainstream Training Ltd, Mainstream House, Bonham Drive, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RY
- When you contact us, please give us your full name, contact details, and include a daytime telephone number along with:
- A full description of your complaint (including the subject matter and dates and times if known);
- Any names of the people you have dealt with so far; and
- Copies of any papers or letters to do with the complaint.
- Mainstream Training ask that you raise your complaint as soon as possible after the event so that we have the opportunity to investigate fully.
- We will investigate your complaint and respond to you within 28 working days.
Stage 3 - Appealing
- In the unlikely event that you remain unhappy after your complaint has been investigated and a decision reached then you may escalate your complaint to our Operations Director.
- Please include any further items for consideration and state clearly why you remain unhappy with the decision taken so far.
- The Operations Director will investigate in full and respond to you within 15 working days
- The Operations Director can be contacted via:
- Call:01795 418100, or
- Write to: Operations Director, Mainstream Training Ltd, Mainstream House, Bonham Drive, Eurolink Industrial Estate, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RY
- This will be the final route of escalation within our company. Therefore, if you remain unhappy after following our own internal complaints procedure and your complaint refers to services you have received relating to an accredited qualification course then please contact the Awarding Organisation directly; Mainstream Training staff will provide you with the contact details of the awarding organisation.
General points
- Queries. If you have any queries about the contents of this policy, please contact the Training Team directly on 01795 418100 or email [email protected]
- Safeguarding. If your complaint raises safeguarding concerns, the issue will be immediately referred to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or one of our Deputy DSLs. This may result in a delay to the complaint being investigated.
- Record keeping. Mainstream Training will keep a record of all complaints. The register of complaints will be reviewed by our Quality Management Review Group as part of its quality management processes. A complaint may also be recorded as a non-conformance against our quality system.
Compliments
Compliments also provide valuable feedback about what is working well. Compliments are usually received as follows:
- Informal. Learners, partners, funders and the public contact one of our staff direct. Sometimes, senior managers or the Directors receive a compliment about a service or a staff member, these will always be passed on to the staff member and her/his manager.
- Learner feedback. Where learners specifically name a staff member in their feedback, we will pass this on to that staff member and her/his manager.
Learner feedback
We proactively seek learner feedback including through surveys. All feedback is valued and used as part of our continuous improvement. We recognise that sometimes learners will not make a complaint or provide a compliment in line with the above procedures but they may score an aspect of our service in such a way that we determine it is praise or a concern about our service.
