Complaints Policy & Procedures | The Echo Society UK

Complaints Procedure

Introduction

The Echo Society views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

Our policy is:

To provide a complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.
To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint.
To make sure everyone at The Echo Society knows what to do if a complaint is received.
To investigate complaints fairly and in a timely way.
To ensure complaints are made within a reasonable timeframe, typically no later than 3 months from the date the incident occurred or came to your attention.
To resolve complaints wherever possible and repair relationships where appropriate.
To reserve the right to cease correspondence if a complaint is abusive, harassing, or vexatious.
To gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of The Echo Society.

Who can complain?

Anyone who is:

receiving a service from The Echo Society.
caring for someone who has a complaint.
has been refused a service which they think they may need.

Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.

How to Complain

The Echo Society aims to resolve any concerns as quickly and compassionately as possible. Many issues can be addressed informally.

If you feel able, we encourage you to speak directly with the member of the team involved. Often, a simple conversation can help clarify misunderstandings or resolve concerns.
If this doesn’t feel possible or hasn’t resolved the issue, you can ask to speak with their supervisor, who will listen and support you in finding a way forward.
If you contact us in person or by phone, we recommend noting the name of the person you speak to and any steps or solutions discussed.
If you are not satisfied — or would prefer not to pursue an informal resolution — you are welcome to submit a formal complaint using ourgeneral service feedback form. We will aim to respond within 10 working days.

What If You’re Still Not Satisfied?

We hope to respond to your complaint satisfactorily. However, if you're still unhappy, you can contact the Manager via our contact us form.

The Manager will then investigate the concern and respond within 15 working days. If your complaint remains unresolved, we’ll discuss next steps with you. This may include mediation or having the matter considered by a senior external advisor.

Our Pledge

We treat all comments and complaints as an opportunity for improvement. We are happy to acknowledge if we have made a mistake, apologise and try to prevent it from happening again in the future.

If you need support to make a complaint — for example, due to communication, language, or access needs — please let us know. We’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Thank you for helping us to improve our service.