Complaints, Comments & Suggestions
ProcedurePlease click here for a BSL version of this policy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGMU5P4LME

Policy Statement
RAD values complaints, comments and suggestions and will treat all people who make them withrespect and understanding.
We encourage people with a complaint or suggestion to try to sort it out with a member of staff of RAD or aRAD manager (see section on Informal Problem Solving below). If you feel you have tried this but it did notwork, or you do not feel it would be helpful, then please use the RAD Complaints Procedure.

The RAD Complaints Procedure will:
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Inform the Co-CEOs of all complaints and regularly report complaints to the Trustees
Log all complaints in a Complaints bookAcknowledge all complaints and provide a written response to the complainant at every stage ofthe procedure
Keep copies of all correspondence related to the complaint
Meet the costs of sign language interpreting or other communication support required in handlinga complaint
Provide an appropriately qualified independent person (e.g. advocate) to support the complainant
if the person is under nineteen or a vulnerable adult and / or if they request such a person
Deal with complaints as openly as possible, given our duty of confidentiality to people who use ourservices
Deal with complaints within the timescales detailed in the procedure.

RAD will not accept anonymous complaints.
Complaints from staff or volunteers are dealt with under the “Grievance Procedure”

Informal Problem Solving
If possible, we would like to sort things out informally. This could mean:ooDiscussing the issues with the member of RAD staff who you work with orDiscussing issues the senior manager for the particular service.

It may be possible to sort things out quickly and easily to everyone’s satisfaction.
We suggest you make an appointment to discuss these issues specifically. If you let us know in advance, wewill make every effort to provide an Interpreter or communication support at our expense.

Page 2 of 6Author: The Office of the Chief Executive
Reviewed: October 2019

RAD Complaint’s Procedure
All complaints are logged in a Complaints book. The Office of the Chief Executive will be informed of allcomplaints received, and will later report them and their outcomes to the Trustees. There are fourstages to the complaints procedure:StageStage 1:
Acknowledgment

What happens - Actions taken
Action taken by staff
Information received bycomplainanto Logged on Complaintso Acknowledgement letterdatabase - date / content
explaining timescale andof letter
what happens nexto Acknowledgement lettero Communication support
written explaining
and/or advocacy (astimescale and whatappropriate) will behappens next
offered at RAD’s expenseo Allocated to appropriate
at all stages of the process
Senior Manager withtimescale forinvestigation

Page 3 of 6
Author: The Office of the Chief Executive
Reviewed: October 2019

Time-scaleo5 working days

Stage 2:Investigationo Manager will investigate
with staff known to thecomplainant - may
involve interviewing all
partieso The purpose is tounderstand thecomplaint, ascertain all
the facts and, wherepossible, to resolve thematter satisfactorily for
all concerned or toexplain the situation to
the complainant’ssatisfactiono Office of the Chief
Executive receives written
report from the ManagerStage

What happens - Actions takenAction taken by staff
Information received bycomplainanto Office of the Chiefo Letter from Office of the
Executive will send
Chief Executive
written response witho Explanation of right tooutcome /decisionappeal to Trustees if theo Every attempt will beoutcome is not thought
made to ensure that thesatisfactory, Appeal
Office of theChief(Stage 4) offered
Executive’s decision isunderstood.

Stage 3:
Decision andresponseo Interviews / further
information may berequestedo If the outcome is notthought satisfactory,
formal complaint (Stage3) offeredo Help offered to write upo (Stage 3) complaint

Page 4 of 6Author: The Office of the Chief Executive
Reviewed: October 2019

oManager reports toOffice of the Chief
Executive within 3
weeks of receipt ofcomplaint.

Time-scaleo Complainant receives
Office of the Chief
Executive’s reply within
one calendar monthfrom receipt of thecomplaint.
o Complainant has 5
working days to request
an appeal to theTrustees.

Stage 4:
Appealo The Office of the Chief
Executive will
acknowledge receipt ofthe Appeal within 5
working dayso A panel of two Trustees,chosen by the Chair ofTrustees, will consider theappeal usually at one
meeting called a Hearingo The Hearing will be held
within four weeks ofreceipt of the appeal(because of the timeneeded to bookappropriate
communication support)o The Appeal Panel will
receive at least a week
before the meeting
copies of the originalcomplaint, the Office of
the Chief Executive’sresponse, the appeal
letter and all otherrelevant documents orevidenceo Complainant may be
invited, and staff may berequired, to attend theappeal hearingo Recommendations /decision will be takeno The Office of the Chief
Executive will write aletter explaining theoutcome of the hearingo Acknowledgement ofoAppeal
o Verbal decision may beogiven on day ofinvestigation
oo Letter with outcome /decision from Office ofthe Chief Executive - what
action is being taken as aresult of the panel’s
recommendation.

Page 5 of 6Author: The Office of the Chief Executive
Reviewed: October 2019

Acknowledgement
within 5 working days
Hearing within 4
weeks of Appeal
Letter with outcome tobe sent within one
week of Appeal

Additional Procedures
If your complaint is about the Office of the Chief Executive or the Trustees of the Royal Association for
Deaf People you need to contact the Chair of the organisation and he/she will advise you of theprocedure that will be followed and the associated timescales.
For certain RAD services a complaint can be made to other authorities.

RAD Communication Service
If you have a complaint about a Communication Professional provided by RAD we recommended thatyou use our in-house feedback & escalation process - and the RAD Complaints Procedure.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of this process, a formal complaint may be lodged with theNational Registers for Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD).
Complaints to the NRCPD can be made in writing or by video letter.
For more details and information please visit: http://www.nrcpd.org.uk/page.php?content=62

Independent Living Services
If you are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint about the Independent Living Service, you cancontact and request that the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to carry out an
independent investigation. For more details and information please visit: http://www.lgo.org.uk/.

Fundraising
If your complaint is about our fundraising activities and we are unable to resolve it to your satisfaction,
you can ask the Fundraising Regulator, the self-regulator for fundraising in the UK, to consider it by: submitting your complaint through the Fundraising Regular website at:www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk
 writing to Fundraising Regulator, 2nd floor, CAN Mezzanine Building, 49-51 East Road, London,
N1 6AH calling – 0300 999 3407
The Fundraising Regulator’s complaints process can be found on its website at:www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/make-a-complaint/complaints-procedure/

Page 6 of 6
Author: The Office of the Chief Executive
Reviewed: October 2019