PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
▪ To provide guidance to service users and other agencies on how to make a complaint
▪ To provide guidance to members of staff on how to deal with complaints and disputes
▪ To ensure transparency, accountability and continuous improvement in line with Ashiana Network’s values
RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
▪ Whistleblowing Policy
▪ Data Protection Policy
▪ Equality & Diversity Policy

POLICY STATEMENT
▪ Ashiana Network welcomes all complaints as a way of improving services and ensuring the organisation is accountable to service users and other agencies
▪ Ashiana Network is committed to a trauma-informed, survivor-centred approach to complaints handling, ensuring safety, dignity, choice and empowerment throughout the process
▪ We will listen to and respond to all complaints made by service users and external agencies.
▪ Complainants will be kept informed throughout the process and provided with regular updates, particularly where delays occur
▪ Ashiana Network considers all complaints to be an expression of dissatisfaction in the service whether justified or not and will respond by seeking to improve the service and resolve the dissatisfaction
▪ Ashiana Network welcomes feedback on all our services and treats all complaints seriously and positively as an opportunity for learning and developing our services
▪ Ashiana Network expects high standards of professional conduct from our staff, as outlined in our Code of Conduct policy. Any complaint received which indicates that these standards have not been adhered to will be taken seriously. Such complaints will be referred immediately to Senior Management to investigate and appropriate action will be taken in accordance with our policies and procedures
▪ Ashiana Network is committed to providing an open environment where all service users feel that they can raise their concerns or suggestions about any aspect of the services that they receive without recrimination or discrimination. We believe that they have the right to have their complaints properly investigated, fair and proper resolutions found and also for their comments and suggestions to be given proper consideration
▪ Copies of this Complaints Policy will be provided to all service users, including advice service, legal service and counselling clients, at the point of engagement. The policy will be available on Ashiana Network’s website and provided in large print or translated formats upon request