Complaints Policy

Name of Policy	Complaints Policy
Original Creation Date	Feb 2025
Signed off by	Director, Registered Manager
Next Review Date	Feb 2027

Note – this refers to employees but we expect the same standards from self employed practitioners

Complaints

In relation to complaints received, JK Aesthetics Limited will demonstrate that they:

• Understand the importance of dealing effectively with complaints in a timely manner, as well as acknowledging and acting on feedback received
• Will ensure that all complaints are directed to the designated complaints manager, The Registered Manager
• Will reduce the workload by resolving verbal complaints to the complainant’s satisfaction in order to avoid a formal complaints process
• Will acknowledge a complaint and offer a discussion about the handling of the complaint with the complainant within 3 working days of receiving a complaint
• Will keep the complainant informed if a response is delayed
• Have functional knowledge of how to deal with complaints which is equitably applied
• Consider the quality of care provided by putting themselves in the place of the patient and assessing their expectations for the service
• Review services and how they are delivered in relation to complaints and feedback received
• Make changes where necessary or appropriate to improve services and the patient experience
• Keep accurate records and documentation for all complaints and feedback
• Provide access to information about how to make a complaint, the complaints process and timescales
• Understand statutory obligations in respect of the Duty of Candour and follow the agreed policy and procedure

Compliments, Suggestions and Feedback

JK Aesthetics Limited will ensure that services delivered are effective and responsive to the needs of patients by encouraging and welcoming feedback from patients about the service and their experiences.

We will reflect on compliments, suggestions and other feedback received formally and informally depending on the content. A record of all compliments, suggestions and other feedback will be maintained together with the register of complaints and will be reviewed on a regular basis.

Procedure

Summary of the Complaints Process

• When a complaint is received by a staff member, they will endeavour to resolve the issue immediately (or within 24 hours) to the satisfaction of the complainant if it is within their role and realm of responsibility
• Staff will explain the complaints process as described in the procedure steps
• Staff will report the complaint to The Registered Manager, where it will be assessed for further action and logged
• If a complaint can be resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction within 24 hours, it is not necessary to go through the formal complaints process
• If it cannot be resolved within 24 hours, the complaint will be recorded as a formal complaint
• Acknowledgement of the complaint will be made to the complainant in writing within three working days detailing the complaint and that an investigation will be undertaken
• Where possible and appropriate, a discussion will take place with the complainant to understand their expectations and preferred outcome
• The complaint will then be investigated after which the complainant will receive a reply and response as agreed in the plan
• Should the complainant be dissatisfied with the response, further discussion and efforts must be made to resolve the complaint, including local mediation and arbitration where appropriate
• Where all attempts to resolve the complaint locally have been unsuccessful, details of the complaint will be provided to an external complaints service who will conduct a full unbiased investigation

Receiving a Complaint

A complaint can be received either verbally or in writing and can be made by:

• Patients
• Someone acting on behalf of a Patient with their written consent, for example a relative, advocate or Member of Parliament

Once a complaint is received, it must be managed using the formal process. JK Aesthetics Limited will acknowledge the complaint in writing within three working days of the complaint being received.

Time Limits for Submitting a Complaint

Complaints will normally be made within 1 month for intervention related issues and 2-3 weeks for customer service issues after the incident that gave rise to the complaint. It is possible to extend this timescale if there are good reasons for the complainant not to have raised the matter sooner, and a fair investigation can be carried out.

Complaints Files and Records

A separate file will be kept for complaints records and letters. These must never appear in a Patient’s electronic or paper medical records.

Any complaint resolved by the Practice via the formal complaints procedure will be kept on record for 10 years. JK Aesthetics Limited will comply with Data Protection legislation and General Data Protection Regulations in relation to complaint handling, recording, storing and archiving.

Anonymous Complaints

Anonymous complaints received online via the company website or social media will be investigated in the same way as named complaints. They will be logged and any corrective action necessary will be taken and recorded.

Vexatious Complaints

Occasionally, JK Aesthetics Limited may receive complaints that are vexatious in that they cause considerable disruption to the work at Clinic, disproportionate cost and time to handle and impact the wellbeing of staff.

JK Aesthetics Limited will ensure that it meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled customers. In some circumstances, customers may have a disability that makes it difficult for them to either express themselves or communicate clearly and/or appropriately.

Where appropriate, JK Aesthetics Limited will consider complaints to be vexatious but would not label an individual complainant as vexatious. Even if we decide that an individual’s complaint about the service is vexatious, that does not preclude that person from making a formal complaint.

Suggestions

Suggestions can be made verbally or in writing using all the feedback and communication channels. These are usually made by patients or users seeking to improve the clinic, meet needs or respond to changes and trends.

Suggestions are not complaints. However, they will be recorded, reviewed and actioned to prevent any risk of a future complaint in relation to the suggestion made. Suggestions will be managed in the same way as other feedback and informal complaints and included in reports.

Compliments

Receiving compliments via feedback or ad hoc voluntary method is an opportunity to celebrate and recognise success. JK Aesthetics Limited will ensure:

• All compliments are shared with members of the Team formally or informally
• Compliments will be anonymised, or permission sought from the patient before being published, put on display or shared via communication channels
• Numbers of compliments received are logged as with complaints and other feedback
• Verbal positive feedback from patients will be recorded and shared

Audit and Evaluation

JK Aesthetics Limited will record, monitor, review and analyse all complaints and other feedback received about the service as part of the Practice continuous improvement cycle to identify and inform performance, effectiveness, quality, safety and trends.

JK Aesthetics Limited will:

• Review complaints, compliments and other feedback received together with the outputs and outcomes from the management process, as a standing agenda item at meetings
• Ensure that staff members are trained to deal with complaints, compliments, suggestion and feedback and understand the complaints procedure so that they can advise complainants with accuracy