Complaints Procedure

We always aim to provide a high standard of care in all our services. Our clients’ views are important to us and help to ensure our services are consistently meeting people’s needs. If you are unhappy with any of our services it is important that you let us know. We try to get things right but occasionally we fall short of clients’ expectations. We therefore welcome comments on how your experience of our service can be improved. However, if something is not resolved to your satisfaction you have the right to make a complaint. The entire procedure is set out below.

Your complaint will be:

• dealt with as quickly as possible
• handled fairly and politely; and
• investigated fully

Often people feel more comfortable about suggesting improvements rather than complaining formally. Anyone receiving services, and their friends/ family, may make a suggestion.

• by letter
• by phone
• in person
• by email
• on behalf of someone else

If the suggestion is something that NSDAS as a company needs to consider you can send it to:
Services Manager
Elmbridge West Community Hub,
72 High Street,
Walton-on Thames,
KT12 1BU

We aim to handle complaints quickly, effectively and in a fair and honest way. We take all complaints seriously and use valuable information from investigating to help us improve the service we provide. We treat all complaints in confidence. NSDAS assures clients and their families that it will not withdraw or reduce services because someone makes a complaint in good faith.

We wish to be as flexible as possible in receiving complaints. Clients can complain at stage 1:

• by letter
• by phone
• in person
• by email
• on behalf of someone else

STAGE 1: First informal complaint

You should, in the first instance, make your concerns known to the NSDAS staff member you are in contact with. They will try to resolve the matter immediately and informally within five working days, but if this is not possible, you will be asked if you wish to make a formal complaint.

STAGE 2: Formal complaint

If you wish to proceed, you will need to put your complaint in writing addressed to the Service Manager. Your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days and we will aim to resolve the complaint within 15 working days. If this target of 15 working days cannot be met, you will be informed of the delay, the reason for the delay, and the new target for responding. If the complaint involves the Service Manager, you may address it directly to the CEO.

Chief Executive Officer
Elmbridge West Community Hub,
72 High Street,
Walton-on Thames,
KT12 1BU

STAGE 3: My complaint has been investigated, but I am still not satisfied

At this stage the complaint will be dealt with by the Chair of NSDAS Management Committee who will acknowledge receipt of the compliant within 7 working days and carry out an investigation. Their findings will be presented to the management committee and their response will be final.

You can download a copy of this procedure here.

Services Manager – 01932 260690
CEO – 07876 886040

You should complain as soon as you can after the date on which the event occurred or came to your notice. If you complain more than twelve months later, we may not be able to investigate properly. But we shall also consider whether you had good reason for not making the complaint sooner and whether, despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly.