Complaints policy

The purpose of this policy is to set CITB’s approach to receiving and dealing with complaints, how you can make a complaint, what you can expect from us when you do so and how you can escalate a complaint if you are unhappy with the outcome. This policy applies to all areas of CITB’s activities, however there are specific procedures related to Levy Assessments which are detailed below.

We are committed to providing a high-quality service and striving for continuous improvement in all that we do. Central to ensuring that the quality of the service we offer meets or exceeds expectations is ensuring that we capture, understand the feedback received, positive or negative, and that it is acted upon appropriately.

We view 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.

We aim to ensure that

• we treat complaints seriously and deal with them fairly, professionally, promptly and politely;
• the process for making a complaint is clear and as easy to access;
• we respond in the right way (for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken);
• we learn from complaints and use them to improve our service;
• to make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired;
• All complaints received will be dealt with appropriate confidentiality and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998;
• The culture of the CITB is one of transparency to the public based on a presumption that information which the CITB holds will be made available to the public unless such information is covered by a statutory exemption and it is necessary and appropriate not to disclose such information.

We aim to deal with your complaint as thoroughly as possible using the correct team and in some case statutory process, therefore if your complaint refers to one of the following you can use the links provided to reach the appropriate teams, for all other feedback and complaints please follow the process outlined in section 4.

• Grant and Funding Decision - If you disagree with a Grant or Funding decision, formal appeals process.
• Levy Register - If you wish to appeal against a decision to place your organisation on the Levy Register, the statutory process to be followed on levy assessment and how to appeal.
• Anonymous Complaint - If you wish to make or raise an anonymous complaint/concern please refer to the CITB Whistleblowing Policy.
• Existing or closed complaints
  
  
  • Legal Dispute (ongoing) - If the issue you wish to complain about is already the subject of legal dispute or litigation; please continue to follow the process.
  • Previous Complaint - If your complaint has previously been through the complaints procedure and has been closed, you may appeal as specified below.

Stage One

Where possible you should make your initial complaint or feedback directly to the person you have been dealing with within CITB. If you can’t direct your initial complaint/feedback to an individual at CITB please email feedback@citb.co.uk with details of your feedback and complaint and we will aim to respond to you appropriately to resolve the issue.

If this step does not resolve your complaint/issue you may wish to progress to Stage Two – Formal Complaint.

Stage Two – Formal Complaint

A Formal Complaint must be made via email in order to ensure the matter can be properly considered. Any complaint made via telephone will need to be followed up in writing as an email. Dissatisfaction or criticism expressed on social media will not be treated as a complaint until the contributor has engaged directly with CITB.

In making a Formal Complaint, you should aim to include:

• your reason for making a complaint, providing a clear description of your experience and what outcome you would like to see;
• the service or department of CITB your complaint relates to, including the name(s) of the person(s) you dealt with if known;
• if this is your first complaint or if it relates to a previous case; and
• your contact details, including telephone number and email address.

You should send your Formal Complaint to feedback@citb.co.uk.

How CITB will handle your Formal Complaint

We will acknowledge your Formal Complaint within three working days and in most cases provide you with a full response within twenty working days. If we are unable to provide a full response within this time frame we will give you:

• Details of the progress made; and
• The revised timeframe by which we aim to respond to your Formal Complaint.

How to Appeal

If you are not satisfied with the response to your Formal Complaint you have the right to appeal within twenty days of the date we responded to your Formal Complaint.

Your appeal should be in writing, set out the basis for your appeal and be sent to CEO, CITB, Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough PE2 8TY. Your appeal will be considered to assess whether there is a rationale to warrant a further review of the Formal Complaint. If it is accepted that the matter needs further consideration the matter will be passed to an Executive Director, a Senior Manager from the relevant area and if appropriate a Board or Committee member. In most cases a response to any Appeal will be provided by the CCP within 21 working days from the date the Appeal is received.

Further Redress

If you are not satisfied with the response from the CCP you can refer the matter to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (England and Wales) or the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman via an MP.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman may be contacted at: Customer Helpline on 0345 015 4033 from 8:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays. Calls are charged at local or national rates.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman may be contacted at: Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS Freephone 0800 377 7330 or call 0131 225 5300.