Complaints Policy of Simply Certification Ltd

Last updated – 15th January 2024

Simply Certification Ltd views any 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.

Our policy is:

• To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint
• To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint
• To make sure all employees and contractors at Simply Certification Ltd know what to do if a complaint is received
• To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way
• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired
• To gather information which helps us to improve what we do

Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.

Responsibility & Review

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Strategy and Marketing Director. This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.

Complaints Policy & Procedure of Simply Certification Ltd

Publicised Contact Details for Complaints:

Written complaints may be sent to

Simply Certification Limited
Quay Corner
Church Bank
Jarrow
Tyne and Wear
NE32 3HH

or by e-mail at hello@simplycertification.co.uk

Verbal complaints may be made by phone 0191 323 3960

Our process

Stage One

• In many cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person responsible for the issue being complained about. If the complaint has been received by that person, they may be able to resolve it swiftly and will do so if possible and appropriate.
• Whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information will be passed to Strategy and Marketing Department within 48 hours.
• On receiving the complaint, this is recorded into the performance log. If it has not already been resolved, we will delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.
• If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.
• Complaints will be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within a 48 hours.
• The acknowledgement will say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply.
• A copy of this complaints policy will also be attached.
• Complainants will receive a definitive reply within four weeks.
• If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
• The reply to the complainant will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Stage Two

• If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One, they can request that the complaint is reviewed at Director level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Managing Director.
• The request for Directors level review will be acknowledged within a week of receiving it. The acknowledgement will say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.
• The person who receives Stage Two complaints may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One.
• If the complaint relates to a specific person, they will be informed and given a further opportunity to respond.
• The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One will be kept informed of what is happening.
• Ideally complainants will receive a definitive reply within two weeks. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report will be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given. Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Directors decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.

Stage Three

• If the complainant feels that the problem still has not been satisfactorily resolved, they can request that this will be reviewed by our Impartiality Committee.
• Acknowledgement of this escalation will be made within one week of receiving it. The complainant will receive information to who the point of contact of the Impartiality Committee is.
• As the Impartiality Committee are made of up external stakeholders, this process will take longer. Complaints referred to this level will take up to twelve weeks to be reviewed and investigated.
• If this is not possible, such as the investigation has not been fully completed a progress report will be sent to the complainant.
• Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Variation of the Complaints Policy

The Directors may vary the policy for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, for example, a complaint about the Managing Director will not also have the Managing Director as the person leading a Stage Two review.

Complaints about our Certified/Registered Business

If you have a complaint about an one of our certified customers that you have tried to resolve direct with them, however you are not happy with the outcome,  you can escalate this to Simply Certification:

1. You must complete our Complaint Form so that all the relevant information is collected. If you are unable to complete the form, please contact us via telephone so that we can advise you of an alternative route. Please note wherever possible we do not accept telephone calls to ensure information recorded is clear and accurate.
2. Your complaint will be logged on our system and we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 hours.
3. We will contact the installation company to make contact with you direct in the first instance to try and resolve the issue. They have 28 days to resolve the issue with you directly.
4. Within 28 days we would expect in most cases for the complaint to be resolved with the installation company and will ask them to provide evidence of this.
5. If an suitable outcome has not been reached, we may carry out an investigation if appropriate, and update you within 10 working days.
6. If our customer is a TrustMark registered business, and you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you then have an option to to escalate your dispute to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman (DRO) when all steps above have been exhausted.
7. Note that all communications will be dealt with in a written format wherever possible (email) to ensure there is an audit trail of communication for all parties. We will not provide any additional information from you or provide you updates regarding the complaint until the time frame at each stage has been met.