COURSES > SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

Complying With The ‘Complaint Handling Code’

Adapt and Comply with the Relevant Updated Guidance

Chaired by
John Goodwin & David Simmons

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All of our training courses can be tailored specifically for your team or organisation and presented at your offices, at another suitable location or virtually.


Overview

The new ‘Complaint Handling Code’ from the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman applies, for the first time, to local authorities and social housing providers, who must comply from April 2024.

In addition, in 2022 the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman published Central Government Complaint Standards to promote a consistent approach to complaint handling across Government departments.

Our interactive Effective Public Sector Complaint Handling course sets out the requirements of these complaint-handling standards and explores how to manage and resolve complaints more effectively.

Receive expert advice from our trainers John Goodwin and David Simmons, who will use practical examples to focus on how best to investigate complaints and resolve them; how to deal with common problems; and how to ensure your final response is as robust as possible.

Dave Simmons

Complaint Resolution Improvement Manager, Peabody

former Sector Development Lead (2007-July 2022), Housing Ombudsman Service

John Simmons

Housing Consultant, Trainer and Mediator

Former Compliance & Systemic Lead at the Housing Ombudsman Service

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand and comply with the latest complaints standards

  • Learn how to handle difficult or sensitive cases

  • Develop your investigation procedures

  • Learn how to produce final response letters




All the Understanding ModernGov courses are Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certified,
with signed certificates available upon request for event.


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InHouse@moderngov.com

Agenda

10:00 - 10:40 Introduction and overview

  • Understand the impact of vulnerability on service users and how they communicate

  • Outline the importance of the right approach when handling distressed or vulnerable service users

  • Learn to recognise signs of potential vulnerability

10:40 - 11:00 Central Government Complaint Standards

  • What they are and who they apply to

11:30 - 11:45 Break

11:30 - 12:00 New Complaint Handling Code contd.

Key requirements continued:

• 2-stage procedures and timescales

• Remedies

• Scrutiny, governance and learning from complaints

• Self-assessments

• Penalties for non-compliance – Ombudsman & Regulators

12:15 - 12:45 Handling Difficult or Sensitive Cases

  • • Managing risk e.g. handling high-profile cases

    • Vulnerabilities and Equality Act requirements

    • Managing unreasonable behaviour

    • Using discretion and flexibility

12:45 - 13:45 Lunch

13:45 - 14:15 Effective Complaint Investigations

  • Culture

  • Delaying complaints due to outstanding actions

  • Meeting deadlines - quality versus speed

  • Evidence-based decisions

  • Communication & record-keeping

  • Effective remedies – apologies, compensation, thinking outside the box

  • Learning from complaints

14:15 - 14:40 Final Response Letters

Best practice for final response letters

14:40 - 15:00 Current and future changes - conclusions

• Developments in complaint handling and on the horizon

• Final Q & A

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