SNAP is committed to providing a high quality service at all times.  Our intention is to work in partnership with parents and the community generally and we welcome suggestions on how to improve our service.

Comments and Compliments

All verbal compliments, comments and complaints from our stakeholders are noted and followed up using the processes listed below.  Comments may include any suggested modifications or improvements to the way services may be delivered in the future.

There is also a log maintained of written and verbal comments and compliments.  Comments and compliments are also received through our monitoring and evaluation systems.  Both the aforementioned are reviewed by senior members of staff and the Trustees as a tool to review the quality of our service provision.

Complaints

SNAP informs all stakeholders that SNAP has a Compliments, Comments & Complaints Policy & Procedure via the SNAP website.

SNAP believes that:

  • children, parents, carers and other users are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes
  • most complaints are made constructively and can be sorted out at an early stage
  • it is in the best interests of our users that complaints should be taken seriously and dealt with fairly and in a way which respects confidentiality

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is deemed to have been made when a service user states that he or she is unhappy with any part of the service provided by SNAP or would like to register a complaint or when a SNAP member of staff, Trustee or volunteer feels that a complaint could justifiably have been made.

Our Complaints Procedure

Complaints, problems or concerns about any aspect of SNAP’s work will be dealt with as promptly as possible.  Many concerns can be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the Senior Management Team or a SNAP Trustee.  This person will try to sort out the problem to the satisfaction of the complainant.

If it is not possible to resolve the problem at this stage, the complainant will be asked to put their complaint in writing to: The Senior Management Team, The SNAP Centre, Pastoral Way, Warley, Brentwood, Essex CM14 5WF.  The Senior Management Team will pass the complaint to the Chair of Trustees, who will be  responsible for the investigation of the complaint or delegate to other, Trustees as appropriate. If the complaint is about the Senior Management Team then it can be addressed directly to the Chair of Trustees.

What Happens Next?

  1. We will send the complainant a letter acknowledging the complaint and asking them to confirm or explain the details set out.  The complainant can expect to receive our letter within seven days of us receiving the complaint.
  2. We will record the complaint in the Complaints Book and open a separate file for the complaint.
  3. The investigation will begin at this point.  The Chair of Trustees  will involve the Senior Management Team  along with the relevant SNAP member of staff, Trustee or volunteer as appropriate.
  4. A full reply to the complainant with our suggested solutions for resolving the complaint will be issued, following a full investigation within 21days of the original complaint unless there is some good reason why this will not be possible. In which case, a written explanation will be sent with an indication of when our full reply will be given.  The reply will cover the following points:Results of investigations
    • Explanations
    • Acceptance or not of validity of compliant
    • Apologies if necessary
    • Any other course of action taken
    • Right to appeal to the Board of Trustees
  5.  If the complainant does not find our written reply to be a satisfactory resolution of the complaint, we will offer to have a meeting with the complainant which will be conducted by the Chair of Trustees and the Senior Management Team or other staff member as circumstances dictate.
  6. Within five days of the meeting, we will write to the complainant to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with them.

Should a complainant go to the media during the complaints procedure then SNAP would refer to it’s Critical Incident Policy, which states that the Chairman/Vice Chairman is the only authorised spokesperson for all press releases/enquires.

Right to Appeal

If the complainant is not satisfied and appeals to the Board of Trustees, a meeting will be arranged with the complainant, SNAP Senior Management Team, SNAP Chair of Trustees and two SNAP Trustees who have not previously been involved in the investigation.  This meeting will take place within two weeks of the complainant informing SNAP that they wish to appeal.  An agreed written record of the discussion will be made, a copy of which will be given to the complainant.

The Chair of Trustees, Senior Management Team and the two Trustees will make a final report concerning the complaint and this will be sent to all Trustees for their approval.   This final report will then be sent to the complainant within two weeks from the date of the appeal meeting.  All interim reports and this final report will be recorded in the Complaints Book.

The Complaints Book is kept by and is the responsibility of the Senior Management Team.

Evaluated and updated annually by the Management Team

All policies approved by trustees annually (2022 – at a meeting on 14 September) Managers are responsible for ensuring effective implementation