Tralee International Resource Centre
Complaints Policy
Credits
We value your support and value your involvement in our service. We would like to hear about comments and compliments you have in relation to the service, and would like feedback on how to improve our service. We welcome your honesty and if you have complaints about the service, we would like to hear from you.
- Purpose:
We value your support and value your involvement in our service. We would like to hear about comments and compliments you have in relation to the service, and would like feedback on how to improve our service. We welcome your honesty and if you have complaints about the service, we would like to hear from you.
- Who can make a complaint:
Any person who is being or was provided with a service by TIRC or who is seeking or has sought provision of such service may complain, in accordance with the procedures established under this Part, about any action of TIRC, which is claimed, does not accord with fair and sound administrative practice, and adversely affects or affected that person.
- How complaints can be made:
Complaints can be made verbally, in written form by letter, or by email.
Please forward your complaint to the Manager:
• Visit TIRC, 13-14 St. Patrick's Bungalows, Boherbee, Tralee, Co. Kerry;
• phone 066 712 7918;
• or email info@tirc.ie.
- Acknowledgements:
Upon a complaint being received by or assigned to the Manager, they shall notify, within 5 working days, the complainant, in writing, that the complaint has been so received or assigned and outline the steps that they propose to take in investigating the complaint and the time limits for the completion of the investigation.
- Advocacy:
All complainants have the right to appoint an advocate who, if a person is unable to make a complaint themselves can assist them in making the complaint. The Citizen Information (Comhairle 2005) defines advocacy as a means of empowering people by supporting them to assert their views and claim their entitlements and where necessary, representing and negotiating on their behalf.
- The stages of the complaints management process in TIRC:
Stage 1: Point of Contact Resolution
These are straightforward complaints which may be suitable for prompt management and to the service users’ satisfaction at the point of contact.
Stage 2: Formal Investigation Process
Unresolved complaints at Stage 1 may need to be referred to the Manager. More serious or complex matters may need to be addressed immediately under Stage 2. There may be a need for investigation and action(s) as appropriate.
The Manager must consider whether it would be practicable, having regard to the nature and the circumstance of the complaint, to seek the consent of the complainant and any other person to whom the complaint relates to finding an informal resolution of the complaint by the parties concerned.
Where informal resolution was not successful or was deemed inappropriate, the Manager will initiate a formal investigation of the complaint.
The Manager is responsible for carrying out the formal investigation of the complaint at Stage 2 but will inform the Board of TIRC of this process. Staff have an obligation to participate and support the investigation of any complaint where requested.
At the end of the investigation, the Manager must write a report of their investigation and discuss this with the Board. A copy of the report is given to the complainant, and to the staff member that was the subject of the complaint.
The final report will include any recommendations needed to resolve the matter. The Manager will invite everyone involved to contact them with questions about any issues and will advise the complainant of their right to a review of the recommendations made by the Manager.
Where the investigation at Stage 2 fails to resolve the complaint, the complainant may seek a review of their complaint from the Review at Stage 3 or the complainant may seek an independent review of their complaint from, for example, the Ombudsman/Ombudsman for Children.
Stage 3: Review
These are complaints where the Complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint investigation at Stage 2. A request for a review must be made within 30 days of the investigation report being sent.
At this stage a complaints committee of the Board will be established, led by the Chair of the Board with an outside independent person from another agency brought in to be part of the process. It is proposed that the Manager of KASI will be our independent person, and visa versa TIRC Manager can be their independent person.
The complainant may also choose to go directly to the Office of the Ombudsman, Ombudsman for Children, or other professional bodies to whom the complainant could make an application for review.
Stage 4: Independent Review
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome of the complaints management process, he/she may seek a review of the complaint by the Ombudsman/ Ombudsman for Children.
The complainant must be informed of their right to seek an independent review from the Ombudsman/Ombudsman for Children at any stage of the complaint management process.
TIME FRAME:
- A complaint must be made within 12 months of the date of the action giving rise to the complaint or within 12 months of the complainant becoming aware of the action giving rise to the complaint.
REFUSAL TO DEAL WITH A COMPLAINT:
Complaints will not be dealt with for the following reason: Unreasonable complainant behaviour.
This is where the person making the complaint has been acting unreasonably to the staff member involved and has broken the TIRC Code of conduct for service users. In this case the person will be warned of their breach of the code and the process for dealing with the breach will be followed:
- Step 1 - Verbal warning
- Step 2 - Written warning
- Step 3 - Barring from use of the service
Agreed at TIRC Board Meeting 23/10/2023
Proposed: Neil O'Farrell
Seconded: Sylvia Thompson