The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes (TMCP) is committed to providing a quality service to the Methodist Church and working in an open and accountable way that builds the trust and respect of all our stakeholders. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of Managing Trustees and other stakeholders, and in particular by responding positively to complaints, and by putting mistakes right.
Therefore we aim to ensure that:
- making a complaint is as easy as possible;
- we treat a complaint as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for an immediate response;
- we deal with it promptly, politely and, when appropriate, confidentially;
- 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 etc;
- we learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and regularly review our complaints policy and procedures.
We recognise that many concerns will be raised informally, and dealt with quickly. Our aims are to:
- resolve informal concerns quickly;
- keep matters low-key;
An informal approach is appropriate when it can be achieved. But if concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed.
Definition: TMCP defines a complaint as 'any expression of dissatisfaction (with TMCP, with a member of staff, or with our procedures) that relates to TMCP and that requires a formal response'.
Purpose: The formal complaints procedure is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and wherever possible resolved to the complainant's satisfaction.
TMCP's responsibility will be to:
- acknowledge the formal complaint in writing;
- respond within a stated period of time, normally two weeks;
- deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint;
- take action where appropriate.
A complainant's responsibility is to:
- bring their complaint, in writing, to TMCP's attention normally within 8 weeks of the issue arising;
- confirm that their complaint has the backing and agreement of the local Managing Trustees;
- raise concerns promptly and directly with TMCP's Chief Executive;
- explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date;
- allow TMCP a reasonable time to deal with the matter;
- recognise that some circumstances may be beyond TMCP's control.
Responsibility for Action: Chief Executive (or Assistant Chief Executive in their absence).
Confidentiality: Where appropriate, every attempt will be made to ensure that both the complainant and TMCP maintain confidentiality. However the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality (with each complaint judged on its own merit). Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant.
Monitoring and Reporting: The TMCP Executive will receive regularly a report of complaints made and their resolution and complaints will be dealt with in accordance with TMCP's Privacy Policy.
Last reviewed and approved by TMCP Board 27th February 2019