Complaints

We take complaints about work, staff and levels of service very seriously. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our work, please contact us immediately to discuss your concerns on: 01223 463441. If, following a verbal conversation, you are still dissatisfied and wish to take the matter further, please follow the process for raising a formal complaint.

Formal complaints

All stakeholder complaints will be handled consistently and in line with the formal complaints procedure.

How to make a formal complaint

All formal complaints must be made in writing. Complaints may be sent by post or by email.

Write to:

NMC Complaints Manager

Mott MacDonald

22 Station Road

Cambridge

CB1 2JD

Email: nmc@mottmac.com

To enable us to commence an investigation, please provide us with:

• a clear, detailed description of what the complaint is about, including personnel involved and providing dates and times (where relevant)

• copies of any correspondence relating to the complaint

What happens next?

The complaints manager will:

• log the complaint in the correspondence log;

• write a letter/send an email of acknowledgement to the complainant within two working days;

• investigate the complaint

The complaints manager will institute an investigation, with the aim of providing a full response to the complainant within 20 working days.

The complaints manager may refer the complaint to the project director or the director of QA who may seek further assistance from other relevant staff to assist in the investigation. The investigation will involve seeking evidence from the QA visitor(s) or staff member about whose performance the complaint has been made, and from any other relevant sources; such as quality assurance (QA) records.

The process will normally be completed within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint. In exceptional circumstances (for example, where the issues involved are particularly complex and/or the relevant personnel are not readily available for reasons beyond our control), it may be necessary to extend the period of the investigation. Where this proves necessary, the complainant will be provided with a progress report within 20 working days.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigating officer will conclude whether the complaint is:

• upheld;

• not upheld, or

• not proven.

This decision will be final. The investigating officer will write a report outlining the reasons for the decision. The complaints manager will send a copy of the report, together with a covering letter, to the complainant and all other stakeholders involved. A copy will also be placed on file.

If a complaint is upheld, then the investigating officer will consider, in consultation as appropriate with other members of the project team, what if any, corrective and/or disciplinary action should be taken in respect of an individual. For example, a QA visitor might be subjected to enhanced QA strategies including observations and additional monitoring or, in the case of a serious complaint, immediate removal from the pool of QA visitors available for deployment.

For a not upheld or not proven complaint, the investigating officer will nonetheless consider, in consultation as appropriate with other members of the project team, whether there are lessons to be learned and actioned. These will be addressed as part of the normal QA process. All feedback received either positive or negative will be used to inform our continuous cycle of improvement.

If the complaint is about Mott MacDonald as the QA contractor this should be made directly to the NMC. Please click the link for details on how to do this: If you have a concern or complaint about our QA services provider - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)