Complaints Policy

Bristol Mind supports hundreds of people each year and aims to provide the best possible service for everyone. Sometimes a service user or potential service user can feel unhappy or dissatisfied with the service and that is why we have a complaints procedure. Sometimes we can put things right; sometimes we can only explain ourselves and apologise. However, what you tell us helps us to look at how we do things and helps us to improve our services.

I am dissatisfied, what do I do?

Making an informal complaint

Misunderstandings and problems can often be resolved on an informal basis. If you feel able, we would first ask you to contact the staff member or counsellor involved to see if you can resolve the matter between yourselves. If you cannot or do not feel able to do this then you should contact the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  If the matter concerns the CEO you can speak to the Chair of Trustees. You will be given a copy of our full Compliments & Complaints Policy and can advise them of what has happened and how you feel that things could have been done better.

The CEO will speak to the member of staff, counsellor or volunteer involved and come back to you with a response, at which point we hope the matter will have been satisfactorily resolved.

We encourage any informal complaints to be raised at the earliest opportunity, and within 3 months of the incident or matter coming to your attention, so that we can try to put things right quickly.

Making a formal complaint 

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the informal complaints process, or if you wish to go straight to a more formal complaints process you should contact Bristol Mind within 12 months, directly by letter, email or phone:

Bristol Mind

48 Fairfax St, Bristol BS1 3BL

Telephone: 0117 980 0370

Email: [email protected]

Formal complaints should be made to the CEO or a Senior Manager. If the complaint is about the CEO, the complaint should be addressed to the Chair of Trustees. 

It is preferable but not essential that your complaint is made in writing using the contact details above. Assistance will be offered to support you to do so from someone not directly involved in the matter.

Investigation and Outcome

The senior member of staff who receives the complaint will make an initial assessment about how serious it is, any immediate actions needed, and who will investigate it.   This may be the Head of Clinical Services or CEO. 

In the event of the complaint being about the CEO of Bristol Mind, the Chair of the Board of Trustees will appoint a Trustee to investigate the complaint.

The investigating officer will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 5 working days of it being received. The investigating officer will speak to any staff or volunteers involved in the complaint and anyone else who may have useful insight into what has happened.

The investigating officer may also wish to talk through the complaint with you either in person or on the telephone, in order to find out more information. If you meet in person you are very welcome to bring along a friend or relative to support you.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigator will decide whether the complaint is upheld or not. They will also decide what, if any, actions need to be taken as a consequence. 

A letter will be sent to you with the outcome of the investigation, telling you whether the complaint has been upheld, any change in practice arising and any redress for you e.g. an apology, additional help or signposting to other sources of advice and support.

Where a member of staff or volunteer is found to have behaved improperly, the Board of Trustees reserve the right to invoke the disciplinary procedure.  This will be an internal, confidential process which will be separate to this procedure.

All upheld complaints will be discussed at the full Bristol Mind Board of Trustees Meeting and a plan of action will be agreed which may include changes to policy and practice, or staff training and development.

Appeals Process

If you are unhappy about the outcome of the formal complaints process you can write to the Chair of the Board of Trustees outlining why you are unhappy and what you would like to happen next.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees will convene an Appeals Panel of three members of the Board of Trustees who have not been involved in the process so far. They will review your letter of appeal, the investigation report and the notes and findings of the investigation.

The Appeals Panel will make a decision on whether to uphold your appeal or support the findings of the investigation. They will notify you of their decision within 20 working days of receipt of the appeal.

Referral to external bodies  

Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may be able to refer the matter to a relevant external body. Depending on the nature of the complaint, this could be Charity Commission, Health and Safety Executive, Information Commissioners Office, or Local Authority.

You may also contact Mind about the matter. However, it should be noted that Bristol Mind is a separate charity from Mind. Mind therefore has limited powers to resolve complaints related to Bristol Mind.