Feedback

If you’re happy with the service you’ve received or have a suggestion, you can:

• speak to a member of staff, volunteer or manager
• leave your feedback in one of our service’s suggestion boxes in reception
• call or write to the service or to our Head Office letting us know which person or service this is about

How to make a complaint or tell us about a concern

Speaking to your support worker directly is usually the quickest way of dealing with your concern. You can also speak to a supervisor or service manager by contacting your service. If you need their contact details, you can search for them on our find support page.

If you’d feel more comfortable, you can contact our head office:

Address: Inspiration House, Bowburn North Industrial Estate, Durham DH6 5PF

Email: info@waythrough.org.uk

Telephone: 01325 731 160

If someone tells us they’re not happy about the service they’ve received, and we aren’t able to resolve it at the time, it will be handled as a complaint.

Anyone affected by the way we deliver services can follow this process to make a complaint, except staff, who should follow the Humankind Grievance Process.

We’ll encourage and support you through the complaints process. We’ll also make sure you’re not negatively affected if you make a complaint, or if someone complains on your behalf.

You can complain on someone else’s behalf with their consent or if the person needs help to complain and can’t give consent because they lack capacity within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

If you aren’t happy about making a complaint yourself and you do not know someone who can talk or write to us on your behalf, we will provide, as far as is reasonably practical:

• any help you need to understand the complaints procedure; or
• advice on where you may get that help
• practical support like arranging interpretation or signing services.

What isn’t a complaint?

• An initial request for service
• Asking for an explanation of a policy or a decision
• An issue that has its own appeal process

Complaints relating to anti-social behaviour (ASB) which would normally be dealt with under the Humankind Anti-Social Behaviour Policy.

How we handle complaints

We’ll acknowledge your complaint in three working days and give you the name and contact details of the Complaint Handler. That person will have enough seniority and experience to deal with the issues raised. Staff will not investigate complaints against themselves.

The Complaint Handler will usually contact you for further information, ask you how you’d like your complaint to be resolved and how you’d like to be informed of the outcome. We will keep you informed about the progress of the investigation.

We aim to have all complaints investigated within the following timescales:

• Complaints received by (previous) Richmond Fellowship and Aquarius services – 10 working days
• Complaints received by (previous) Humankind services – 20 working days
• Complaints from (previous) Humankind residents – 10 working days

If we need to extend those timescales, we’ll agree that with you.

When we’ve finished investigating, we’ll contact you to discuss the outcome, and then write to you with:

• what we’ve found
• any action we’re taking
• our suggestions to resolve your complaint.

If you’re not satisfied with how we dealt with your complaint, you can appeal the outcome within 10 working days.

The Appeal Handler will be more senior to the person who investigated the original complaint and will have the authority to resolve issues highlighted within the complaint and appeal. We’ll let you know the outcome of an appeal within 10 working days.

The appeal is the final stage of Waythrough’s Complaint Process. If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of the appeal, we’ll provide you with details of alternative complaint options, such as an Ombudsman or regulators.

Anonymous complaints

We deal with anonymous complaints under the same procedure, but it’s better if you can provide contact details so we can tell you the outcome of our investigation.

Vexatious and repeat complaints

We won’t investigate complaints about an issue already investigated and where appeal has been exhausted, or complaints made to intentionally cause disruption or annoyance.

Complaints from Waythrough Residents

Waythrough is a Registered Provider of social housing and is therefore a member of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The Housing Ombudsman Service is a fair and impartial service which was set up by law to look at complaints about housing organisations that are registered with them. Their service is free of charge to all residents in social housing.

You can contact the Ombudsman at any point during the complaint process. The Ombudsman’s website explains the type of assistance they can offer.

Humankind and Richmond Fellowship produced an annual report and self-assessment earlier this year on how well they met the requirements of the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Code, when dealing with complaints from residents. Due to our new organisation, the self assessment was updated in August 2024. You can find both on Waythrough Homes.