Customer feedback policy

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Introduction​

​The Government ​of Jersey is committed to providing high standards of service and care to the people of Jersey.​ We aim to deliver quality services with consistency and provide the public with easy to use, efficient systems and processes that meet our customers’ needs.

We welcome feedback and want to understand the experi​ences of our customers. This may be in the form of a complaint, compliment, suggestion or comment. We ​will use all types of feedback to learn about customers’ experiences of the services provided and strive to improve them.

We use the term ‘customer’ to describe any individual or organisation that accesses our services. ​

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

• set out a clear framework showing how feedback will be managed and responded to
• make it easy for customers to provide feedback
• support a simple, free and consistent approach to complaint handling
• ensure that complaints are dealt with in a fair, unbiased, timely and confidential manner
  
• enable us to use what we have learned to understand the needs of our customers to improve service, satisfaction and performance​
  

Sco​pe

This policy applies to customer feedback received across the Government of Jersey. It applies to all employees, agency w​orkers, contractors, and ​volunteers. 

It relates to feedback about all individuals working for the Government, including employees, agency workers, contractors, and volunteers.​

This policy covers suggestions, comments, compliments or complaints about:

• the standard of service we provide including all aspects of healthcare
• how we administer services and the processes we use
• the advice we have given
• the behaviour of our staff
• any action or lack of action by staff affecting a customer or group of customers of the department
• feedback on policy or law

This policy does not cover:

• staff grievances, which must be raised under the Grievance policy for public servants​

However, this policy does apply to complaints about recruitment and selection where:

• the complaint is made by an external candidate
• the issue relates to the application or consistency of the recruitment and selection policy or process
• the concern relates to a recruitment process in another department​
  

It also does not cover:​

• whistleblowing
  
• code of conduct complaints
• responses to requests for feedback given as part of a consultation process
• private healthcare
  
• matters that are the subject of current or past legal action
• complaints about General Practitioners. Contact the practice directly or the Primary Care Governance team with any issues. More information can be found on Complaints Policy and Procedure for GPs and GP Practices​
• complaints that have already been formally investigated under this policy
• requests for information made under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. All complaints should be submitted directly to FOI@gov.je​. ​For guidance see Freedom of Information (FOI)
• Subject access req​uests made under the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018. All complaints should be submitted directly to DPO@gov.je​. For Guidance see How to make a Subject Access Request (SAR)
• complaints about Crown ​Officers and complaints about the Law Officers Department
• complaints about decisions or conduct o​f the Viscount, the Deputy Viscount or the Judicial Greffier - How to make a complaint against a judge - Courts.je​
• complai​nts about States Members, Ministers and assistant Ministers, the Greffier or Deputy Greffier of the States - States Assembly, Commissioner for Standards​
• complaints about States of Jersey police officers and organisational complaints about the States of Jersey Police
• complaints that fall under the remit of the Health and Safety Inspectorate or Trading Standards​
• complaints made by individuals in custody are managed in line with the States of Jersey Prison Service internal complaints policy and procedures. Contact the States of Jersey Prison Service
  
• Jersey Probabtion and After-Care Service​
  
• w​hen​ there is a formal right to appeal or request a review, and you disagree with a decision, this will be handled through a separate process by the relevant department. If you give feedback about a decision that has an appeal process, you will be informed that your case has been passed on to that process. Common types of decisions you can appeal include:

• parking fines
• planning or building decisions
• school admissions
  
• social security decisions
• tax assessments​
  
• nuisance complaints​
  

Customer feedback process

Providing feedback

You can provide feedback yourself, or a family member, friend, representative, or independent advocate can contact us.

If a complaint is made on behalf of someone else, we will need their consent before we can share any inform​ation.​ ​

You may submit feedback at any time in the best way for you. We welcome feedback at the point of service as well as afterwards.

You can provide feedback in person, directly to any Government employee, or alternatively:​

• online at gov.je/feedback
• by email at feedback@gov.je
• by calling +44 (0) 1534 444444, or for Health and Care Jersey by calling +44 (0) 1534 443515​​​

​You can write to us at:

Government of Jersey
PO Box 55
St Helier
JE4 8PE

If you need help in providing feedback, you can ask any G​overnment employee to help you, or you can contact the Customer Experience t​eam by:

• calling +44 (0) 1534 444444
• emailing feedback@gov.je.​

Complaints

A complaint can be about:

• the standards of our services
• an act, omission or decision that has been made
  

Complaints are welcomed at all levels. They allow us to put things right where they have gone wrong and address any shortcomings. We seek to reach a speedy and satisfactory resolution.

All feedback should be handled in line with this policy. This includes feedback made through Ministers or Assistant​ Ministers.​

The following are our principles when dealing with complaints:

• we will deal with complaints impartially, objectively and professionally. Customers who complain can be assured that there will be no adverse treatment of them or their families because they have made a complaint
• we will approach all complaints in a way that is fair, respectful and proportionate for everyone involved
  
• we will keep you informed about the progress of your complaint
  

Using AI to h​el​p draft a complaint​

​We recognise that you may choose to use AI tools to help prepare your correspondence. If you do so, we ask that you ensure your communication remains clear and concise.

You may find the following wording helpful when preparing queries:

“Please summarise my concerns into a single, concise email. Clearly list each issue in bullet points, avoiding repetition, and include only new or unresolved matters.”

AI tools can be useful when you are trying to put your thoughts into writing. However, they can also make mistakes, add unnecessary detail, or use wording that does not fully reflect your own experience.

If you use AI to help draft a complaint, or a follow up message, please check the final wording before you send it to us.

Before submitting your complaint, please make sure that:

• ​you are only raising the issue or issues you want us to look into. AI tools can sometimes add extra points, assumptions or requests that go beyond your actual concern
  
• your complaint is clear and focused. Explain what happened, why you are unhappy and what outcome you are looking for. This helps us understand and respond to your complaint more effectively
  
• the details are accurate. Check dates, names, reference numbers, events and any other relevant facts. AI tools can sometimes include incorrect or irrelevant information
  
• the wording reflects your own experience. Your complaint should describe what happened from your point of view. Please do not include statements unless you are satisfied they are accurate
  
• the tone is appropriate. AI generated wording can sometimes sound overly formal, abrupt or confrontational. Check the tone before sending your complaint
  

Why this matt​ers​

​We want to deal with complaints fairly, efficiently and based on the facts. If a complaint includes inaccurate information, unnecessary detail, or issues that are not clearly linked to your concern, we may need to ask you for more information. This can delay our response.

We do not accept or review complaints that have been generated wholly or substantially using artificial intelligence (​AI) where they contain excessive, generic or irrelevant content.

You remain responsible for the content of any complaint or message you send to us, even if you used AI to help draft it.

This will help us to review and respond to your concerns more effectively.

What to expect when you make a complaint

We encourage our customers to give feedback to departments at the point of service. We aim to resolve complaints at the initial point of contact. Where possible, staff will be equipped to respond to complaints. This includes being given appropriate authority, training and supervision.​

​Complaint acknowledgement​

If you submit your feedback by email or through our online form, and provide an email address, you’ll get an immediate automated acknowledgement​

We aim to review and give an initial response to all complaints within 2 working days of receipt.  Cases received after 3pm, will be responded to from the next working day. 

We have a 3-stage procedure for complaints. Once we have received your complaint we will discuss it with you and agree how it will be dealt with.

We aim to resolve complaints at the first point of contact, regardless if complaint is made:

• in person at the time of the incident
• after the event​

​ Timeframes

The timely resolution of complaints and keeping complainants informed of progress is very important to us.

If a complaint is received after 3pm on a working day, stage 1 will begin on the next working day.

Where additional consent is required from the complainant, day 1​ of the timeframe will begin on the day that consent is received.

For the purposes of this policy working days are, Monday to Friday, excluding b​ank holidays.

Timeframes Stage 1

We aim to respond to stage 1 complaints at the point of service or as soon possible after receipt. This should be up to 5 working days from the date of receipt. ​This timeframe is calculated in line with the receipt timings set out above.

If we are not able to meet this timeframe, we will ensure there are clear timescales agreed and communicated with you. 

However, complex cases or those requiring more time to resolve will be escalated to Stage 2, and you will be contacted to agree a new timescale.​

Timeframes Stage 2

Our aim is to resolve stage 2 complaints within 10 working days of receipt or the date of escalation. This may be extended for complex cases or those requiring more time to resolve.​ We will ensure there are clear timescales agreed and communicated with you.

Timeframes Stage 3​

Our aim is to resolve stage 3 complaints within 10 working days of receipt or the date of escalation.​ We will ensure there are clear timescales agreed and communicated with you.

Some complaints can be more complex and may require a more specialist or wide-ranging review. Therefore they could take longer to conclude.​ You will be kept informed of any additional timescales.

​Examples of such complaints include:

• medical or social care in Health and Care Jersey
• children’s social care in Children, Young People and Education Services (CYPES)​

Complaints about schools received outside of term time will be addressed starting from the first school day after the holiday period.  If a complaint is received before a school holiday, it will be addressed within the usual timeframe of 5 or 10 school days (not inclusive of holiday period), unless all parties agree to an extension.​

We will assess and prioritise feedback in accordance with the urgency or seriousness of the issues raised.

If a matter concerns an immediate risk to safety or security the response will be immediate and will be escalated appropriately.

Escalation timeframes

If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can escalate it to the next stage. 

When seeking to escalate a complaint to either stage 2 or stage 3, you have 20 working days from the date of the response to do this, unless there are special circumstances. 

The complaint will then be reviewed by a senior officer who will issue a full response within 10 working days, unless a different timeframe has been discussed and agreed with you.

Time​ limits for making a complaint

It is important that a complaint is made as soon as possible but generally a complaint should be made either:

• within 12 months of the date when the service was provided or the event being complained about occurred
• within 12 months of becoming aware of the event or subject matter

The time limit may be extended if there are valid reasons for the delay in providing feedback. In such cases, we will consider whether a fair investigation can still be carried out, ensuring the process remains transparent and robust​.

Consent

Where consent is required, we must receive this before we can investigate your complaint. We will contact you to request your consent and ask that you provide it within 10 working days. 

We may send a reminder during this period. If we do not receive your consent within this timeframe, we will be unable to progress your complaint and will let you know.​

Where consent is required, day 1​ of the timeframe will begin on the day that consent is received.​

Education

For complaints relating to schools, a complaint at stage 1 will be handled by the school. If escalated to stage 2, the complaint will then be investigated by the Head Teacher or their delegate. Where this is not appropriate, it will be escalated to the Education Department and an officer will be assigned. At stage 3 the complaint will be escalated to the Chief Officer who is able to refer the complaint to another Chief Officer, a delegated member of the departments Senior Leadership Team , or an independent third party, if appropriate.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, however, it may be that the school’s governing body is the appropriate avenue at any stage, for example to avoid conflict of interest if feedback relating to a head te​acher. Communication with the person giving feedback will be maintained at all levels.

Recruitment and selection complaints

​Complaints relating to recruitment and selection will be managed as follows.

Concerns about a recruitment process should be raised with the hiring manager in the first instance.

If you believe your concern has not been satisfactorily addressed and you continue to have concerns around the application of this policy, or its related guidance, these should be raised through the Government of Jersey customer feedback process.

For internal applicants, if your concern has not been satisfactorily addressed by the hiring manager and relates to the department you are currently employed in, you can raise a grievance under the grievance policy for public servants.

Internal applicants should use the grievance policy where the concern relates to a recruitment process within their own department. 

Complaints should be raised under this policy where:

• the concern relates to a recruitment process in another department
• the complaint is made by an external candidate
• the issue relates to the application or consistency of the recruitment and selection policy or process

For more details see the Recruitment and selection policy​.

Further steps

If our complaints process has been completed and the issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, the next step may be an independent external review. 

Depending on the nature of your complaint, this could be through the States of Jersey Complaints Panel or another appropriate route.  

Find out about alternative avenues for dealing with complaints.​

Managing customer feedback

Facilitating fee​dback

We value the feed​back given by customers and are committed to making it easier.

People giving feedback will be:

• provided with information about our Customer Feedback Policy
• provided with information about how we handle feedback
• provided with multiple and accessible ways to give feedback
• listened to, treated with respect by staff and actively involved in the process where possible and appropriate
• kept up to date​
• provided with reasons for our decision​ and any options for redress or review

Anonymous feedback

We accept anonymous feedback. While we are not able to provide a direct response, we will carry out an investigation of t​he issues raised if there is sufficient information provided. This helps us to learn and improve c​ontinuously.

Accessibility

We will ensure that information about how and where feedback can be given to or about us is well publicised. We will ensure that our systems to manage complaints are easily understood and accessible to everyone, particularly people who may require assistance, including:

• children and young people
• people with disabilities

If a person prefers or needs another person or organisation to assist or represent them in the giving or resolution of their feedback, we will communicate with them through their representative if this is their wish.​

Anyone may represent a person wishing to give feedback with their consent, such as:

• an advocate
• a family member
• a legal or community representative
• a States member
• another organisation​
  

Responding to complaints

Responsiveness

We are committed to managin​g people’s expectations We will inform people making a complaint within 2 working days, of the following:

• the complaints process
• the expected timeframes for our actions
  
• their likely involvement in the process
  

We will request for all relevant information relating to the feedback at the start of the investigation.

After the initial feedback is provided, any further contact or requests for additional information will be kept to a minimum and will only occur if absolutely necessary. This ensures that the follow-up process is efficient and respectful of your time.​

If you don’t provi​de all relevant information at the start of the review of your complaint, it may delay the complaint being resolved.​

When we acknowledge your complaint, we will let you know if there are any areas we are unable to address. Where possible, we will advise about where the issue or complaint can be directed to.​

We will also advise you as soon as possible when we are unable to meet our time frames for responding to your complaint and the reason for our delay.

Objectivity and fairness

We will address each complaint with integrity and in an equitable, objective and unbiased manner.

We will ensure that the person handling a complaint is different from any staff member whose conduct or service is being complained about.

Conflicts of interests, where a person's impartiality could be, or could be seen to be, affected, will be managed responsibly. In particular, internal reviews of how a complaint was managed will be conducted by a person other than the original decision maker.

Responding flexibly​

Our staff are supported to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. We will be flexible in our approach to enhance accessibility for people making complaints or their representatives.

We will assess each complaint on its merits and involve people making complaints or their representative in the process as far as possible.

Confidentiality​

We treat all customer feedback in confidence and in line with Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

We will use the information you provide to understand your feedback, respond where appropriate, and improve public services. This may involve sharing your feedback with the relevant service area so it can be properly considered.

We will only share personal information where it is necessary and lawful to do so.

If you provide feedback about another person, we may need to consider whether their consent is required before sharing their personal information, depending on the circumstances.

When we share information, we will:

• only share what is necessary
• keep it secure
• ensure it is handled in line with data protection law

We will not share personal information without a lawful basis.​

Safeguarding

If at any point there is a safeguarding concern it must be investigated as per the Safeguarding Partnership Board Managing Allegations Framework. A safeguarding alert will be raised without delay.

Where there is a complaint involving a vulnerable adult or child, the appropriate Safeguarding Manager will be informed and the most appropriate route of review agreed. This may fall outside the Customer Feedback Policy.​

Managing the parties to a complaint

Complaints b​eing made on b​ehalf of somebody else​

Complaints can be made by a representative if the customer has given their consent.

The need for consent will be evaluated case by case. Consent is not necessary if the complaint is made on behalf of:​​

• a deceased person
• someone who lacks the capacity to make their own decisions
• a non-Gillick competent child. This means a person under 16 who lacks sufficient understanding to make informed decisions about their care or treatment​

Where consent is given by a person who has capacity, the person giving the consent must be informed that:

• all records held in the relevant departments may be accessed in order to find relevant information for the complaint
• relevant information fr​om their records will be accessed by people investigating their complaint
  
• where a complaint refers to Health and Care Jersey, relevant information from their records may be shared with clinicians and others not directly involved in their treatment
  
• information may be shared across the Government of Jersey as part of the process
• information relating to the complaint will not be added to their record and there will be no impact on services​
  
• the investigation into their complaint will not begin until consent is received. Consent must be received within 10​ working days of the consent being requested. If consent is not received within this time, the feedback may not be investigated

Complaints involving multiple departm​ents​​

Where a complaint involves multiple departments, or areas within a department, we will work to ensure that communication with the person making a complaint or their representative is clear and coordinated. The person making the complaint will have a single point of contact, who will manage communications about the complaint.

Subject to privacy and confidentiality considerations, communication and information sharing between the parties will also be organised to facilitate a timely response to the complainant.

Where our services are contracted out, we expect contracted service providers to have an accessible and comprehensive complaint management process. Contractors should be able to demonstrate that they have an appropriate process in place. We take complaints not only about the actions of our staff but also the acti​ons o​​f service providers.

Complaints involving multiple parties​

When similar complaints are made by related parties we will try to arrange to communicate with a single representative of the group if possible subject to privacy and confidentiality considerations.

Acceptable behaviour​

Our feedback policy is impartial and free. We believe that complainants have a right to be heard, understood, and respected. We work hard to be open and accessible to everyone.

Occasionally, the behaviour or actions of individuals makes it very difficult for us to deal with their complaint. In a small number of cases the actions of individuals become unacceptable because they involve abuse of our staff in any form, or our process.

When this happens, we have to take action to protect our staff. We also consider the impact of the behaviour on our ability to do our work and provide a service to others.

Respecting each other means that:

• we believe that everyone has the right to be treated with respect and dignity
• we will listen with empathy and kindness
• we will treat everyone fairly and justly

To do this, we need your help to:​

• tell us what you need
• tell us the best way we can communicate with ​you
• tell us what method of communication works best for you. We will do our best to meet your needs
• treat our staff with courtesy and respect
  
• if using AI follow the guidance set out in this policy​
  

It is okay to change your mind or realise something else will work better at any time.

Tell us if something is going wrong. We want to fix problems and to know if you are unhappy. We will check what we have done against our policy and make changes if we can.

We understand that you may be frustrated, distressed or angry because of something that has happened. We must ensure that:

• our staff have the same rights to be treated with respect and dignity as our customers, and we must provide a safe working environment for them
• our service is accessible and responsive to all our customers​

We need to ​deal with any situations or actions that could negatively affect our staff or impact our ability to address your complaint. Examples of these include:

• abuse toward our staff
• misuse of our processes
• persistently vexatious ​complaints

We must take steps to protect our staff and uphold service standards. 

This includes instances where complainants use discriminatory comments, or abusive or offensive language, in verbal or written correspondence.

We will apply the principles set out in the Government of Jersey Unacceptable Behaviour Policy when managing customer interactions. 

This policy outlines the Government ​of Jersey's approach to addressing unacceptable behaviour towards its employees and applies to anyone who accesses our services or interacts with our staff.

A range of actions may be taken, including:​

• restricting contact methods
• requiring communication through an agreed third party

In extreme cases, we ​may decide to withdraw services from the customer.

If we  need to discuss this with you or change the way we engage with you, we will explain what actions are to be taken and why.​​​

We will also refer to the Government of Jersey Unacceptable Behaviour Policy which sets out the Government of Jersey’s approach to managing unacceptable behaviour on the part of its customers when they are interacting with Government of Jersey employees. It applies to everyone who accesses our services and/or engages with our employees. ​

Closing complaints​

We classify complaints as 'closed' once they have been resolved or a response has been provided. This allows us to:

• track how each issue was addressed
• monitor outcomes
• use this information to improve our services

The table below outlines the different reasons we use to close a complaint.

Alternative avenues for dealing with complaints

We will inform people who make complaints to, or about us, of any internal or external review options available to them, including the process for taking issues to the States of Jersey Complaints Panel.

States of Jersey Complaints Pa​nel

If your complaint has com​pleted all stage​s of our customer feedback process and you remain dissatisfied, you may request an indepen​dent review by the States of Jersey Complaints Panel.​

In some cases, after fully reviewing a complaint at Stage 1 or Stage 2, we may decide that further escalation within our internal process would not provide any additional benefit. If so, we will explain this and confirm in writing that you have reached the end of our process. At that point, you may take your case directly to the Complaints Panel.

For example, you may complain about a delay in receiving a service. If we have already investigated the issue, confirmed what caused the delay, apologised, and provided any appropriate resolution, there may be no further action we can take even if you remain dissatisfied.

What the com​plaints panel does​

The Panel was established under the Administrative Decisions (Review) (Jersey) Law 1982​ and reviews complaints about maladministration, meaning actions or decisions by Ministers, Government departments, or those acting on their behalf that are unfair, flawed, delayed, not properly explained, or not carried out according to required procedures.

Examples include:

• flawed or biased decision making
• failure to follow rules or procedures
• unreasonable delays or failure to act
• poor record keeping
• lack of transparency
• failure to investigate complaints properly

The Panel will not consider complaints about medical malpractice or complaints against individual public servants, but can look at where inadequate administration was a contributory factor to poor service delivery.   

How to contact the complaints ​panel​

You can contact the Panel by:

• phone: +44 (0) 1534 441016
• email: complaintsboard@gov.je​ (include details and any supporting documents)
• post:

The Greffier of the States
Mrs L. Hart
States Greffe
Morier House
Halkett Place
St Helier
Jersey ​
JE1 1DD

What happens ​next

Once your complaint is received:

1. a Caseworker will talk through your complaint with you and will produce a summary which can accompany any supporting documentation you may wish to submit
   
2. the Panel will request a response from the relevant Minister or Department (within 2 weeks)
   
3. the complaint and response are reviewed by the Panel Chair and two Panel members
   
4. the Chair decides whether the complaint is within the Panel’s remit and whether a public hearing should be arranged
   
5. if a hearing is held, both you and the Department / Minister present your cases.
6. the Panel considers the evidence in private and publishes a report with findings and recommendations
   
7. if your complaint is upheld, recommendations may be made to the Minister, who may be asked to reconsider the original decision
   

Jersey Care Commission

The Jersey Care Commission (the Commission) is the independent regulator of health and social care services in Jersey.

It checks that services are safe, provide good quality care, and meet the right standards.

The Commission has its own complaints policies for concerns about care services or about the Commission itself. The Government of Jersey Customer Feedback Policy is the main way to make a complaint about Government services, including Health and Care Jersey.

You should usually raise your concern with the service or department first. You can contact the Jersey Care Commission for issues related to health and social care services if:

• your concern has not been resolved
  
• you are worried about the safety or quality of care
• you do not feel able to raise the concern with the service

The Commission may use information from complaints to help monitor services and take action where needed.

Complaints to professional b​​odies​

If your complaint relates to professional misconduct then the relevant Government Department will be responsible for investigating the allegations made. This may lead to an internal disciplinary investigation into the matter and involvement of one of the professional regulatory bodies.

If a customer wishes to raise a concern about our employees directly, they can write to the appropriate professional or regulatory body to make a complaint. It is the decision of the professional or regulatory body whether to progress the complaint and whether to investigate the matter and what level of investigation is required.

A complaint to a professional body can be made even if a complaint is made under our Complaints Policy. If an investigation has already started under the Complaints Policy, the professional body may wait for the outcome of this before deciding what action it should take, or the professional body may ask that we wait for the outcome of the professional body’s investigation before we start our own investigation.

Withdrawal of complaints

Complaints may be withdrawn orally or in writing at any time. A written record will be made of any verbal request to withdraw a complaint.​

If there are safeguarding concerns, or if we become aware of any criminal activity or risk to public safety, we may still need to take appropriate action in line with our responsibilities, even if you decide to withdraw your complaint.​

Taki​ng legal ac​tion about a complaint

If, at any point during the complaints process, the complainant makes it clear they intend to take legal action or have involved a lawyer, it may still be possible to use the Customer Feedback Policy.

For clinical negligence or personal injury claims, the Department concerned should work with the Head of the Civil Division at the Law Officers Department, or the Legal Services Manager at Health and Care Jersey. This is to determine whether progressing the complaint might impact future proceedings.​

If there is no legal reason why the complaint should not be investigated, the complaint can continue to be investigated under the Customer Feedback Policy.

In cases where there are legal reasons why a complaint should not be dealt with under this policy, the complaint investigation will stop. The complainant will be advised of this fact and advised to ask their legal representative to contact the Law Officers’ Department or the Legal Services Manager. Any issues raised within the complaint that are not part of the claim will continue to b​e investigated.

Where complaints involve the death of someone, these are referred to the Deputy Viscount, the Head of Clinical Governance and Risk Management at Health and Care Jersey. They will lead and co-ordinate the investigation. This ensures clear lines of communication and investigation for both clinicians and families.

Accountability and learning

All complaints offer the opportunity for us to learn and improve. It is important that all complaints are reviewed, and lessons are learned.

As a learning organisation, we are committed to improving effectiveness and efficiency. We want to get it right first time. To do this, we will:

• ensure that any actual or proposed improvements to services and programs will be followed up and acted upon
• make system changes that have been identified by analysis of complaints data and continual monitoring
  
• implement best practices in handling customer feedback
• recognise and reward exemplary handling of customer feedback by staff
• regularly review the complaints management system and complaint data
• listen to people going through the feedback process in order to learn how the customer feedback procedures can be improved
  
• learn ​from customer feedback so that improvements can be made across the whole of Government
  

Analysis and eva​luation of customer feedback​

We’ll ensure that complaints are recorded so that information can be easily analysed and reported on.​

Regular reports will be run on:

• the number of each type of feedback received, including volume of cases opened
• the outcome of complaints such as upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld
  
• volume of current​ cases in each stage
• volume of cases​ closed at ​each stage
  
• percentage of cases closed within timescales
• volume by causes of complaints, to monitor service improvements
• volume of cases by area, broken down by type of feedback including compliment, complaint, or suggestion​
• actiona​ble insights and action taken
• the themes for complaints
• improvements made in response to customer feedback, and
• volume of complaints being made to the States of Jersey Complaints Panel
• number of complaints identified as vexatious or exhibiting unreasonable or persistently unreasonable behaviour​​

We will also publish reports to the public on Gov.je.

Reports will be analysed regularly to:

• monitor trends
• measure the quality of our customer service
• make improvements

Both reports and their analysis will be provided to the Executive Leadership Team for review on a quarterly basis. The Executive Leadership Team will also be updated as appropriate regarding high​ risk or high-profile cases, as well as any systemic issues that have been identified.

Commitment

We expect staff at all levels to be committed to the fair, effective and efficient handling of customer feedback.

We are committed to:

• recognising people’s right to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint about the standard and quality of services provided
• providing customers with information about the complaint management process
• providing assistance to people who may need it in order to provide feedback
• fully investigating and responding to all complaints
• recording and analysing all formal complaints
• setting and monitoring targets for responding to feedback
• ensuring complimentary feedback is registered and recognised
• ensuring suggestions and comments are appropriately responded to
• signposting to other offices which deal with redress, such as the States of Jersey Complaints Panel
• providing information that can be used by us to deliver quality improvements in our services, staff and complaint handling

The table below explains the level of ​commitment we expect from our staff and how it should be put into practice.​​

How we use your information

Find out more information on how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in our Privacy Notice​.

It provides details about:

• what data is collected
• why it's needed
• how it will be used
• who it will be shared with
• how long it will be retained
• informing you of your r​ights regarding your personal information and how you can exercise those rights

Retention of Personal Information

Personal information provided in feedback will be anonymised 1 year after the case is closed. Feedback sub​mitted to the Children Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES)​ department will be kept for 100 years after the case is closed. This is to comply with departmental requirements. 

In exceptional circumstances, where required for legal or regulatory reasons, specific cases may be excluded from the anonymisation process.

Full detail​s can be found on our ​ Retention Schedule. ​

Training and staff development

We will ensure all staff are:

• made aware, through the induction process and ongoing training sessions, of the:
• Customer Feedback Policy
• Complaint Handling manual
• departmental procedures
• staff handling customer feedback will be trained and given the tools to resolve complaints when received. They will receive ​supervision, guidance and feedback on their work and be supported by their line manager and the leadership team​​
  

Policy review

This policy and associated internal procedures, will be reviewed annually to:

• ensure its effectiveness in responding to and resolving complaints, and
• identify and correct deficiencies in the operation of the system or services.

Monitoring may include the use of audits and complaint satisfaction surveys.

Terms an​d​ definitions

Capacity

The ability to understand and make a decision about a particular matter at the time the decision needs to be made in accordance with the Capacity and Self-determination (Jersey) Law 2016.

Comment​

A remark or observation expressing an opinion or reaction.

Complaint

An expression of dissatisfaction, either spoken or written, about the organisation, its products, services, staff or its administration, that requires a response.

Complainant

The person or organisation making the complaint.

Compliment

Feedback about how the organisation delivered a good level of service or how an employee has done more than would normally be expected of them.

Consent

Any freely given, specified, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which they, by statement or by a clear affirmation of action, whether orally or in writing, signifies agreement to the processing of that data.

Customer

A person or organisation receiving advice, a service, using the facilities, or engaging in a business relationship, or any other person or organisation having an interest in the functions or activities of the organisation.

Customer feedback management system

All policies, procedures, practices, staff, hardware and software used by us in the management of customer feedback.

Feedback

A comment, suggestion, compliment, or complaint made directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, to or about us, about our products, services or administration.

Grievance

A clear, formal written statement by an individual staff member about another staff member or a work-related problem.

Non-Gillick competent child

A child that has been assessed under Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines as not having the maturity to make their own decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions.

Policy

A policy is an approved course of action adopted by the organisation. A formal document which sets out the aims and objectives in a particular subject.

Procedure

A statement of instruction that sets out how our policies will be implemented and by whom.

Suggestion

An idea or advice on how we can improve our service delivery.

​ Accountability framework

​Linked policies

​Unacceptable Behaviour Policy 

Customer Feedback Management System privacy policy​​

States of Jersey Codes of Practice

Whistleblowing policy for p​ublic servants

Disciplinary policy

Safeguarding Partnership Board – Memorandum of Understanding

Disability S​trategy ​for Jersey

How to make a Subject Access Request (SAR)

Freedom of Informati​on (FOI)​

Related legislation

Administrative Decisions (Review) (Jersey) Law 1982

Capacity and Self-Determination (Jersey) Law 2016

Commissioner for Standards (Jersey) Law 2017

Health Insurance (Performers List fo​r General Medical Practitioners) (Jersey) Regulations 2014

Police (Complaints and Discipline) (Jersey) Law 1999

Other r​eferences​

Office of the ​Comptroller and Auditor General Handling and Learning from Complaints

Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General Handling and Learning from Complaints Follow up​

Governance in health and social care report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, September 2018​

How to complain to the States of Jersey Complaints Panel

Gillick competency and fraser guidelines on the NSPCC website

Improving Administrative Redress in Jersey, Jersey Law Commission Topic Report 2017

Listen Louder – Scoping a way forward for the voices of care-experienced people to be heard - November 2018

R. 1/ 2018 Jersey Law Commission Topic Report 'Improving Administrative Redress in Jersey': Initial Response

The Chief Executive, Director General, Treasury and Exchequer and Director General, Children Young People Education and Skills’ response to the Comptroller & Auditor General’s Review: Management Information in Education (Follow-Up) October 2020

Concerns and Complaints on Jersey Care Commission​