Fife Cultural Trust is committed to putting customers and customer service at the heart of the organisation. The Trust aims to deliver high quality services and values comments and complaints made about any aspect of these services, whether positive or negative.
When we get things wrong we will seek to resolve complaints as quickly as possible.
The Trust will treat as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction with services.
Our staff will listen to complaints; treat them seriously; respond to complaints quickly; learn from them; always seek to resolve them where this is possible; and use the information gained form complaints so that the company can improve its services.
This page describes our feedback procedure and how to make a complaint. It also tells you about our service standards and what you can expect from us.
What is a complaint?
An expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about Fife Cultural Trust’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by Fife Cultural Trust or its staff.
A complaint may relate to:
What can I complain about?
You can complain about things like:
Your complaint may involve more than one Trust service or be about someone working on our behalf.
What can’t I complain about?
There are some things we can’t deal with through our complaints handling procedure. These include:
Who can complain?
Anyone who receives, requests or is affected by our services can make a complaint. Sometimes a customer may be unable or reluctant to make a complaint on their own. We will accept complaints brought by third parties as long as the customer has given their personal consent.
How do I complain?
Complaints can be made:
It is usually easier for us to resolve complaints if you make them quickly and directly to the facility concerned. Please talk to a member of our staff at the facility you are complaining about; they can then try to resolve any problems on the spot.
How long do I have to make a complaint?
Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of:
In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why and contact Michelle Sweeney, Director of Creative Development.
What happens when I have complained?
We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint. Our complaints procedure has 2 stages:
Stage 1: Frontline Resolution
We aim to resolve complaints quickly and close to where we provided the service. This could mean an on-the-spot apology and explanation if something has clearly gone wrong, and immediate action to resolve the problem.
Stage 2: Investigation
Stage 2 deals with two types of complaint: those that have not have been resolved at Stage 1 and those that are complex and require detailed investigation.
When using Stage 2 we will:
If our investigation will take longer than 20 working days, we will tell you. We will agree revised time limits with you and keep you updated on progress.
What if I’m still dissatisfied?
After we have fully investigated, if you are still dissatisfied with our decision or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) to look at it.
The SPSO cannot normally look at:
You can contact the SPSO:
In person
SPSO
4 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7NS
By post
SPSO
Freepost EH641
Edinburgh
EH3 0BR
Alternatively
Freephone: 08003 777330
SPSO website: www.spso.org.uk/contact-us
Getting help to make your complaint
We understand that you may be unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We accept complaints from the representative of a person who is dissatisfied with our service. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.
You can find out about advocates in your area by contacting the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance:
We are committed to making our service easy to use for all members of the community. In line with our statutory equalities duties, we will always ensure that reasonable adjustments are made to help customers access and use our services. If you have trouble putting your complaint in writing, or want this information in another language or format, such as large font, or Braille, tell us in person, contact us on 01592 583204.