Public Complaints Policy

01. POLICY STATEMENT

Open Eye Gallery takes all complaints received seriously. We seek to resolve complaints in a timely
manner for the person who has made the complaint. As a learning organisation, we view complaints as
an opportunity to learn and improve.

We commit to:

– Provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a
complaint
– Publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to
make a complaint
– Train the Open Eye Gallery staff team in how to handle a complaint
– Ensure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely manner
– Ensure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired
– Gather information which helps us to improve what we do

Brief timeline overview:

– The complaint will be acknowledged and forwarded to the Executive Director within 5 working
days of receipt
– Stage One investigation will take place and the complainant will receive a response to their
complaint within 20 working days
– The complainant has 5 working days to appeal for a Stage Two review
– The Stage Two review will be acknowledged within 5 working days
– Stage Two investigation will take place and the complainant will receive a response to their
appeal within 20 working days

02. DEFINITION OF A COMPLAINT

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Open Eye
Gallery’s activities.

Complaints may come from any person or organisation who has a legitimate interest in Open Eye Gallery.

A complaint can be received:

– verbally, face to face or by phone
– in writing, via email or letter

03. CONFIDENTIALITY

All information regarding complaints will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know
and following any relevant data protection laws and procedures.

04. RESPONSIBILITY

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Open Eye Gallery’s Board of
Trustees.

Written complaints can be sent to; Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP, and email
complaints to info@openeye.org.uk

We will need:

– a clear description of what your complaint is about
– (if any) copies of any letters or emails related to the complaint
– your email address or postal address (so we can reply)

Complaints may also be made by phone to 0151 236 6768 or in person to any of Open Eye Gallery’s team
or the Executive Director at the same address. They will be passed to a person with responsibility who
can deal with them.

05. RECEIVING COMPLAINTS

Complaints received by telephone or in person need to be recorded. The person who receives a phone
or in person complaint should:

– Write down the facts of the complaint
– Take the complainant’s name, address and telephone number
– Tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure
– Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take
– Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that
the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words

06. RESOLVING COMPLAINTS

Stage One

In many cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person responsible for the issue being complained
about. If the complaint has been received by that person, they may be able to resolve it swiftly and
should do so if possible and appropriate.

Whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information should be passed to the
Executive Director immediately or within 5 working days of receipt.

On receiving details of the complaint, the Executive Director will record it. If it has not already been
resolved, they will delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.

If the complaint relates to a specific person, that person will be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.

Complaints will be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within 5 working days. The
acknowledgement will say who is dealing with the complaint and when.

We aim to provide a full response to complaints within 20 working days. If we can’t reply to you within
this time, we will let you know and tell you when you can expect a reply.

A copy of this complaints procedure will be attached.

Stage Two

If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One, they can
appeal, and request that the complaint is reviewed by the Board of Trustees. The complainant must
make their appeal in writing 5 working days after receiving the outcome of Stage One. At this stage the
complaint will be passed to a member of Open Eye Gallery’s Board of Trustees to consider.

The appeal request for review by the Board of Trustees will be acknowledged within 5 working days and
will say who will deal with the complaint.

The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One will be kept informed of what is
happening.

Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant will describe the action taken to
investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the
complaint. The complainant will receive this conclusion within 20 working days, or be notified if it is
expected to take longer.

The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Senior Management Team decides it is appropriate to
seek external assistance with resolution.

Variation of the Complaints Procedure

The Trustees may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of
interest, for example, a complaint about a member of the Board of Trustees should not also have that
person leading a Stage Two review.

07. DISCONTINUING COMPLAINTS

Open Eye Gallery will treat all complaints seriously and will deal with them without recrimination. Where
a complaint is shown to be frivolous, vexatious or motivated by malice, Open Eye Gallery reserves the
right to terminate consideration of a complaint.

Open Eye Gallery may also terminate consideration of a complaint and/or restrict access to staff or
procedures for complainants who seek resolution, by pursuing an unreasonable course of conduct:

– To be, or are, disruptive; and/or
– Whose requests are disproportionate and/or unnecessary and/or cause disproportionate and/or
repeated efforts by members of staff.

In the event a complaint is terminated the complainant will be notified of this decision in writing.

08. MONITORING AND LEARNING FROM COMPLAINTS

Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further
action.

Specific measures and/or changes to policies and procedures may be implemented following an
individual complaint if this is deemed necessary.

Open Eye Gallery’s Public Complaints Policy will be reviewed annually.
Next review due March 2025.

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