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Confidential Complaints Policy

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The Marches LEP is committed to creating a work environment with the highest possible standards of openness, probity and accountability. In view of this commitment we encourage employees and others with serious concerns about any aspect of the LEP’s work to come forward and voice those concerns without fear of reprisal. For employees and those working closely with the Marches LEP, please follow the Whistleblowing policy on our website. For third parties and members of the public, please follow the confidential complaints procedure outlined below.

If a member of the public or third party believes that their complaint fits the description below,; they can elect to report their concerns through the Whistleblowing policy procedure.

Whistleblowing – where an individual who has concerns about a danger, risk, contravention of rules or illegality provides useful information to address this. In doing so they are acting in the wider public interest, usually because it threatens others or impacts on public funds. By contrast, a grievance or private complaint is a dispute about the individual’s own position and has no or very limited public interest.

Confidentiality

If a member of the public or a third party wants to make a confidential complaint or raise a concern, it will be treated in confidence and every effort will be made to protect the person’s identity if they wish to remain anonymous. The LEP will investigate all complaints or allegations.

Anonymous allegations

  • The Marches LEP takes all complaints and concerns raised by members of the public and third parties seriously. We will investigate anonymous allegations. However, we remind complainants that when people put their names to an allegation the ability to investigate and therefore reach firm conclusions is strengthened.
  • Concerns expressed anonymously will be considered at the discretion of the LEP. When exercising this discretion, the factors to be considered would include:
    • The seriousness of the issue raised;
    • The credibility of the concern; and
    • The likelihood of confirming the allegation from attributable sources.
  • The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government may request information arising from this process if they have concerns regarding a LEP or have been approached with similar complaints. The expectation is that this information will be provided on an anonymous basis. However, it may be necessary to provide personal details to progress a complaint.
  • Where details are gathered, the Marches LEP will put in place appropriate data protection arrangements in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation.

Confidential Complaints Procedure

The Marches LEP is aware that the organisation’s ordinary complaints procedure may not be suitable if someone wants the complaint to remain confidential. If you would like to make a confidential complaint, please write or email to:

Gill Hamer, Marches LEP Chief Executive, Cameron House, Knights Court,
Archers Way, Battlefield Enterprise park, Shrewsbury, SY1 3GA,

or

Llia Bowles, Marches LEP Director of Corporate Services, Cameron House,
Knights Court, Archers Way, Battlefield Enterprise park, Shrewsbury, SY1 3GA.

State that you want the complaint to remain confidential

Action taken by the LEP

The designated complaints officer will raise your concern and investigate the complaint.
You can expect the officer to:

  • Contact you within 10 clear working days to acknowledge the complaint and discuss the appropriate course of action.
  • Write to you within 28 clear working days with findings of the investigation. If the investigation has not concluded within 28 clear working days, the officer will write to you to give reasons for the delay in resolving the complaint.
  • Take the necessary steps to rectify the issue.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint or the complaint involves those responsible for the confidential complaints’ procedure:

You can escalate your concerns through other organisations mentioned in the normal complaints’ procedure e.g. the LEP’s Accountable Body which is Shropshire Council.
These organisations will have their own confidentiality procedures.

If you are either unable to raise the matter with the LEP or you are dissatisfied with the response received you can report it directly to the Cities and Local Growth Unit in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, by emailing:

[email protected] or by writing to: LEP Policy Deputy
Director, Cities and Local Growth Unit, Fry Block, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P
4DF.

You should clearly mark your email or letter as “Official – complaints”

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