Complaints Policy

This policy applies to all Belong OT service users and service contacts.

This includes adult clients, children and young people through their parents or guardians, parents, carers, schools, preschools, workplaces, organisations, referrers, professional contacts and external service providers who engage with Belong OT.

Where a complaint involves a child or young person, Belong OT will consider the child’s welfare, voice and best interests where appropriate.

You can raise a concern about any part of the Belong OT service.

• Communication or response times
• Appointments, booking or cancellations
• Reports, summaries or recommendations
• Fees, invoices or payment processes
• Privacy, confidentiality or records
• How a service was provided
• Any concern about fairness, clarity, safety or professional conduct

Belong OT will usually try to resolve concerns informally first. This may include a conversation, written clarification, correcting an error, explaining a decision, updating a document where appropriate, or changing a process for the future.

If the issue cannot be resolved informally, you may make a formal complaint.

A formal complaint can be made by email or letter.

Please include:

• Your name and contact details
• The name of the client or child, where relevant
• What happened
• When it happened
• Who was involved
• What you would like reviewed or resolved

If you need support to put your complaint in writing, please contact Belong OT.

Belong OT aims to acknowledge a formal complaint within 5 working days.

Belong OT aims to provide a full response within 20 working days.

If more time is needed, Belong OT will explain the reason and give an updated timeframe.

Depending on the concern, Belong OT may:

• Provide an explanation or clarification
• Correct an error
• Update a report, summary or record where appropriate
• Offer a further discussion
• Review or change a process
• Seek professional, supervisory, regulatory or insurance advice where needed

Complaints will be handled as confidentially as possible.

Information will only be shared where needed to review the complaint, meet legal or professional duties, manage risk, protect safety, respond to a regulatory or insurance matter, or follow safeguarding requirements.

Complaint records are managed in line with Belong OT privacy, data protection and record retention procedures.

Read Privacy Policy | Read Data Retention Policy

If a complaint raises concern about the safety or welfare of a child, young person or adult at risk, Belong OT may need to follow safeguarding procedures.

This may involve sharing relevant information with statutory or safeguarding services.

Belong OT is not an emergency or crisis service. If you need urgent medical, mental health or safeguarding support, please contact your GP, out-of-hours service or emergency services.

Read Child Safeguarding Statement

Belong OT can review complaints about Belong OT services, communication, documentation and professional conduct.

Belong OT cannot investigate services delivered by another provider, school, workplace, organisation or professional. Where appropriate, Belong OT may advise you to raise the concern directly with that provider.

Where another provider, school, workplace or organisation is involved in a Belong OT service, Belong OT will manage relevant information carefully and in line with consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and data protection duties.

Read Consent and Information Sharing Policy

Belong OT understands that complaints can feel stressful. Clients, families and service contacts are asked to communicate respectfully while a concern is being reviewed.

Belong OT will not tolerate abusive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing or intimidating communication.

If communication becomes unsafe or inappropriate, Belong OT may pause communication, move communication to writing only, seek advice, or end the service relationship where appropriate.

When posting online, please avoid sharing private information about children, adult clients, families, schools, staff, professionals or third parties.

If you are not satisfied with the response, you may ask for the complaint to be reviewed again.

Belong OT is a sole practitioner service at launch. This means there may not be another internal clinician available to review the complaint independently. Where appropriate, Belong OT may seek advice from a professional adviser, insurer, clinical supervisor or relevant professional body.

If your concern relates to professional conduct or fitness to practise, you may contact CORU.

If your concern relates to data protection, you may contact the Data Protection Commission.

Visit CORU | Visit the Data Protection Commission

You can raise a concern through the Contact Belong OT page or by using the business email listed on the website.

Please mark your message clearly as feedback, a concern or a complaint.

Email: [insert business email before publishing]

Phone: [insert business phone before publishing]

Business: Belong OT, based in Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare

Clinician: Déarbhla O’Reilly Malone, CORU-registered Occupational Therapist