Complaints Process

This process forms part of the overall ANLP Complaints Policy, which can be downloaded as a PDF at the bottom of this page.

Stage 2 - COMPLAINTS PROCESS

1.    All complaints to ANLP will be treated the same whatever it is regarding. 

2.    Within 3 working days of receipt, the Admin Team will check to see if the complaint is regarding a current member.

  •  If NO – follow on to step 3.
  • If YES – proceed to step 4.

3.    The Admin Team will inform the complainant that no action can be taken. No further action now needs to be taken.

4.    The Admin Team will send the Complaint Form to the Complainant to be completed and submitted together with all evidence and details of the complaint. The Complainant has 4 weeks (20 working days) to submit the completed form and evidence for review.

  • If completed form not received – follow on to step 5.
  • If completed form received – proceed to step 6

5.    The Admin Team will contact the Complainant with the follow up email to state complaint has now been closed. 

6.    The Admin Team acknowledge receipt of the completed form and contact the Member to advise a complaint has been received and provided with relevant details, which may include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) unless the Complaints Form declaration requests non-disclosure of PII, in which case the form will be redacted. The Member is given 7 days to provide their statement/account. 

7.    In conjunction with Step 6, the Admin Team requests a volunteer Chief Adjudicator from the Complaints Team to initially assess the complaint. 

8.    Once the Chief Adjudicator has been appointed, the Admin Team will send all details of the complaint (from both the complainant and the Member) to the Chief Adjudicator.

9.    The Chief Adjudicator will initially assess the complaint and check its validity, in order to determine whether or not the complaint can be accepted. The Chief Adjudicator notifies the ANLP Admin Team of their decision.

  • If the complaint is NOT accepted – follow on to step 10 and 11.
  • if the complaint is deferred - follow step 12
  • If the complaint IS accepted – proceed to step 13.

10.    The Complainant and Member are notified of the decision, including the reasons as to why the complaint is either not valid or not accepted and will not be taken any further.

11.    As long as the complaint meets the criteria for validity, the Complainant has the right of appeal at this stage and can request the complaint is taken to the next stage (step 13), despite the assessment of the Chief Adjudicator. If a complainant chooses this course of action, they will be asked to contribute to the costs of running a Professional Conduct Hearing. Any appeal must be lodged with the ANLP Admin Team within 7 days of the notification email being received.

12.    The Complainant and Member are notified of the decision to defer the complaint until such time as it can be picked up again.

13.    The Complainant and Member are notified of the decision to proceed with the complaint.
Depending on the seriousness of the complaint, The Admin Team will contact both the Complainant and the Member to see if the complaint can be resolved through informal mediation conducted via the Chief Adjudicator. Both parties will be given options at this stage from the Chief Adjudicator liaising with the Admin Team for assistance. Following liaison, it will be the decision of the Chief Adjudicator as to whether or not the informal resolution will be pursued in the first instance. If one or both parties refuses this offer, the matter will proceed to a Professional Conduct Hearing and the party (or parties) that have refused to participate will be expected to contribute to the costs of running a formal hearing.

  • If YES to an informal resolution – follow on to step 14.
  • If NO to an informal resolution – proceed to step 15.

14.    The Chief Adjudicator, together with an ANLP representative, will mediate between all parties with a view to achieving an informal resolution.  Alternatively, both parties will be invited to engage with a Dispute Resolution Service provider.

If an informal resolution can be reached, the Admin team will contact the Complainant and the Member confirming the informal resolution to the complaint and actions agreed. It will be the Admin Team’s responsibility to ensure this happens. No further action now needs to be taken.

If there is no resolution via the informal route, this matter will proceed to a Professional Conduct Hearing. The mediator will be asked to provide a report which will form part of the evidence at the Professional Conduct Hearing.

  • If an informal resolution cannot be reached, proceed to step 14.

15.    The complaint will now be dealt with at a formal hearing known as The Professional Conduct Hearing.

Downloads

PDF - Complaints Policy, including Complaints Process and Professional Conduct Panel Hearing 

Word Doc - Complaints Form 

PDF - Complaints Process Flow Chart

PDF - Professional Conduct Hearing Process Flow Chart