Complaints Process

We all need to know who to turn to when we are not happy with a service.

It is always important to know that you have somewhere to go when you are not happy with a service. 

At Lilac Counselling Services, we always strive to ensure the service we offer is the best we can provide and in doing so, we aim to ensure that we provide a service that is quality led:

• Using Counsellors with the appropriate training, experience, skillsets and understanding relevant to the issues you present

• Provide a safe, confidential space in which counselling can be delivered and received

• Delivering therapy using the theories we offer competently and professionally

• Providing a professional, caring and ethical service

• Delivered in line with legal obligations , NCPS ethical framework and GDPR and Data Protection requirements 

Should you feel you have grounds to raise a complaint that identifies Lilac Counselling Services failure to meet the above, we provide the following complaints process:

1. We accept verbal and written forms of complaint.

2. Advise the counsellor at the time of identifying your complaint, stating what you are not happy with and how you feel this contravenes the contracted service provision.

3. Provide information to support your concerns.

4. We will accept your complaint and record it in our complaints register.

5. Acknowledgement of your complaint, detailing when it was registered and to whom, how it was received and detail of the complaint. We will also advise how we will investigate the complaint and provide you with a date when you will receive our official response.

6. Dependent on the nature of the complaint raised, we may be required to put further counselling on hold until the investigation has taken place and resolved. This will be confirmed within our initial response.

7. The date provided for our official response to any complaint will be within 30 days of the complaint being raised. However we do aim to respond within a quicker timeframe if possible.

8. Once we have provided you with our response to your complaint, you are provided with 7 days to appeal against the decision.

9. Should we receive an appeal, we will accelerate the complaint to our external advisors and would advise a full investigation will be completed with a final decision response being provided within 30 days from the date of the receipt of your appeal.

10. If you are not happy with our final decision and outcome, we would direct to take further action through the relevant authority, which will be provided within all complaint process documentation.

Should you feel we have not handled your personal information and data in an appropriate manner, you have the right to raise a complaint. Our complaints process is as follows:

• • Write to Tracey Gee at Lilac Counselling Services via email or letter (please see our contact details on our Contact Us page of the Lilac Counselling Services website)

  • Please allow 28 days following receipt of the correspondence for Lilac Counselling Services to respond to your complaint.

  • Should you feel that we have not supported you appropriately, or are unhappy with our response, and believe our processing of your personal data and information is not compliant with GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, or UK law, you may wish to escalate your complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Registered Head Office:   The Lilacs, 48 Cottage Lane, Burntwood, Staffordshire  WS7 4XZ