POhWER’s Complaint Handling Promises

Sometimes things don’t go quite right and if this happens with your support from POhWER, we are very sorry and we want to put it right as quickly as we can.

You can make a complaint or raise a concern by completing our feedback form on the website, by writing to us at our Birmingham address, or by telephoning or emailing our help centre (details below). If you need help to give us feedback please let us know and we will work with you to find the best way for your voice to be heard.

Usually the best way for us to sort out any problems quickly is by the local manager contacting you to discuss the problem and agree how we are going to move forward – we call this informal resolution.

Our local manager will:

contact you within 3 working days to discuss how we can resolve things quickly
use plain language and no jargon
treat you politely and with respect at all times and have the right to expect you to do the same

If the local manager can sort out the problem with you over the phone or by email when they first contact you, they will:

email or write a letter to you (whichever you prefer) to summarise the discussion you have had, confirm the actions that have taken or will take place. If you are unhappy with the response you can make a formal complaint.

If it is not a quick fix, we will investigate the matter as a formal complaint. This will be sent to a manager outside the local area who will investigate the complaint. That manager will contact you within 5 working days of the complaint being received to make sure they understand what the problem has been and what outcomes you want to achieve by making the complaint. They will confirm this with you in writing, either by email or post (whichever you prefer).

At the end of the investigation, within 20 working days, the investigating manager will:

email or write to you (whichever you prefer) with the outcome of the investigation, and if your complaint was upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld and any actions arising from this;

let you know how you can appeal against the finding.

If you don’t agree with the investigation findings, you can appeal. The appeal will be investigated by a senior manager and follow the timescales of the formal complaint.

Website: www.pohwer.net

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0300 456 2370

Address: POhWER

PO Box 14043

Birmingham

B6 9BL

You can download a copy of this information in Easy-read here: Easy Read Complaints Handling Promises (pdf)

You can download our complaints policy here: POhWER Complaints Policy (pdf)

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NHS Complaints Advocacy

NHS Complaints Advocacy can support anyone who is unhappy with the care or treatment they or someone they know has received from the NHS and is thinking about making a complaint. Read more about this service.
Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

An IMHA is an independent advocate who is specially trained to work within the framework of the Mental Health Act to support people to understand their rights under the Act and participate in decisions about their care and treatment. Read more about this service.
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Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

An Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) can support someone who is not able to make certain decisions about their lives for themselves and has no suitable family or friends to speak for them. Read more about this service.
Central and East of England

We provide services across nine county councils/local authorities of Central and East of England that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
London

We provide services across London that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide services in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
What we do

POhWER is a charity and membership organisation. We provide information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.
Southern England

We provide services across eleven boroughs of Southern England that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.
NHS Complaints Advocacy resources

POhWER NHS Complaints Advocacy Self Help Information for NHS Complaints Process. For those who wish to make a complaint about an NHS service they or one of their family or friends received we have a special NHS Complaints Advocacy Service self help pack.
West Midlands

We provide services across seven boroughs of West Midlands that help people who need to get their voices heard. Here you can find the latest information on what’s happening in your local area. If you cannot find your local area listed below, this maybe because we currently do not provide service in the local area. However, you can call our advisers on 0300 456 2370 to find out who can help you.