Complaints Procedure

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Our aim is to give you the best possible service at all times.  Keating Chambers prides itself on the fact that complaints about the service provided by its barristers are very rare but we are always looking to improve our services and we welcome feedback from both solicitors and lay clients.  Complaints are taken very seriously and will be dealt with in accordance with Chambers Complaints Procedure, which is set out below.

Clients are in the first instance encouraged to discuss any day-to-day concerns about the services of our barristers directly with them or the clerks.  If they feel that the concern or matter raised has not been dealt with to their satisfaction, they may make a formal complaint.

Complaints made by Telephone

Clients are directed to make complaints to the Director of Clerking or, if about the Director of Clerking, to the Chief Operating Officer.

If contacted with a complaint:

  1. Make a note of the details of the complaint and what the client would like done about it.
  2. Discuss the client’s concerns with the aim to resolve them.
  3. If the matter is resolved, record the outcome.
  4. Check that the client is satisfied with the outcome and record that they are satisfied.
  5. If the complaint is not resolved, you should invite the client to write to us about it within the next 14 days so it can be investigated formally.
Complaints made in Writing

Clients are asked to give the following details in their complaints: name and address, which member(s) of chambers or staff they are complaining about; the detail of the complaint; and what they would like done about it.

Chambers has a panel headed by the Head of Chambers and made up of Kings Counsel, experienced members of chambers, and the Chief Operating Officer, which considers any written complaint.  Within 14 days of a written complaint being received, the head of the panel or her/his deputy in her/his absence will appoint a member of the panel to investigate it.  If the complaint is against the Head of Chambers, it will be investigated by a Deputy Head of Chambers. In any case, the person appointed will be someone other than the person complained about.

The person appointed to investigate will write to the complainant as soon as possible to let them know s/he has been appointed. They should supply the complainant with:

  1. a copy of the complaints procedure,
  2. confirm that s/he will reply to your complaint within 14 days. If s/he finds later that s/he is not going to be able to reply within 14 days s/he will set a new date for her/his reply and inform you. Her/his reply must set out:
  • The nature and scope of the investigation;
  • Her/his conclusion on each complaint and the basis for her/his conclusion; and
  • If s/he finds that the complaint is justified, her/his proposals for resolving the complaint.
  • The complainants right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (where applicable).
Confidentiality and record keeping

All communications and documents relating to the complaint must be treated as confidential and should be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary for the investigation and resolution of the complaint; internal review in order to improve Chambers’ handling of complaints; and complying with requests from the Bar Standards Board in the exercise of its monitoring and auditing functions.

A record must be kept of each complaint, of all the steps taken in response to it, and of the outcome of the complaint. Copies of all correspondence, including electronic mail, and all other documents generated in response to the complaint must also be kept. The records and copies should be kept for 6 years from resolution of the complaint.

Records should be stored on the Chambers HR drive/Complaints and the COO/COO’s EA is responsible for records management.

Reporting

The COO must report at least annually to the Executive Committee or any other appropriate committee of chambers on:

  • the number of complaints received,
  • the subject area of the complaints and
  • on the outcomes.

The complaints should be reviewed for trends and possible training issues.

The disclosure to the Bar Standards Board of internal documents relating to the handling of the complaint (such as the minutes of any meeting held to discuss a particular complaint) for the further resolution or investigation of the complaint is not required.

Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman (complaints body for the legal sector)

We hope that you will use our procedure and that will resolve the matter.  However, if you are unhappy with the outcome, you may have the choice of taking up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman.  A right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is available to all clients save for most businesses (unless they are defined as micro-enterprises), charities or clubs with an annual income of more than £1m and trustees of trusts with an asset value of more than £1m.

Normally you must bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint from Chambers (provided the response specifically notifies you of your right to complain to the Ombudsman and of the six month time limit).  A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is additionally subject to general time limitation requirements, that is it must be made not more than six years after the act or omission complained about or not more than three years from the date when you should reasonably have known that there were grounds for complaint.

You can make a complaint using the online complaints form found at www.legalombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

Alternatively, you can write to:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ

Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

If you are calling from overseas, please call +44 121 245 3050

Further details may be found at: www.legalombudsman.org.uk