Your feedback matters to us
At AdvoCard, we believe that everyone who uses our services or has contact with us should be treated with respect and provided with a high standard of advocacy support. If something has gone wrong, we want to know — and if someone has done something well, we’d love to hear that too.
Making a complaint
Complaints about services outside AdvoCard’s remit:
We cannot accept a complaint where the person has previously been informed that the service requested is not provided by AdvoCard. Complaints must relate to a service that AdvoCard actually delivers.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, you have the right to make a complaint. This could be about the support you received, the way you were treated, or any other aspect of your contact with AdvoCard.
You can make a complaint in any way that works for you — in person, by phone, by email, by post, or online. You don’t need to fill in a form or follow a particular process to get started.
Time limit:
A complaint must be received by AdvoCard within 12 months of:
- The date of the incident or action giving rise to the complaint; or
- The date on which the complainant first became aware of the issue, if they could not reasonably have known about it at the time it occurred.
Complaints received more than 12 months after the event will not normally be investigated.
Contact us to make a complaint:
- Phone: 0808 196 3525
- Email: advocacy@advocard.org.uk
- Post: 4 Duncan Place, Leith, EH6 8HW
- In person: speak to any member of staff or volunteer
What happens next?
We will always take your complaint seriously and deal with it promptly and fairly. Here’s what you can expect:
Within 2 working days — a manager will get in touch with you to discuss your complaint and find out more. If your complaint can be resolved quickly through an explanation or apology, we’ll do that straight away.
If your complaint is more complex or you wish to make a formal complaint:
Within 5 working days — you will receive a written acknowledgement confirming the details of your complaint and explaining whether a full investigation is needed.
Within 14 calendar days — if a full investigation is needed, we will send you a written outcome letter setting out what we found, whether your complaint has been upheld and any changes we are making as a result.
What if I’m not happy with the outcome?
If you’re not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can appeal to our Chief Executive within 28 days of receiving our response. Our CEO will review the complaint again and respond in writing within 14 calendar days.
If you remain dissatisfied after our internal process is complete, you can also contact:
- City of Edinburgh Council Social Work Advice and Complaints Service — for complaints about statutory advocacy services commissioned by the Council: 0131 553 8395 or socialwork.complaints@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) — for complaints about organisations in receipt of public funding where the internal process has been exhausted: 0800 377 7330 or spso.org.uk
- OSCR (Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) — for concerns about AdvoCard’s governance or operation as a charity: 01382 220446 or oscr.org.uk
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) — for concerns about how we have handled your personal data: 0303 123 1113 or ico.org.uk
Sharing a compliment
If an advocacy worker or member of staff has made a real difference to you, we’d love to hear about it. Compliments are shared with the people they’re about and help us understand what’s working well.
You can share a compliment using any of the contact details above.
Accessibility
We want everyone to be able to give feedback, regardless of how they communicate. If you need this information in large print, Easy Read, audio format or another language, or if you need support to make a complaint, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.
We can also accept complaints made through a representative, supporter, or family member on your behalf.
Our full Complaints and Compliments Policy is available on request.
