Strategic Complaints Management

Verita are leading UK independent consultants and investigators operating across a variety of sectors and services.

Independent complaint handling solutions

With over 15 years of experience in resolving complex regulatory issues through expert complaint management services, Verita stands at the forefront of ensuring organisational integrity and public trust.

Our specialised approach transforms complaints from potential risks into valuable insights for systemic improvement.

Handling complaints effectively can provide valuable strategic insights into how service quality and regulatory compliance can be improved. Whether in healthcare, or a private or public sector organisation, our independent reviews offer actionable recommendations that align with both industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

To find out more about our strategic complaints handling services, please book a free consultation or simply call us on 020 7494 5670 so we can discuss how we can help your organisation.

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Why partner with Verita for complaints management?

Complaints can act as a critical barometer of the safety and quality within an organisation. They can be a helpful way to identify when things are going wrong at an early stage.

If complaints are not being handled well there can be a reduction in public trust, unwelcome media attention and an added burden for an organisation, sapping time and resource from other pressing and important tasks.

Working with us helps to reduce the risk of legal action and damage to brand reputation, improve customer satisfaction, and saves internal resources. Our objective and impartial perspective provides strategic oversight that not only resolves immediate issues but can also protect your organisation against future challenges.

We manage our projects carefully to ensure that they meet the requirements of clients as to issues such as timeliness and budget.

Our extensive complaints resolution experience

Our team consists of members with extensive and high-level experience of complaints management, including those who have chaired statutory inquiries and served parliament to lead national teams and high profile investigations delivering systemic improvements in complaints handling.

In order to resolve a complaint an investigation may be required. We understand the right way to investigate complaints is by taking a team approach, rather than working as individuals.

We believe there are a number of compelling reasons for this, such as allowing different perspectives to be understood, and issues considered. Additionally, using a team approach means that our work can continue despite holidays or illness. Our approach would also enable us to increase the number of complaints we can review if there is a rise in cases. We have the capacity to deliver reviews of an increased number of cases if the need should arise.

Our practice is to appoint a lead investigator, with their work peer reviewed by another member of the team before being issued.

Deep regulatory knowledge

We have extensive knowledge of the wider Ombudsman landscape and the regulatory framework – in our work for lottery providers we stand as an intermediary level of appeal between internal mechanisms and the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman.

If the complainant is unhappy with our findings they retain the right to appeal to that Ombudsman and a number of our reports have been subject to that review. We therefore strive to ensure that our work meets their standards. Over the 10 years we have carried out this service, we have never been criticised by the Ombudsman.

Complex complaints handling: Our key service areas

Verita is experienced in dealing with all areas of complex complaints. The key aspects of our services are:

Early Detection & Resolution:

Our tailored complaint analysis helps identify underlying issues in their early stages, protecting your organisation from reputational damage.

Regulatory Alignment:

We ensure your complaint management systems meet stringent regulatory standards, maintaining compliance while improving service delivery.

Performance Metrics:

Our comprehensive evaluation process measures six key indicators: board recognition, system efficiency/quality, resource allocation, learning potential, team design effectiveness, and user experience enhancement.

But when is a complaint considered to be complex? Here are some examples of complex complaints we have handled for our clients:

Multi-party disputes: Involving various stakeholders or departments.
High-reputational risk: Issues that could lead to media scrutiny or legal action.
Clinical or Technical sensitivity: Where standard customer service protocols are insufficient.
Historical or “Legacy” issues: Complaints that have spanned years.

Case Study: Overhauling Complaints Systems to Restore Board Assurance & Accountability

When a large national charity’s internal processes failed to resolve complex grievances, Verita was commissioned to provide an independent, third-stage adjudication. We identified that surface-level resolutions were masking systemic failures in accountability and escalation.

Our independent review provided the Board of Trustees with the objective evidence needed to overhaul their governance. By acting as the final internal arbiter, we restored transparency and satisfied external regulators, preventing further escalation to the Ombudsman.

What Our Clients Say About Us

“Verita is the undisputed market leader for investigations and reviews.”

“I would like to thank Verita for both their time and commitment in working with us to investigate and consider the issues raised; it has been an interesting and valuable experience.”

How Verita can help

Extensive complaints management experience

As our corporate CV sets out, we have extensive experience of the independent review of complaints and of testing processes and making recommendations for improvement. Verita is a trusted partner in this field across government, regulated organisations and the private sector.

Our team consists of members with high-level experience of complaints management, including those who have chaired statutory inquiries and served parliament, leading national teams and high profile investigations to deliver systemic improvements in complaints handling.

Strong analytical, critical reasoning and judgement skills for complex issues

Much of our complaints handling work deals with complex issues. We have a track record of weighing the most complex evidence to pull out the key issue and make reasoned judgements.

In many of our cases we act as the liaison between the employer and member of staff to mediate and resolve issues. In cases we carry out for the British Council and lottery funded organisations we mediate between the public body and the complainant to achieve a mutually acceptable conclusion, where possible.

Evidence-based reports and experience of reporting at Board level

Verita’s reports often deal with the most sensitive and important issues. We frequently have to make difficult decisions on the interpretation and analysis of evidence and subsequently present the outputs at the highest level – whether to Boards, regulators or government departments.

Our evidence-led findings are designed to stand up to the most rigorous regulatory scrutiny. When the stakes are high, our report provides the objective clarity needed to make definitive decisions.

Independent Third-Stage Complaint Reviews & Adjudication

If your complaints process has reached its final stage but the complainant remains dissatisfied, an independent adjudication is the most effective way to restore trust and provide a fair outcome.

We are specialists in complex cases that require a high degree of objectivity, providing recommendations for systemic improvement to prevent recurrence. Our thorough reviews often provide the clarity needed to satisfy a complainant before they seek regulatory intervention from the Ombudsman.

Proven strong interpersonal, ambassadorial, and negotiating skills

Complaints can provoke a lot of emotions, whether in the person complaining or in the organisation being complained about. We have a great deal of experience of working with people in difficult circumstances to enable them to tell their story and feel that they have been heard.

The outcomes of our work often deliver a result that differs from what they wanted. Being able to persuade those involved nonetheless is something we take particular pride in.

Demonstrable commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion

Fairness lies at the heart of a complaints process. That means giving all parties the opportunity to put their case. For all kinds of reasons people may need support in order to do that.

Our track record demonstrates ability to do that. We believe that this is also a benefit of team working – no two people have the same life experience, so the challenge of colleagues can help to ensure that the process is fully inclusive.

Complaints Handling - Industries We Work With

Public Sector

We act as a (Stage 3) reviewer of complaints for organisations such as the Arts Council, British Council, Sport England and the National Lottery Community Fund

Healthcare

We help the NHS and independent healthcare providers improve complaints management systems to maintain patient trust and avoid unwanted media attention

Workplace

Our specialists are trained to resolve complaints of a sensitive nature, such as bullying and sexual harassment, with discretion and confidentiality

Education

We provide an objective and unbiased perspective for complaints made about staff or students, with the knowledge and skills to handle complex legal and regulatory issues

The Verita process: From insight to implementation

Our complaints resolution process has several clearly defined stages:

Strategic Assessment:

utilising diagnostic tools refined through extensive work with NHS trusts – we perform thorough evaluations aligned with best practice benchmarks.

Expert Mediation & Negotiation:

Facilitating clear communication between parties to achieve resolutions that uphold natural justice principles.

Reporting Excellence:

Delivering clear evaluative reports highlighting process improvements—ensuring transparency throughout every stage.

Ombudsman Readiness:

Our findings stand robust under Ombudsman scrutiny – ensuring your defenses are prepared should further appeals arise.

By choosing Verita as your partner in strategic complaint resolution, you gain an objective partner dedicated not just towards resolving current challenges but driving long-term success.

Our previous complaints handling work

As well as specialising in handling complex, escalated complaints where internal processes have been exhausted, we ensure that areas of improvement are identified to improve standards of service.

Examples of our previous work include:

Providing an annual independent customer complaint review service to the General Medical Council for four years. In this role, we reviewed the quality and consistency of complaints handled by the GMC about its service, including failure to meet service standards. In this time, we provided the GMC with outputs that were fit for purpose, proportional to the needs of the organisation and provided targeted and actionable improvements. We identified areas where improvements could be made to aid the GMC in delivering the best possible service to its customers. We are pleased to see that a significant number of improvements have been implemented in subsequent years following our suggestions. We worked closely and efficiently with the GMC to deliver work of a consistently high standard to required deadlines.

We have extensive experience of complaint resolution within NHS trusts, with many hundreds of individual complaints across multiple organisations now cleared, many of which were extremely complex and dating back months or even years. We reviewed trust’s complaints systems and suggested new models of working to improve the efficiency and quality of their systems. We have done this with the use of Verita’s bespoke ‘Complaint Handling Diagnostic Tool’, which provides a robust, repeatable basis for ensuring consistency and completeness in our reviews and are able to support other organisations to remove complaints backlogs on an ad-hoc basis.

Carrying out annual reviews of complaints processes and proposing improvements for organisations such as the Civil Aviation Authority and General Medical Council.

Providing training in complaints processes

Complaints handling service for a diverse range of users

In our complaints handling work we are used to working with a wide variety of complainants. Making them feel that they have been listened to is a key part of the process and essential if it is to have any value – it is not possible to guarantee a finding that is acceptable to the complainant, but essential to make them feel that they have had a fair hearing.

Proven ability to communicate clearly with a diverse range of people – it is an essential part of a fair complaints process that all those involved feel that they are able to have their voice heard, whatever their background. Within the health sector we have dealt with a full range of cases, some of which involve people with learning disabilities.

In other cases we have dealt with issues relating to discrimination – whether relating to race, sex or sexual orientation. We have a long record of making people feel that we understand what they are saying and will give them a ‘fair hearing’.

Improving Service Quality Through Effective Complaints Handling

We have comprehensive experience of driving continuous improvement and promoting change. After all, it is rare for there to be a complaint, but no learning. This applies to complaints that are rejected just as much as those that are upheld.

For a customer to feel that they need to complain is a strong indication that something is not right.

Even if the complaint is based on a misunderstanding, that suggests that communication could be clearer. Our portfolio of investigations and reports demonstrates our understanding that the ultimate purpose of this process is to deliver a better service.

Effective complaints handling preserves public confidence in services – confidence that can be significantly damaged when things go wrong. In particular, NHS providers need to meet CQC requirements for organisations to make sure that have an “effective and accessible” complaints system (Regulation 16) in place.

If you need independent support managing complaints effectively to gain strategic insights on how service quality can be improved, please book a free consultation or contact Verita founder Ed Marsden at [email protected]

Key Team Members & Associates

Peter Killwick
Peter has 25 years of consulting experience covering a variety of strategic and operational issues in a wide range of sectors including healthcare, automotive, financial services, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications and government.

Peter has extensive complaints handling experience and was the designer of Verita’s Complaint Handling Diagnostic Tool. He is the primary contact for the British Council contract, and so plays a key role in developing their process improvement actions, screening referred complaints for suitability for independent review and then leading the work for those complaints that we investigate.

Kieren Seale
Prior to joining Verita he had a varied career including working in the planning department at London Transport, in local government and in the private sector. Kieran spent five years working in governance roles NHS commissioning in Primary Care Trusts and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), which included management of complaints processes.

Legally qualified, he has wide experience of delivering solutions to governance issues in the NHS and outside. Kieran leads Verita’s complaints work with organisations including Sport England, Arts Council and Heritage Lottery Fund. He has been guest speaker at a number of complaints conference and has designed and delivered complaints management training for NHS bodies

Thea Walton

Thea Walton is a senior leader and consultant with over 25 years’ experience overseeing handling complaints, in some of the UK’s most complex public sector environments and private sector business.

Her career spans the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme in Parliament, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, where she has led national teams, overseen high-profile investigations, and delivered systemic improvements in complaints handling and professional standards and ethics. She has also led work overseeing handling of allegations of violence against women and girls, and improving the experience of those needing to use complaints and oversight systems in a trauma informed way.