Complaints Procedure

Last reviewed: January 2025

We want to help you resolve your complaint as quickly as possible.

Content

  • Our standards for handling complaint.
  • How to Complain.
  • If you remain dissatisfied.
  • Information regarding the right to refer the matter to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ICAEW.

Clear Start Accountants is committed to providing a high-quality service to everyone we deal with. In order to do this, we need you to give us any comments about our service, and to tell us when we get things wrong. We want to help you resolve your complaint as quickly as possible.

We treat as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction with our service that calls for a response. We listen to your complaints, treat them seriously, and learn from them so that we can continuously improve our service.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not.

Our policy covers complaints about

  • The standard of service we provide.
  • The behaviour of our staff.
  • any action or lack of action by staff affecting an individual or group.

Our complaints policy does not cover:

  • matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaint procedure.
  • anonymous complaints.
  • complaints about access to information where procedures and remedies are set out in legislation, eg, Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act.

1. Our standards for handling complaints

  • We treat all complaints seriously, whether they are made by letter or by email.
  • You will be treated with courtesy and fairness at all times - we would hope, too, that you will be courteous and fair in your dealings with our staff at all times.
  • We will treat your complaint in confidence within the complaint department.
  • We will deal with your complaint promptly - we will acknowledge receipt of a written complaint within 5 working days, and we will send you a full reply within 8 weeks of receipt.
  • If we cannot send a full reply within 8 weeks of receipt, we will tell you the reason why and let you know when we will be able to reply in full

Confidentiality

All complaints received will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.

2. How to complain

You can make a complaint by email, telephone, via the website, or by post.

You can send an email to cs@clearstartaccountants or in writing to Clear Start Accountants, Complaints Department, Suite 6, 5th Floor, Universal Square, Devonshire St North, M12 6JH

We have a 3-stage complaints procedure. At each stage, it will help us to resolve your complaint quickly if you can give us as much clear detail as possible

The stages of the complaint procedure

Stage 1

This is the first opportunity for us to resolve a complaint’s dissatisfaction, and the majority of complaints will be resolved at this stage. In the first instance, we will try to get your complaint resolved by the team against whom the complaint has been made. Upon receipt of your complaint, we will contact the relevant team Head and ask them to deal with your complaint within 5 working days

Stage 2

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may request a review by the complaint team. Your request should be sent to the address or email address given above.

Stage 3

If you are still dissatisfied with the response, you can request a senior manager to review your complaint.

Timescales for handling a complaint

Stage 1
  • Acknowledgement within 5 working days.
Stage 2
  • Full response within 8 weeks.
Stage 3
  • matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaint procedure.

Extending time limits

We aim to complete all complaints within the timescales above; however, if a complaint is very complex, it may occasionally be necessary to extend the time limit. If this is the case, we will keep the complainant informed of progress with the investigation, the reasons for the delay, and the new deadline.

Following any stage of the procedure, a complainant has a maximum of 28 days from the date of the final response to request that their complaint be progressed to the next stage.

3. If you remain dissatisfied

If you have followed the 3 stages of our complaints procedure and you remain dissatisfied, you can complain to our regulators.

ICAEW

Chartered Accountants Hall

Moorgate Place

London

EC2R 6EA

Scroll