Appeal
Request received for reconsideration of any adverse decision of French Cert-UK attributable to office activities or on-site- audit activities.
Complaint
Dissatisfaction communicated to French Cert-UK which may be attributable to office activities or on-site audit activities.
Procedure
This procedure is accessible to public through web site www.FrenchCert.com
Appeals
French Cert-UK takes responsibility for all its decisions at all levels in the handling of appeals. It is ensured that personnel engaged in the appeals- handling process are different from those who carried out audits and made the certification decisions.
Appeals handling process
The appeal can be received by e-mail, fax, written, verbal. On receipt of an appeal, AC committee evaluates gathers and verifies all necessary information to validate the appeal. The appeal is recorded, acknowledged and communicated to the appellant by AC committee.
AC committee carries out investigation of the appeal taking into account results of previous similar appeals. AC committee submits a report indicating the results of investigation and the actions to be taken as well as the reply to be sent to the client.
The final decision is made by AC committee on the basis of the review of report received from AC committee/Nominee. In case AC committee was previously involved in the certification decision related to appeal, the decision is taken by another nominated person who was not previously involved in the specific certification audit / decision process.
AC committee tracks and records the actions taken and the appellant is kept informed by AC committee on the progress till the appeal is resolved. At the end of appeal handling process, formal notice is given to the appellant by AC committee.
AC committee would ensure that appropriate correction and corrective actions are identified and implemented where required.
AC committee ensures that submission, investigation and decision on appeals shall not result in any discriminatory actions against the appellants.
AC committee submits his report to director technical and the decision will be communicated to the appellant.
The progress report shall be send to appellant and request him for the feedback within fifteen days. if the complainant does not come back it means the appeal is solved.
This shall be shown and discuss with impartiality committee.
Confidentiality shall be maintained throughout.
Complaints
The complaint can be received by e-mail, fax, written, verbal. We will only accept such complaints with proper identification of the person. On receipt of complaint, AC committee evaluates gathers and verifies all necessary information to validate the complaint. In case it is confirmed that the complaint relates to certification activities, AC committee shall initiate investigation.
Director technical ensures that the persons engaged in complaints handling process are different from those who carried out audits and made the certification decisions.
If the complaint is about certified clients, it will be communicated to the concerned client at an appropriate time. The complaint is recorded, acknowledged and communicated to the complainant by AC committee.
Complaints are investigated by AC committee for deciding actions to be taken in response to the complaint.
In case the complaint is against the certified client, the investigation shall consider the effectiveness of certified management system and any actions required are decided by AC committee.
AC committee implements the actions decided and track the actions taken till its completion. AC committee also ensures that corrections and appropriate corrective actions are implemented and completed where required.
Whenever possible, AC committee communicates the progress on the actions to the complainant and at the end of complaint closure; formal notice is given to the complainant.
The above activities of complaint handling process are subjected to requirement for confidentiality as it relates to the complainant and to the subject of the complaint.
The progress report shall be send to complainant and request him for the feedback within fifteen days. if the complainant does not come back it means the complaint is solved.
AC committee shall determine, together with client and complainant, whether and, if so to what extent, the subject of the complaint and its resolution shall be made public.
Corrective actions as required are dealt with as per procedure (Corrective and Preventive Action).
Confidentiality shall be maintained throughout.
This shall be shown and discuss with impartiality committee.
Aged Complaints
All complaints that are not resolved within three months of the agreed timeframe (aged complaints) are transferred to AB-CAB Accreditation Board.
· original complaint
· records of the review of the complaint
· response to the complainant
Any other records that inform the background to the complaint.
