We aim to offer our members high quality, value for money services at all times. If for any reason anyone is unhappy with our service or the conduct of our officers, employees or volunteers we encourage them to let us know. This facilitates continuous improvement in our service delivery to all members of Halton Credit Union.
“A Complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, whether written or oral, about a service that the Credit Union has provided, or failed to provide that has resulted in a financial loss, material distress or material inconvenience, or the potential for such loss or inconvenience to occur.
A refusal of a loan application is not a valid complaint unless the complainant can demonstrate they have been treated unfairly or in a discriminatory manner.
Complains can be made by eligible complainants. An eligible complainant is:
- A Credit Union member or junior saver, or a potential or former member or junior saver.
- A nominated beneficiary or personal representative of a member or junior saver
- A business with turnover of less than £1 million”.
The FCA states that Credit Unions must publicise ‘at the point of sale’ the availability of the complaints procedure. Therefore, HCU includes the leaflets ‘Treating Customers Fairly’ and ‘How to make a complaint’ in the Membership Application Pack.
RECEIVING COMPLAINTS:
- A complaint can be made in person, by email or over the telephone.
- If necessary, an appointment will be made to see a Manager or Senior Officer of Halton Credit Union at one of the main offices.
- The Manager/Senior Officer will record the complaint and try to resolve the situation at the initial stage.
- If not resolved the Member is given a copy of HCU’s Internal Complaints Procedure in line with this policy and their complaint is referred to the Credit Unions Complaints Officer
- If the complaint is of a serious nature the Complaints Officer will log the information in the Complaints Register and supply a copy to the Chair of the Board.
- All completed Internal Complaint Reporting forms (even if there was no further action required) must be given to the Complaints Officer.
HCU COMPLAINT OFFICERS:
A member of the Board of Directors will be appointed Complaints Officer each year after the Annual General Meeting (AGM). A second Board member will be appointed as an alternate (Deputy Complaints Officer) in the event the Complaints Officer is unable to discharge this responsibility or if the complaint is against the post holder. If the complaint is against the alternate (Deputy Complaints Officer), the Board will appoint a suitable person to investigate the complaint.
The Complaints Officer will be responsible for actioning and investigating all complaints that are not resolved at the initial stage. Appropriate actions will be taken to identify and remedy and recurring or systemic problems as well as any specific problem identified by a complaint.
‘ELIGIBLE COMPLAINANT’:
For the purposes of the complaints process, an eligible complainant is:
- Direct Eligible Complainant: a member, potential member or former member of the Credit Union; a juvenile depositor, potential juvenile depositor or former juvenile depositor of the Credit Union.
- Direct Eligible Complainant: having an indirect relationship with the Credit Union:
(a) a guarantor
(b) a beneficiary of those having a direct relationship with the Credit Union (where, for example, a person has been nominated to receive property on a person's death); - A representative: of those having a direct or indirect relationship with the Credit Union (where, for example, a person is acting on behalf of a deceased member).
RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS
Within a Day: the aim is to resolve complaints to the complainant's satisfaction by the end of the day after the complaint was received (Complaints resolved in this time period will not be included in the Annual Report to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and do not need to be kept for three years).
Within 3 Days: If the complaint cannot be resolved quickly, an acknowledgement will be sent to the complainant within 3 days of receipt of the complaint including the name of the Complaints Officer together with a copy of the Credit Unions Internal Complaints Procedure.
Within 8 weeks: It is HCU’s intention to provide a complainant with a satisfactory final response within 8 weeks of receipt of the complaint or provide a response which explains the delay and advising the complainant when a final response can be expected. The complainant will be asked whether they are willing to extend the time for the investigation to be completed.
The complainant will be advised that if they are dissatisfied with the delay that they can refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Services (a copy of the FOS leaflet “Want to take your complaint further?” to be included in response).The FOS provides a free service to members and consumers and HCU will co-operate with any investigation undertaken by them on a complainant’s behalf.
A final response will include a summary of the complaint and the investigation, HCU’s views on the issues raised in the complaint, an acknowledgement by the Credit Union if it has been at fault and details of redress or offer made to settle the complaint. Reference will also be made to the complainant's right to refer to the FOS if they remain unsatisfied.
RECORDS AND REPORTING:
HCU Will Keep All Records Of Complaints Taking More Than The Following Business Day To Resolve, For A Period Of 3 Years.
Each April HCU Will Report To The FCA The Total Number Of Complaints Received Between 1st April And 31st March The Previous Year. The Credit Union MUST Make A Return Even If It Is A Nil Return.
POLICY STATEMENT:
Halton Credit Union aims to provide all members with high quality financial services. If we fail to provide a satisfactory level and quality of service that members demand, we will endeavour to put things right within the shortest possible time. To facilitate this process we have developed an Internal Complaints Procedure and regard complaints as an opportunity to improve our service.
How to Make a Complaint:
Should the need arise you can make a complaint in writing to:
Halton Credit Union Ltd
115-116 River Walk
Runcorn Shopping City
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 2BX
Name Change
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From Tuesday 1st October, Halton Credit Union will be trading as Beacon Savings & Loans, read on to see why we are changing our name.
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Why has Halton Credit Union changed its name
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Halton Credit Union is now trading under the name Beacon Savings & Loans
In 2019, Halton Credit Union extended its common bond i.e. the thing that links us all together as members, to cover a larger area. Formerly members had to live or work in Halton but with the extended common bond people who live or work in the whole of Cheshire, plus the adjacent WA postcodes are now able to join our credit union.
Therefore, it was envisaged that having a geographical place name, Halton Credit Union, would hinder our expansion as location names do not travel well. The need for member connection is vital and any potential members in our extended common bond may not be familiar with the location, Halton, therefore it would it not evoke a ‘sense of belonging’ to them.
Additionally, individuals in these other regions may be unaware that they can join.
Therefore, the most important thing was to make our credit union relevant to the members, both potential and existing and to the communities in which we will operate.
The new name ‘Beacon’ emotes reliability and security and ‘Savings & Loans’ gives clarity to what we do – it is clear and straightforward. The name is also easy to remember and recognise and will appeal to a more diverse range of potential members, avoiding terms that might feel exclusive or limiting, such as the place name Halton.
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Who chose the name Beacon Savings & Loans?
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Our existing members inadvertently helped to choose the trading name Beacon Savings & Loans
A working group shortlisted several suitable and available names. Existing members were then asked to complete a survey about their credit union, without being informed of its true purpose. Their responses were used to help select the new name. The survey was conducted blind to ensure that the chosen name would reflect the essence and values of the organization, rather than simply being selected based on popularity.
The new brand is fresh and modern and as ‘Beacon Savings & Loans’ feels more authentic as it accurately reflects some of the members comments:
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Who we are: ‘a beacon of light’ for those that need our services, a ‘lifesaver’ who people can turn to and a ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
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What we do: ‘provide a safe place for people to save as well as offer affordable loans to members.’
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Does that mean Halton Credit Unions brand/logo change?
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The new branding will now feature a modern, fresh design with a more professional appearance.
Our original brand is also outdated and not really what we are about as an organisation. The logo was designed over 20 years ago and incorporated a pound sign – today HCU is less about money and more what we can do for members.
The recent changes align with our mission which is... ‘People and Planet before Profit.’ At Beacon, we aim to shine a light on the changes needed in our communities, but much more than that... we also want to actively participate in creating the solutions
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Does that mean that you are no longer a credit union?
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We will also be a credit union, we are proud to be a credit union
When you know what a credit union is, you know they are the best thing. Many people do not know what a credit union is and the name can feel misleading to some people. Whilst we are a union, given that we all come together for the greater good of everyone involved, we're not a trade union. Credit unions are a part of the cooperative movement, meaning that we are owned by our members. In fact we are a Savings & Loans cooperative.