Need for practitioners to advise complainers about the SLCC and it’s time limits

Practitioners should ensure that clients, or others, who may wish to express dissatisfaction with a practitioner or firm, are advised of the SLCC as the gateway for complaints at an appropriate time.  Practitioners should emphasise that the SLCC operates strict time limits for accepting complaints, which require complaints to be made within one year of the service ending or the conduct occurring. However, the SLCC will disregard any time it considers that the complainer was excusably unaware of their concerns.