Complaints

[TO BE CONFIRMED – organisation legal name.] We want to get things right. If you are unhappy with how we have handled something – our services, our communications, or the conduct of our staff, volunteers or trustees – please tell us so that we can put it right and improve.

What we will do

We will:

• Listen to you and take your concern seriously.
• Confirm receipt of your complaint in writing.
• Investigate the matter fairly and impartially, as far as we are able.
• Tell you the outcome and, where we can, what we have changed as a result.

How to complain

• Email: [TO BE CONFIRMED – complaints email address]
• Telephone: [TO BE CONFIRMED – telephone number]
• Post: [TO BE CONFIRMED – postal address, marked for the attention of the Complaints Officer]

You may complain to any member of staff. If you would prefer not to approach the person your complaint concerns, you may ask for the complaint to be passed to a different member of staff.

What to include

Please include as much of the following as you can. If you do not have something, please say so rather than leaving it out.

• Your name and contact details.
• What happened, when it happened and where.
• Who was involved.
• What you would like us to do.
• Any documents, emails or reference numbers that may help us understand the matter.

If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, please tell us your relationship to them and obtain their agreement to act for them where they are able to give it. If they are unable to give agreement, please explain why.

What happens next

1. Acknowledgement. We will confirm receipt of your complaint in writing within [TO BE CONFIRMED – target, e.g. five working days].
2. Assessment. We will assess the complaint against our policy and decide how to handle it.
3. Investigation. We will gather information, speak to those involved and reach a fair conclusion.
4. Outcome. We will write to you with our findings and any action we have taken.

We aim to complete a complaint within [TO BE CONFIRMED – target, e.g. eight weeks from the date we acknowledge it]. If a case is complex and will take longer, we will explain why and tell you when to expect a decision.

Unresolved complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response, please tell us so that we can look again. We will arrange for the complaint to be reviewed by someone not previously involved in handling it, and we will tell you what we find.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to seek independent advice about your options. [TO BE CONFIRMED – relevant ombudsman, regulator or external body, where one applies, and its contact details.]

Complaints about safeguarding

If your complaint concerns the safety of a child, young person or adult at risk, or the conduct of someone working with children or adults at risk, please read our Safeguarding policy, which sets out a faster route for reporting such concerns.

Records

We keep a record of complaints and how we handled them, in line with our [TO BE CONFIRMED – records retention schedule]. We do not keep records of trivial or repeated complaints. Information you give us will be handled in line with our Privacy Policy.