Complaints Policy & Procedure

Complaints Policy

Jill's Fundraising Journey (JFJ) views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this policy is:

To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint

To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint

To make sure everyone at JFJ knows what to do if a complaint is received

To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way

To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired

To gather information which helps us to improve what we do

Definition of a Complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of JFJ.

Where Complaints Come From

Complaints may come from clients, service users, members of the local community, members of the general public, any person or organisation who has a legitimate interest in JFJ.
A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.
This policy does not cover issues raised by volunteers, in this instance please refer to JFJ's Resolving Volunteer Issues and Concerns Policy & Procedures

Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.

This policy is to be reviewed every year by the JFJ Committee and is communicated to all trustees, staff and volunteers through training starting at induction.

Complaints Procedure

Publicised Contact Details for Complaints:

Written complaints may be sent to

Jill's Fundraising Journey

36 Goodden Crescent

Farnbrough

Hampshire

Gu14 0DQ

or by email at

jillsfundraisingjourney@gmail.com

Verbal complaints may be made by phone to

07548633639

or in person to any of JFJ's Trustees.

Receiving Complaints

Complaints may arrive through channels publicised for that purpose or through any other contact details or opportunities the complainant may have.
Complaints received by telephone or in person need to be recorded. The person who receives a phone or in person complaint should:

Write down the facts of the complaint

Take down the complainant’s name, address and telephone number

Note down the relationship of the complainant to JFJ

Tell the complainant that JFJ has a complaints procedure

Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take

Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant's own words

Resolving Complaints

Stage one

In many cases, a complaint is best resolved by the person responsible for the issue being complained about. If the complaint has been received by that person, they may be able to resolve it swiftly and should do so if possible and appropriate.
Whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information should be passed to the Secretary within one week, unless the complaint revolves around the Secretary, in this instance the complaint information should be passed to another trustee within one week.
On receiving the complaint, the Secretary records it in the complaints log. If it has not already been resolved, they delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.
If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond
Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within a week. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of this complaint’s procedure should be attached.
Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within four weeks. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

Stage two

If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage one, they can request that the complaint is reviewed at Committee level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Chairperson.
The request for Committee level review should be acknowledged within a week of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.
The Chairperson may investigate the facts of the case themselves or may delegate a suitable senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One.
If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond.
The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One should be kept informed of what is happening.
Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within four weeks. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.
The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Committee decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.

External Stage

The complainant can complain to the Charity Commission at any stage.

Information about the kind of complaints the Commission can involve itself in can be found on their website at:

www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Variation of the Complaints Procedure

The Committee may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, for example a complaint about the Chairperson should not also have the Chairperson as the person leading a Stage Two review.

Monitoring and Learning from Complaints

Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.

This policy is to be reviewed every year by the JFJ Committee and is communicated to all trustees, staff and volunteers through training starting at induction.