Complaints Policy
The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK (“The Charity”) 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.
Our 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 The Charity 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 The Charity, encompassing both our fundraising and advocacy work in the UK.
Where Complaints Come From
Complaints may come from any individual, volunteer or organisation who has a legitimate interest in The Charity, including the general public, if something is perceived to be improper. A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email, or in writing.
Confidentiality
All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
Responsibility
Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Board of Trustees of The Charity.
Review
This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.
Complaints To The Charity
Written complaints may be sent to The Chairperson, The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK, 9 The Fordway, Lower Quinton, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8QP.
Receiving Complaints
Complaints may arrive through channels publicised for that purpose or through any other contact details or opportunities the complainant may have, such as social media.
Complaints received by telephone or in person need to be recorded but the complainant should be informed that their complaint should be made in writing.
The person who receives a telephone or in person complaint should:
Write down the facts of the complaint
Take the complainant’s name, address, and contact number
Note the relationship of the complainant to The Charity, e.g., donor, volunteer, sponsor, etc
Inform the complainant that we have a Complaints Procedure
Inform the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take
Where appropriate, ask the complainant to complete our Complaints Form by post or 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 Chairperson, or other suitable Trustee, within 24 hours.
On receiving the complaint, the Chairperson records it in the Complaints Logbook. 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 five working days. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of our Complaints Procedure should be attached. Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within ten working days. If this is not possible because, e.g., 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 because 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 Board level.
At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Board of Trustees. The request for Board level review should be acknowledged within five working days of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.
The Board of Trustees may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably 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. The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One should be kept informed of what is happening.
If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond. Ideally complainants should receive a definitive reply within twenty-eight days. If this is not possible because, e.g., 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 because of the complaint. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board of Trustees decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution
External Stage
As The Charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England & Wales, the complainant can complain to the Regulator at any stage. Information about the kind of complaints the Charity Commission can involve itself in can be found on their website at:
https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
Variation Of The Complaints Procedure
The Board of Trustees may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, e.g., a complaint about the Chairperson or Trustee should not also have the Chairperson and/or Trustee named involved as a person leading a Stage Two review.
Monitoring & Learning From Complaints
Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.