Complaints Policy

Introduction

The Trustees of the Shaftesbury Refugee Group want to know if a beneficiary, charity member, volunteer, or the public feel that we are not acting within our Constitution, our Code of Conduct or the policies the Charity has set out or if we are causing harm.

We want to know so that the Charity can learn from and act on this information. 

Making a complaint 

Your complaint may prevent harm to others and the Charity’s reputation. Please make any complaint as promptly as possible.  If a complaint is upheld the Charity would want to act on the concern immediately.  

A complaint should be addressed to the Secretary or the Chair in confidence.  An anonymous complaint without a reply address should be avoided as it is hard to follow up such a concern with care for the complainant or those affected.The charity will protect whistleblowers.  Be as detailed as you can about the complaint, the people affected, the harm caused, when the concern arose, who you feel may be at fault, how you came to know.

How is the complaint handled?

The Chair and Secretary of Shaftesbury Refugee Group will consider any complaint.  Should the complaint concern either of these parties then at least two Trustees who are not involved will consider the complaint. Complaints will be dealt with confidentially by the Trustees.

The two Trustees appointed will acknowledge with the complainant that the complaint has been received and is being considered. They will  record the complaint, review the evidence and if necessary gather further evidence so as to be as clear as possible about the facts of the complaint.  They will consider whether there has been harm caused.  They will consider whether any aspect of the Charity’s Constitution, Code of Conduct or Policies have been disregarded or breached by any member involved. They will set out what they find for the Trustees as a whole(1)  to consider.   The Trustees as a whole(1) will decide whether to uphold the complaint and if so what sanctions may be necessary, what redress may be needed and what learning can be gained before taking any actions.  They may need support to do so.

What happens if your complaint is upheld?

The Trustees will write to you saying clearly what it is they will do to address the concerns raised in your complaint. They will invite your reply.

What happens if your complaint is not upheld?

The Trustees will write to you saying clearly the reasons why your complaint has not been upheld. They will invite your reply. They will tell you how to advance your complaint if you are unhappy with the outcome and may direct you to  https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity 

Note (1) With the exception of any Trustee about whom a complaint has been made