Town Pastors Central - Complaints Policy
Adopted: 17/10/2024
Town Pastors Central 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 Town Pastors Central 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 Town Pastors Central.
Where Complaints Come From
Complaints may come from any person or organisation who has a legitimate interest in Town Pastors Central.
A complaint must be received in writing, by email or by post.
This policy does not cover complaints from Town Pastors Central staff or volunteers.
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 Directors of Town Pastors Central.
Review
This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.
- Adopted on: 17th October 2024
- Last reviewed on: N/A
Complaints Procedure of Town Pastors Central
Publicised Contact Details for Complaints
Complaints must be submitted in writing.
Written complaints should be addressed to Town Pastors Central and sent by post to Town Pastors Central, 19 Westleton Way, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 2YG or by email to complaints [at] townpastors.org.uk
Resolving Complaints
Stage One
If the complaint has been made to a Director, whether or not the complaint has been resolved, the complaint information should be passed to the Chair of Town Pastors as soon as possible and within one week.
On receiving the complaint (from the complainant or from a Director), the Chair should record it in the complaints log. If it has not already been resolved, the Chair will investigate it and take appropriate action.
If the complaint is related to the Chair, the complaint will be delegated to one of the Directors to investigate and to take appropriate action.
Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within one week of the Chair receiving the complaint. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply. A copy of this complaints procedure should be attached.
If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.
Ideally the complainant should receive a definitive reply within four weeks of the Chair receiving the complaint. 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 Board level. The Board of Directors will appoint two Directors to review the complaint. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the two designated Directors.
The request for Board level review should be acknowledged within one week of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.
The two designated Directors should investigate the facts of the case. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at Stage One. The complainant may be invited to meet with the two designated Directors to ensure they fully understand the complaint.
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.
The two designated Directors will bring their findings to the Board for consideration.
Ideally the complainant should receive a definitive reply within four weeks of Town Pastors Central receiving the request for the complaint to be reviewed at Board level. 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 Board 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/publications/cc47.aspx
Variation of the Complaints Procedure
The Directors may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest.
Monitoring and Learning from Complaints
Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.