Complaints procedure and fundraising raising regulator Overview

Healthier Heroes Foundation 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. Healthier Heroes Foundation will:

Provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint;
Publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint;
Ensure everyone knows what to do if a complaint is received;
Ensure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way;
Ensure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired;
Gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Healthier Heroes Foundation activities. Complaints may come from any person or organisation. A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing. This policy does not cover complaints from employees, who should use Healthier Heroes Foundation disciplinary and grievance policies.

Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively in line with data protection requirements and information will be limited to those who are authorised to see it as part of their duties. Responsibility Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Board of Trustees at Healthier Heroes Foundation.

Contact details for complaints

Written complaints may be sent to anyone at Healthier Heroes Foundation. In absence of another known contact, you should address to: Healthier Heroes Foundation 17-19 Nicholas Street, Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 2AQ or by email to info@healthierheroesfoundation.org

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 the complainant’s name, address and telephone number;
Note down the relationship of the complainant to Healthier Heroes Foundation;
Tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure;
Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take; and
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.

Practical guidance for handling verbal complaints

Remain calm and respectful throughout the conversation
Listen – allow the person to talk about the complaint in their own words. Sometimes a person just wants to “let off steam”
Don’t debate the facts in the first instance, especially if the person is angry
Show an interest in what is being said
Obtain details about the complaint before any personal details
Ask for clarification wherever necessary
Show that you have understood the complaint by reflecting back what you have noted down
Acknowledge the person’s feelings (even if you feel that they are being unreasonable) – you can do this without making a comment on the complaint itself or making any admission of fault on behalf of the organisation e.g. “I understand that this situation is frustrating for you”
If you feel that an apology is deserved for something that was the responsibility of your organisation, then apologise
Ask the person what they would like done to resolve the issue
Be clear about what you can do, how long it will take and what it will involve.
Don’t promise things you can’t deliver
Give clear and valid reasons why requests cannot be met
Make sure that the person understands what they have been told
Wherever appropriate, inform the person about the available avenues of review or appeal

All complaints are summarised and present to the Healthier Heroes Foundation Trustees at quarterly Board meetings. Complaints are retained for at least seven years from the date on which the complaint is made, except where Data Protection law requires that the information be deleted earlier than this (for example, where, within this timeframe, you request that your information be destroyed).

Resolving complaints procedure

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 Head of Department (service delivery director) within one week.

On receiving the complaint, Head of Department records it in the complaints log.

Complaints should be acknowledged by the Head of Department within one week. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when 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 by the Trustees. The Trustees will acknowledge the complaint within one week.

The Trustees will investigate the complaint, record the findings and respond to the compliant within four weeks. 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.

Stage Three

If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One or Two, they can request that the complaint is reviewed by the Trustees members of the Board.

The request for Board 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 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. 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 Board decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.

Variation of the Resolving complaints procedure

Healthier Heroes Foundation and the Board may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, for example, a complaint about the any Board Member should not also have the Board Member 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.

Fundraising regulator

If your complaint was to do with a Fundraising Activity and you feel that we have not satisfactorily resolved your complaint, you can contact the Fundraising Regulator via: http://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/make-a-complaint/complaints/

Please see Appendix A for details of our Fundraising Promise to the Fundraising Regulator via the link above.

Complaints procedure and fundraising raising regulator Overview

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