Hounslow Community Foodbox
Complaints Policy
Introduction
The Hounslow Community FoodBox (HfB) 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 HfB 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 our work – encompassing both our services; fund raising and advocacy work. This includes volunteers; Trustees and contractors.
Where a complaint relates to our services to children or vulnerable adults, the Safeguarding Policy may be used instead of this Policy as the basis to address the issue. If this is the case the person complaining will be advised of this.
Accountability
It is the duty of everyone within HfB to recognise complaints and to use this Policy to investigate them. The Board of Trustees are accountable for a robust approach to complaints management.
Where Complaints Come From
Complaints may come from any individual, volunteer or organisation who has a legitimate interest in our work, 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 and in line with our Data Protection Policy, telling only those who need to know.
Receiving Complaints
Complaints may arrive through channels publicised for that purpose or through any other contact details or opportunities the complainant may have. However, we will not accept complaints through social media.
The person who receives a 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 HfB e.g. donor, volunteer, sponsor, customer
- Tell the complainant that we have 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 Treasurer at treasurer@hounslowfoodbox.org within five business days.
On receiving the complaint, the Treasurer 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.
Complaints should be made within 6 months of the incident the complaint is about. HfB reserves the right to reject any complaint that is outside this timeframe.
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 a month. 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.
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 or an external organisation 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 a month. 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
As HfB is a registered charity, 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: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity.
Unreasonable Complaint
The presumption is always that a complaint is made in good faith however sometimes a complainant's behaviour may be unreasonable if they continue to write, email or telephone about their complaint(s) excessively (and without providing new information) despite being assured that their complaint is being dealt with or being told their complaint has concluded.
Every complaint will be considered on its merits and, even if someone has made a vexatious or malicious complaint in the past, it will not be assumed that any other complaint they make is also vexatious or malicious. HfB will consider any known temporary or permanent outside factors, such as personal or health issues that may have affected the complainant.
However, a complaint may be regarded as vexatious or malicious where the complainant persists in pursuing a complaint which has already been investigated with no new or material information or seeks to prolong contact by continually changing the substance of a complaint or by continually raising further concerns or questions whilst the complaint is being addressed.
What is a vexatious or malicious complaint?
This is a complaint that is one that the investigation has shown to be without foundation; and or one where the investigation evidence demonstrates that the complainant knowingly lied to the investigator.
The mere fact that someone has brought a number of complaints in the past is not of itself sufficient grounds for refusing to consider a complaint if it raises new matters.
No one will be treated less favourably because they have brought a complaint. This applies even where they are suspected to be vexatious, malicious, or otherwise.
The Treasurer and Chair of the Board can deem a complaint malicious or vexatious and refuse to investigate it. This will be registered in the Complaints Logbook and reported to the Board.
Variation of the Complaints Procedure
The Board may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, for example, a complaint about a Chair or trustee should not also have the Chair and/or trustee involved as a person leading a Stage Two review.
Monitoring and Learning from Complaints
Complaints are reviewed by the Board annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.
Review
This policy applies to all trustees and volunteers and will be effective from June 2022 and is due for review June 2025.