Nai's House (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:
2.1 A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of the Charity.
2.2 Complaints may come from donors and other individuals who we contact about our work, or any other person or organisation with an interest in the Charity and its activities.
2.3 A complaint can be received verbally, by phone, by email or in writing.
All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Board of Trustees of the Charity.
This policy is reviewed regularly and updated as required.
6.1 Written complaints may be sent to the Charity at First floor, Garth House, The Garth, Launton Road, Bicester, OX26 6PS or by e-mail to hello@naishouse.org.uk
6.2 Verbal complaints may be made by phone to 01869 242578 or in person to any of the Charity’s staff, volunteers or Trustees.
6.3 Complaints can also be made directly to the Charity Commission or, if the complaint relates to the use of the complainant’s personal information by the Charity, to the Information Commissioner’s Office (the ICO) (see paragraph 11).
7.1 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:
8.1 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 Office Manager within one week.
8.2 On receiving the complaint, the Office Manager records it in the complaints log. If it has not already been resolved, they delegate an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.
8.3 If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.
8.4 Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within a week. 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.
8.5 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.
8.6 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.
9.1 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 Chair.
9.2 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.
9.3 The Chair may investigate the facts of the case herself / himself 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.
9.4 If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond.
9.5 The person who dealt with the original complaint at Stage One should be kept informed of what is happening.
9.6 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.
9.7 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.
9.8 The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.
The Board may vary this procedure if it has good reason for doing so, such as a conflict of interest. For example, if the complaint was about the Chair, it would not be appropriate for the Chair to conduct a Stage Two review.
11.1 A 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 its website.
11.2 If the complaint relates to the use of the complainant’s personal information by Nai’s House the complainant may complain to the ICO. Information about the kind of complaints the ICO can involve itself in and how it deals with complaints can be found on its website.
11.3 In the event a regulator receives a complaint in relation to the Charity, the Charity will cooperate with that regulator as appropriate.
Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.
We will keep a record on file for each formal complaint made to the Charity, which will help us to conduct our investigation and to monitor and evaluate our work. Our record of complaints may be inspected by regulatory bodies such as the Charity Commission or Fundraising Regulator. We will use the information you share with us, such as your name and contact details, to manage the complaint and communicate with you about it. All complaints will be subject to our confidentiality, privacy and data protection policies.