Introduction

Charities Trust work incredibly hard to ensure that that things are right the first time round, but sometimes we get it wrong. For this reason, a Complaints Policy was created to show our commitment in dealing with complaints in an appropriate and timely manner.

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to evidence our commitment to the resolution of complaints in an orderly fashion and for all staff to be aware of this Policy and how we handle complaints in line with this.

Procedure

In the first instance, customers are encouraged to contact the Compliance Manager to lodge their complaint. Complaints can be lodged either by email using the compliance@charitiestrust.org email address or by using the contact form on the “Contact Us” section of the Charities Trust website (please ensure that your message is marked as Complaint), by telephone on 0151 2841 433 or by writing to: Compliance Manager, Charities Trust, 2nd floor, Eleanor Rathbone House Unit 16, Connect Business Village, 24 Derby Road, Liverpool L5 9PR.

It is vital that the complainant provides the following information when lodging their complaint:

1. Name and contact details

2. Employer details (if relevant)

3. Account number or customer reference number (if applicable)

4. A daytime telephone number

5. Details of the complaint

6. What you would like us to do to resolve your complaint

The Compliance Manager will investigate the complaint and will look to resolve your complaint quickly and fairly. An acknowledgement of the complaint will be made to the complainant within 48 working hours and the complainant will receive a full written response within 10 working days. If longer is required to respond because of the complexity of the complaint, the complainant will be informed. It is the aim of Charities Trust is to resolve the complaint to complete satisfaction at this level.

In the event that the complaint remains unresolved following an investigation by the Compliance Manager, the complaint can be escalated to the Chief Governance Officer, using the same contact details as above.

In the unlikely event that it has not been possible to resolve the complaint, it is recommended that the complainant contact the Charity Commission depending on the nature of the complaint. Further details are available on the Charity Commission website www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission

If the complaint falls within the remit of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) or is Data Protection related, then investigation of the complaint will lie with the Data Protection Manager and complainants will be encouraged to use the procedure noted above, with the notable difference being who will investigate the complaint. Following this, if the complainant remains unsatisfied, they can escalate their complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Further information is available on the ICO website www.ico.org.uk