One25 is committed to providing a quality service and working in an open and accountable way that builds the trust and respect of all our stakeholders. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our service users, staff, supporters and all other stakeholders, and in particular by responding positively to complaints, and by putting mistakes right.

Therefore we aim to ensure that:

• Making a complaint is as easy as possible;
• We treat a complaint as a clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for an immediate response;
• We deal with it promptly, politely and, when appropriate, confidentially;
• We respond in the right way: for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken etc;
• We learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and review annually our complaints policy and procedures.

We recognise that many concerns will be raised informally and dealt with quickly. Our aims are to:

• Resolve informal concerns quickly;
• Keep matters low-key;
• Enable mediation between the complainant and the individual to whom the complaint has been referred.

An informal approach is appropriate when it can be achieved. But if concerns cannot be satisfactorily resolved informally, then the formal complaints procedure should be followed.

One25 defines a complaint as ‘any expression of dissatisfaction with One25, with a member of staff, with a volunteer or with an One25 Trustee that relates to One25 and that requires a formal response’. The formal complaints procedure is intended to ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently and wherever possible resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.

One25’s responsibility will be to:

• Acknowledge the formal complaint in writing;
• Respond within a stated period of time;
• Deal reasonably and sensitively with the complaint;
• Take action where appropriate.

A complainant’s responsibility is to:

• Bring their complaint, in writing, to One25’s attention, normally within eight weeks of the issue arising
• Raise concerns promptly and directly with a member of staff in One25
• Explain the problem as clearly and as fully as possible, including any action taken to date
• Allow One25 a reasonable time to deal with the matter
• Recognise that some circumstances may be beyond One25’s control

Confidentiality

Except in exceptional circumstances, every attempt will be made to ensure that both the complainant and One25 maintain confidentiality. However the circumstances giving rise to the complaint may be such that it may not be possible to maintain confidentiality (with each complaint judged on its own merit). Should this be the case, the situation will be explained to the complainant.

Monitoring and reporting

Trustees of One25 will receive periodic anonymised report of complaints made and their resolution.

Formal Complaints Procedure

Stage 1

In the first instance, if you are unable to resolve the issue informally, you should write to the member of staff who dealt with you, or their manager, so that she has a chance to put things right. If your complaint concerns a trustee of One25, rather than a member of One25’s staff, you should write formally to One25’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). If your complaint concerns a One25 volunteer then please write to One25’s Volunteer Manager. In either letter you should set out the details of your complaint, the consequences for you as a result and the remedy you are seeking.

You can expect your complaint to be acknowledged within four working days of receipt. You should get a response and an explanation within fifteen working days. If you are unsure which member of One25 staff to write to, your complaint should be sent to One25’s Finance and Resources Manager. If the complaint is about the Finance and Resources Manager then send your complaint to One25’s CEO.

Our contact details are here

Stage 2

If you are not satisfied with the initial response to the complaint then you can write to One25’s CEO and ask for your complaint and the response to be reviewed. You can expect the CEO to acknowledge your request within 4 working days of receipt and a response within 15 workings days.

One25’s aim is to resolve all matters as quickly as possible. However, inevitably some issues will be more complex and therefore may require longer to be fully investigated. Consequently timescales given for handling and responding to complaints are indicative. If a matter requires more detailed investigation, you will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, and when a full reply can be expected and from whom.

Final Stage

If you are not satisfied with the subsequent reply from One25’s CEO, then you have the option of writing to the One25’s Chair of the Trustees stating the reason why you are dissatisfied with the outcome. You must do this within 10 days of receiving the written response from One25’s CEO.

The Chair of the Trustees (or their nominee) will respond normally within 10 working days to inform you of the action which will be taken to investigate your complaint, and when you can expect to hear the outcome of the investigation.

This policy was last updated in March 2017 and will be subject to regular review.