Complaints Policy

Policy Statement

This policy details the process for dealing with complaints and concerns received about Spark Community Space and any of its services. We are committed to resolving all complaints and concerns, both formal and informal, quickly and sensitively, and use the feedback gained to inform our service provision and procedures.

Policy Standards

➢ All complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days following receipt of the complaint
➢ All formal complaints will be passed to the Services Manager for investigation, regardless of the service area they are linked too.
➢ All complaints will be recorded in the Complaints log and feedback will be logged for service improvement.

Local Resolution

Spark Community Space is committed to responding to all concerns quickly and will promote active approaches to resolving complaints locally alongside the formal complaints process. Local resolution will aim to provide an opportunity for investigation, fact finding and resolution of the complaint as quickly as possible.

Informal complaints

Many complaints made in person or over the phone can be resolved immediately or within 24 (working) hours.

These complaints should be logged, the information recorded should include:

❖ name of the complainant and customer (if different)
❖ details of what the complaint is about
❖ any action taken

Complaints raised verbally with staff should, where appropriate, be resolved quickly and informally, seeking support from a manager if required. Staff should give the complainant the option to discuss their concerns in private and encourage them to talk freely and openly about their concerns.

In cases where the complaint can not be resolved informally, staff must refer to the Services Manager.

Formal complaints

Formal complaints can be made verbally or in writing to Spark. Where the complaint is made verbally, a record of the complaint must be taken and shared with the complainant.

All written complaints should be forwarded to the Services Manager in the first instance for investigation. All formal complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days and a response time will be agreed with the complainant. Where possible, complaints will be resolved via the local resolution process, alongside the investigation process.

The Services Manager will be responsible for investigating concerns with the relevant people. Feedback to the complainant can be given in writing or via a resolution meeting, whichever is most appropriate.

If the local resolution process is exhausted with the complainant remaining dissatisfied, the complaint will then be referred to the CEO/Chair of the Board of Trustees for review.

Independent Review

Complainants who are dissatisfied with the local resolution stage and CEO/Chair review, may ask for their concerns to be reviewed externally. Below are the appropriate bodies:

Fundraising complaint

Contact the Fundraising Regulator to complain about:

● The way you’ve been asked for donations
● How fundraisers have behaved
● You can also complain on behalf of someone else.

Fundraising Regulator

2nd Floor CAN Mezzanine Building
49-51 East Road, London N1 6AH
0300 999 3407

Other serious complaints

Complain to the Charity Commission if a charity is, for example:

● Not doing what it claims to do
● Losing lots of money
● Harming people
● Being used for personal profit or gain
● Involved in illegal activity

Charity Commission
Harmsworth House,
13-15 Bouverie Street, London EC4Y 8DP