Governance

Complaints Policy
& Procedure

OCAAF welcomes feedback and aims to handle complaints promptly, fairly, consistently and confidentially.

Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1213930

1. Policy Statement

Feedback helps us improve.

OCAAF is committed to providing high-quality services and treating stakeholders with respect, fairness and dignity.

Complaints are welcomed as an opportunity to learn, improve services and strengthen accountability.

No individual will be disadvantaged because they have made a complaint in good faith.

2. Purpose

What complaints may relate to

  • Services provided by OCAAF
  • Conduct of staff, volunteers or trustees
  • Fundraising activities
  • Communications and engagement
  • Decisions, actions or omissions by the charity

3. Scope

Who may complain

Complaints may be made by:

  • Beneficiaries
  • Donors and supporters
  • Volunteers
  • Members of the public
  • Partner organisations
  • Service users
  • Other stakeholders

This policy does not cover:

  • Employee grievance matters
  • Safeguarding concerns
  • Whistleblowing disclosures
  • Requests made under data-protection legislation

4. Principles

How complaints will be handled

  • Accessible: Information about complaining will be publicly available.
  • Fair: Complaints will be assessed impartially.
  • Confidential: Information will be shared only where necessary.
  • Timely: Complaints will be acknowledged and investigated promptly.
  • Transparent: Complainants will be informed about progress and outcomes.
  • Learning-focused: Lessons will be used to improve OCAAF.

5. Definition

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about OCAAF’s activities, services, conduct, decisions, actions or lack of action where a response is expected.

6. Making a Complaint

How to complain

Complaints may be submitted by:

A complaint should include:

  • Your name and contact details
  • A description of the complaint
  • Relevant dates and facts
  • Your desired outcome, if known

Anonymous complaints may be considered where enough information has been provided.

7. Complaints Procedure

How the process works

01

Initial Complaint

OCAAF will normally acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days.

Investigation will normally be completed within 20 working days where possible.

02

Review

If dissatisfied with the outcome, a complainant may request a review within 20 working days.

The review will be undertaken by a designated trustee.

03

External Review

After OCAAF’s internal process has been exhausted, relevant concerns may be referred to an appropriate external body.

Possible Outcomes

What the outcome may include

  • An explanation
  • An apology
  • Corrective action
  • Service improvements
  • Confirmation that no further action will be taken, with reasons

External Bodies

Where appropriate

Relevant external bodies may include:

  • The Fundraising Regulator for fundraising complaints
  • The Information Commissioner’s Office for data-protection matters
  • The Charity Commission where serious regulatory concerns arise

8. Serious Complaints

Safeguarding, fraud and serious misconduct

Complaints indicating risk of harm, abuse, neglect, fraud, criminal activity or significant governance failures will be escalated appropriately.

Where necessary, reports may be made to the Charity Commission, Police, safeguarding authorities or other regulators.

9. Trustees

Complaints concerning trustees

A complaint concerning a trustee will normally be referred to the Chair of Trustees.

If the complaint concerns the Chair, it will be referred to an independent trustee, Treasurer or Vice-Chair as appropriate.

The trustee concerned will not participate in investigating or determining the complaint.

10. Records

Complaints register

OCAAF will maintain records including:

  • Date received
  • Complainant details
  • Nature of the complaint
  • Actions taken
  • Outcome
  • Lessons learned

11. Learning

Monitoring complaints

Complaints may be reviewed to identify:

  • Trends and recurring issues
  • Opportunities for improvement
  • Training requirements
  • Governance and risk implications

12. Unreasonable Conduct

Managing abusive or excessive communications

OCAAF reserves the right to manage communications that are abusive, harassing, threatening or excessively repetitive.

Any restriction on contact must be proportionate and documented.

13. Accessibility

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments may include alternative formats, language support or assistance with submitting a complaint.

14. Data Protection

Personal information

Complaint information will be processed in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and OCAAF’s Privacy & Confidentiality Policy.

Make a Complaint

Contact OCAAF

Complaints may be submitted through the OCAAF Contact page or by email to info@ocaaf.org.uk.