Compliments & Complaints

Compliments

Any external individual wishing to submit a formal compliment should submit this to info@curiousminds.org.uk. Formal compliments received will be forwarded to the Chief Executive, shared with Trustees and recorded on meeting minutes. Any member of staff identified as being the subject of or contributing to any matter giving rise to the compliment will be notified within three working days.

Complaints - Stage One

External individuals wishing to make a complaint should submit this to: info@curiousminds.org.uk. Alternatively, they can contact the Chief Executive in writing. The complaint will be forwarded to the relevant Manager.

We aim to resolve issues quickly and satisfactorily. Complaints will be recorded and acknowledged within 7 days of receipt. We hope that the majority of complaints can be resolved informally by speaking to the person/s involved, either by telephone or face-to-face.

The complainant will be advised that if they are not satisfied with the response to their complaint, they may appeal to the Chief Executive within 14 days. The complaint will then progress to stage two.

The appeal may be based on the following grounds:

• A failure to follow procedure.
• The decision was wrong.
• New evidence subsequently coming to light.
• Apparent inconsistent approach. 

Complaints - Stage Two 

The Chief Executive will appoint a senior member of staff, as appropriate, to re-investigate the matter. The complainant will receive written confirmation of the outcome of the appeal within 20 working days of receipt. Alternatively, the complainant may be invited to a meeting to resolve the issue. Where there are any delays the complainant will be informed of the reasons for the delay.

Where the complaint is about the Chief Executive, the complaint will be dealt with by the Chair of Trustees.

Any decisions and findings are final.

Anonymous compliments and complaints

Compliments and complaints received anonymously will be recorded and considered. Action may be limited if fuller information is required to ensure a full and fair investigation.

Data protection

To process a complaint, Curious Minds will hold personal data about the complainant. This will be held securely in accordance with GDPR legislation. The identity of the complainant will only be made known to those who need to consider the complaint. However, it may not be possible to preserve confidentiality in some circumstances, for example, where relevant legislation applies, or allegations are made which involve the conduct of third parties.

Monitoring

Compliments and complaints are important tools, which along with surveys issued to our partners and stakeholders will allow Curious Minds to review the services and programmes we provide. They offer a useful source of information about how individuals see our charity. Any information obtained will be considered regularly by the Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees. Wherever possible, the information will be used to improve and further develop our services.

Complaints Guidance

To be able to help you we will need to know your full name, email address and a telephone number at which we can contact you. Please tell us what you think has gone wrong and how you believe it can be put right.

When you do complain we will:

• Treat you courteously and professionally
• Treat your complaint seriously
• Deal with your complaint promptly. If we are unable to respond immediately, we will respond within 7 working days and will give a timescale for a full response.

We will not:

• Treat you differently from other people just because you have made a complaint
• Discriminate against you for any irrelevant reason (including your colour, race, nationality, religion, age, sex, sexuality or any disability).
• When things have gone wrong, we will do our best to resolve matters quickly and fairly so we will:
• Explain what went wrong and why
• Apologise if appropriate
• Correct or make good the mistake wherever possible.