This policy applies to any individual, volunteer or organisation who has a legitimate interest in the BDFA, including the general public.
The BDFA views complaints as an opportunity to improve for the future and the time to put things right for the person (or organisation) that has made the complaint.
All received complaints will be recorded and Complainant's information will be handled sensitively, sharing only with those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
Complaints should be sent to admin@bdfa-uk.org.uk.
Complaints will be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within five working days. The acknowledgement must say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply.
Ideally Complainants should receive a definitive reply within a month. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
If the Complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved, they can request that the complaint is reviewed by the Trustees at the Board level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Chair of Trustees. The request for Board level review must be acknowledged within three working days of receiving it. The response should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.
The Board of Trustees may investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the original complaint.
If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond. Ideally Complainants should receive a definitive reply within a month. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the Complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.
External Stage
As BDFA is a registered charity, the complainant can complain to the Charity Commission at any stage. Information about the kind of complaints in which the Commission can be involved can be found on their website at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
Variation of the Complaints Procedure
The Board of Trustees may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest, for example, a complaint about a Chair or Trustee should not have the Chair and/or Trustee involved as a person leading a Stage Two review.