Complaint statement
Cornwall Wildlife Trust wants to exceed your expectation in everything we do. However, we know that there may be times when we do not meet our own high standards. When this happens, we want to hear about it, in order to deal with the situation as quickly as possible and put measures in place to stop it happening again.
We take complaints very seriously and we treat them as an opportunity to develop our approach. This is why we are always very grateful to hear from people who are willing to take the time to help us improve.
Our policy is:
- To provide a fair complaints procedure that is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.
- To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint.
- To make sure everyone in our organisation knows what to do if a complaint is received.
- To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way.
- To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired.
- To learn from complaints and feedback to help us to improve what we do.
Confidentiality
We will keep a record of the complaint for at least 24 months from the date the complaint was made. We will inform Trustees of any complaints made and the outcome reported to the board of Trustees.
How to make a complaint
To make a complaint, please email info@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01872 273939. Alternatively, please write to:
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Five Acres
Allet
Truro
Cornwall
TR4 9DJ
We will ensure that your complaint is passed to the appropriate member of staff for reply.
General feedback
We will treat all feedback from members of the public – both positive and negative – with respect and endeavour to deal with any concerns raised about our work promptly and politely and in line with high standards of supporter and customer care.
We always love to hear from you, so if you have general feedback, observations or constructive criticism to share with us and don’t know who to contact, please go through ‘contact us’ on our website or ring 01872 273939 and speak to a receptionist.
We will respond to you within 14 days – in most cases, we will respond a lot sooner.
The formal complaint process
Where your complaint is serious or significant (i.e., where it involves any concerns of wrongdoing by the charity, its staff or its volunteers and/or breaches of our own policies or practice) and/or where you wish to make a formal complaint, the following process applies.
How to complain
Register the complaint with Cornwall Wildlife Trust (in writing by post, by email, or by phone) within three months of the incident occurring. We would appreciate it if you could clearly mark/identify your communication as ‘complaint’ so that we know you are making a formal complaint and we can direct, log and handle it properly.
Once your complaint has been made
If we receive your complaint via ‘contact us’ on the website or via Reception, we will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 7 days. If the complaint is sent to an individual staff member, we will respond within 14 days to allow for the possibility of staff absence.
Your complaint will be investigated, and you will receive a response
We will investigate your complaint and tell you of the outcome of the investigation in writing within 28 days of receiving the complaint. If an investigation takes longer, we will let you know in writing when you can expect our response.
Your complaint will be recorded
We will keep a record of the complaint for at least 24 months from the date the complaint was made. We will inform Trustees of any complaints made and the outcome through quarterly Board reports, and within the Trustees Annual Report.
If you are not satisfied with our response
We very much hope that you feel any complaint you have raised has been satisfactorily addressed. However, if you are not satisfied with our response, depending on the nature of your concern, there are a number of regulatory bodies you can escalate your concern to; the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator for example.
Complaints about fundraising
Cornwall Wildlife Trust is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising practice.
In accordance with the Fundraising Regulator’s Complaints Policy, a complaint must be made to Cornwall Wildlife Trust within 12 weeks of the fundraising incident or communication of which the complaint is made.
If after four weeks following the complaint, the matter has not been addressed or you do not feel that your concerns have been resolved satisfactorily by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, you can refer your complaint to the Fundraising Regulator (England & Wales only). Concerns should be raised with the Fundraising Regulator within eight weeks following the complaint.
Contact details
To make a complaint or give feedback, please email info@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01872 273939. Alternatively, please write to:
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Five Acres
Allet
Truro
Cornwall
TR4 9DJ
Cornwall Wildlife Trust is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising practice:
Fundraising Regulator
1st Floor
10 St Bride Street
London
EC4A 4AD
0300 999 3404
enquiries@fundraisingregulator.org.uk
Further assistance with regards to your complaint about fundraising can be sought from the following organisation:
Charity Commission
PO Box 1227 Liverpool
L69 3UG
0845 3000218
www.charity-commission.gov
For further assistance with complaints regarding information rights practices (data protection), advice can be sought from the Information Commissioner’s Office, whose remit covers the UK.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113
casework@ico.org.uk