Introduction
SOS Children’s Villages UK (SOS UK) aims to maintain high standards in all of its work. We recognise, however, that sometimes we can get things wrong.
SOS UK views complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future as well as a chance to put things right for the person who has made the complaint. We promise to take all complaints seriously and to deal with them in a timely manner.
Our policy is to:
- provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.
- publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint.
- make sure that everyone at SOS UK knows what to do if a complaint is received.
- make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved.
- gather information which helps us to improve what we do.
SOS UK is a member of the Fundraising Regulator and complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice
What is a complaint?
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, from anyone who has an interest in us or our work.
How to complain
Anyone can make a complaint to SOSUK:
- by calling us on + 44 (0) 1223 365 589
- by e-mailing us at hello@sosuk.org
- by writing to us at SOS Children’s Villages UK, Ravenscroft House, 59 – 61 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AB
Please include as much information in your communication as possible, in particular:
- the reason for your complaint
- where and when what you are complaining about happened
- the names of anyone involved (if known)
- what outcome you are hoping for
- your contact details.
Stage one
We will try to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and we will either confirm resolution of your complaint or, if not possible at this stage, acknowledge your complaint within the following timescales:
- either on the same day or next working day if you telephone us
- within two working days if you contact us by e-mail
- within ten working days if you send us a letter
If we need more information to help resolve your complaint, we will ask for it at this stage.
You will be given the name of the staff member or team dealing with your complaint and when they will next contact you, either with a proposed resolution or an update.
Stage two
If, for any reason, you are not happy with the resolution of your complaint, you can bring this to the attention of our Office Manager.
Please set out clearly in writing the details of the complaint, explaining why you were not satisfied with our response and what you would like us to do to put things right. You can send this:
- by e-mail to hello@sosuk.org
- by letter to Office Manager, SOS Children’s Villages UK, Ravenscroft House, 59 – 61 Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AB
Our Office Manager will send an acknowledgment within the following timescales:
- two working days if contacted by email.
- five working days if contacted by letter.
We strive to respond in full to complaints within ten working days.
If the matter requires further investigation beyond ten days, we will contact you to advise when you can expect our response. In most instances, this will be within twenty working days.
Stage three
If you are still not satisfied with our response and wish to take your complaint further, please inform our Office Manager within twenty-eight days of receiving their reply.
Your case will then be passed to the relevant member of our senior management team (that is, Head of Unit or the Director responsible for the activity) who will further investigate your complaint and will contact you with their conclusions and any actions to be taken.
You can expect this to take a further ten working days from the date on which we receive your letter or email.
Stage four
If you are still not satisfied with our response, the final stage is for the complaint to be escalated to the Chief Executive’s Office (CEO) for final response.
The CEO will review the complaint and send SOS UK’s final response within ten working days.
Making a complaint to the Fundraising Regulator
If your complaint is about our fundraising work or activities and you are not satisfied with our response, you are entitled to take it to the Fundraising Regulator. As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, SOS UK is committed to abiding by any decision they reach on complaints that are escalated to them.
The contact details are:
The Fundraising Regulator
2nd floor, CAN Mezzanine Building
49-51 East Road
London
N1 6AH
Telephone: 0300 999 3407
Email: enquiries@fundraisingregulator.org.uk
Website: www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk
Making a complaint to the Charity Commission
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can make a complaint to the Charity Commission.
The contact details are:
Contact Centre, Monday to Friday, 10am to midday and 1pm to 3pm, 0300 066 9197.
www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
Monitoring
The Board of Trustees reviews the number and type of complaints received on an annual basis.
As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, SOS UK reports to the Regulator annually the number of fundraising complaints received.
SOS UK summarises the complaints it has received in its annual report which is available online at www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk, a hard copy can be requested by contacting us using our email, telephone or address details provided on page 1 of this policy.
Privacy Notice
Any personal information you share in order to make your complaint or have your complaint resolved will be looked after and used appropriately. Please see our Privacy Policy for more details.
