1.0 Introduction
Any member of the general public, a member of BUDS UK, or any organisation that interacts with BUDS UK can make a formal complaint regarding concerns about an individual trustee or the Board of Trustees as a whole. Complaints are typically valid if the incident occurred within the last 12 months and must be submitted in writing. In cases involving serious issues such as bullying, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour, the complaint will be assessed on its merits, and involving outside agencies or the police may be considered as necessary. Upon receiving a complaint, a complaints manager will be appointed.
1. When a Complaint is Received
- Complaints should be discussed confidentially among the Board of Trustees at an emergency meeting to briefly assess the nature and seriousness of the complaint.
- Verbal complaints must be documented in writing; the complainant should submit a written version within one week.
- A risk analysis will be conducted.
- Advice may be sought from the Board of Trustees or the Charity Commission, if appropriate.
- Consent must be obtained from the complainant to use the details provided for investigation purposes.
- All parties involved should be notified about the complaint as soon as possible.
2. Assessing the Seriousness
- All complaints will be reviewed at the next meeting of the trustees after being received and recorded.
- Complaints involving misconduct, violations of the Code of Conduct, bullying, harassment, financial misconduct, or racial abuse are considered serious and may be reported to the Charity Commission.
- The Board of Trustees holds the absolute responsibility to decide whether to refer serious complaints, with decisions made by a simple majority.
3. Acknowledging the Complaint
- The complainant will be contacted within two days of receiving the complaint.
- A mutually agreed-upon plan including timelines and review dates will be documented in writing.
4. Investigating the Complaint
- An action plan will be developed.
- If the complaint is against a staff member, executive committee member, Trustee, or BUDS UK as an organisation, they will receive a copy and be requested to reply within two weeks.
- A Complaints Manager will be appointed and resourced to carry out an independent investigation.
5. Reply to the Complainant
The Complaints Manager will respond in writing and offer a meeting to negotiate resolution. If the complainant is not satisfied with the in-house outcome, the Complaints Manager will consult to determine additional actions the trustees can take.
6. Completing the Complaint
If the complainant is not satisfied with the proposed resolution, they will be advised on how to escalate the complaint, such as by contacting the Charity Commission or other relevant external bodies.
3.0 Learning from the Complaint — Duty of Candour
- The complaints manager will finalise an action plan in writing and discuss the outcome at the next Board of Trustees meeting.
- The Board will monitor the implementation of the action plan and sign off when appropriate actions have been taken.
- Learning points will be shared with all committee members and Trustees, considering confidentiality issues.
- If a mistake has been made and harm or risk of harm occurred, BUDS UK will offer an apology, take remedial action, and suggest improvements as per the duty of candour.