Complaints Policy

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Boxing Futures. Complaints may come from any person or organisation who has a legitimate interest in Boxing Futures. A complaint can be made verbally (including by phone) or in writing (including email).

This policy does not cover complaints from staff, who should use Boxing Futures Grievance policies.

We encourage anyone who is not happy with Boxing Futures to let us know. Some expressions of dissatisfaction can be dealt with immediately without the need to raise a formal complaint; this may provide better and more prompt results for the complainant.

We encourage the complainant to discuss their dissatisfaction in the first instance. If the complainant is unhappy with a staff member or volunteer sometimes it is best to let them know directly, however this may not always be appropriate or comfortable, so managers or the leadership team make themselves available for informal discussions where they are requested.

Wherever possible we will try to resolve the issue promptly and to the complainant’s satisfaction without the need for a formal complaint unless the dissatisfied party so desires.

If the complainant is not satisfied with our response or wishes to raise the matter more formally written complaints may be sent to the Programmes Manager by e-mail at info@boxing-futures.org.uk or verbal complaints may be made by phone to 0300 102 4452 or in person to any of our staff or trustees. The person who receives a phone or in person complaint should:
– write down the facts of the complaint.
– take the complainant’s name, address and telephone number.
– note down the relationship of the complainant to Boxing Futures (for example service user, volunteer).
– tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure.
– tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take.
– where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words.

On receiving the complaint, the staff member or trustee must record it in the complaints log.

Stage One
Stage one complaints will go to the Programmes Manager to investigate and respond to. The Programmes Manager will acknowledge receipt of the complaint (verbally or in writing) within 5 working days. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply. If the complaint is regarding the Programmes Manager, the complaint will go to the Director of Operations to respond.

Staff must provide the Programmes Manager with any information required to respond to the complaint within the 10 working days timescale. If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.

If it is not possible to respond within 10 working days (for example, an investigation has not been fully completed) the Programmes Manager should notify the person responsible for the complaint and request up to an additional 10 working days to respond.

Whether the complaint is justified 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.

Stage Two
If the complainant feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved at Stage One, they can request that the complaint is reviewed at board level. At this stage, the complaint will be passed to the Chair of the board of trustees.

The Chair should acknowledge the complaint within five working days of receiving it. The acknowledgement should say who will deal with the case and when the complainant can expect a reply.

The Chair 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 complaint at Stage One. 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 10 working days. If this is not possible because for example, an investigation has not been fully completed, the Chair should notify the person responsible for the complaint and take up to an additional 10 working days to respond.

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 Chair decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.

The Charity Commission
The complainant can complain to the Charity Commission at any stage.
Information about the kind of complaints the Commission can involve itself in can be found on their website at: www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc47.aspx]

The Board may vary the procedure for good reason. This may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest (for example a complaint about the Chair should not also have the Chair as the person leading a Stage Two review).

Boxing Futures routinely considers the complaints we receive in order to identify issues and make service improvements. Complaints are reviewed annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action. We will use this information to spread good practice throughout our organization.

Complaints will also feature as a regular item on Board Meetings. The Chief Executive Officer (or Director of Operations) is responsible for reporting complaints received to the Board.

This policy was approved on 26th October 2023.

Review date: October 2024.