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Have Your Say – our Feedback and Complaints policy

Comments, suggestions, compliments and complaints

Your views can help improve our service. Included in this document is the information you need to make a complaint. As well as learning from your suggestions we are also very keen to hear if you are pleased about anything we have done for you as an individual or organisation. Please share your positive experiences using the feedback form in the Useful Resources section of our website. 

Formal Complaints Policy

County Durham Community Foundation is committed to providing a great service to everyone we deal with and displaying our Feedback and Complaints Policy on our website. While we hope that you will never have the need to make an official complaint, sometimes things do go wrong and when this happens, we want to deal with the problem fairly and promptly. This will help us do better in the future. 

The complaints procedure is not a grant appeals process.

*Please note, we are members of the Fundraising Regulator (FR) and follow its Code of Conduct. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It investigates complaints about fundraising where these cannot be resolved by the organisations themselves. To learn more about what the FR can and cannot investigate, and how to make a complaint, please go to https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/resources/complaints-process

Our standards

  • We treat all complaints seriously
  •  You will be treated with courtesy and fairness at all times
  •  We will treat your complaint in confidence and manage data in line with GDPR requirements
  •  We will deal with your complaint promptly
  •  We will send you a considered reply as soon as possible. If the complaint is complicated, it may take us more time to respond 

Ways to make a formal complaint

  • Fill in our feedback form below or send a letter of complaint
  • Write to the Chief Executive. Write to the Chairman if the complaint concerns the Chief Executive
  • Email michelle@cdcf.org.uk

Reasonable adjustments

Please note, if you wish to submit a complaint, but cannot do so by letter, email or through the website: please get in touch through our contact page or ask someone to get in touch on your behalf, and we will make reasonable adjustments to record your complaint and act accordingly.

Complaints or feedback can be sent to

Michelle Cooper, Chief Executive, County Durham Community Foundation, Victoria House, Whitfield Court, St John’s Road, Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Durham, DH7 8XL

OR

Confidential: James Fenwick, Chairman of the Board, c/o County Durham Community Foundation, Victoria House, Whitfield Court, St John’s Road, Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Durham, DH7 8XL

When writing a letter of complaint, please make sure that your complaint includes the following information. We may contact you for further information. 

  • Your name and contact details, which we will manage in line with GDPR legislation
  • A clear description of your complaint or feedback
  • Member(s) of staff, or governing committee involved
  • What happened, when, and is it still happening?
  • What action you would like us to take
  • Please mark complaints clearly, so we can make sure it is seen by the right person

What Happens Next

Once you have made a formal complaint you will receive an acknowledgment within five working days, telling you who is dealing with the complaint and when a full response can be expected. We will fully investigate your complaint and hopefully respond within ten days. If the complaint is complex, or requires legal or third-party involvement, we are committed to keeping you informed of the new timeline. We will keep your complaint on file to enable us to monitor the number of complaints we get and establish any patterns. 

Right to Appeal

If you are still dissatisfied, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Chairman of the Foundation. Please make sure that you include all the details of your previous complaint, and the reasons for your dissatisfaction.

You should receive a final response within ten working days, where possible. 

Complaint against the Chief Executive

If your complaint is against the Chief Executive, you should refer your complaint to the Chairman of the Foundation, marked ‘Confidential’ to the address above. The complaint will then be handled within the same timescales and the matter dealt with by the Chairman.

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