Policies / Complaints
A clear route for raising concerns and complaints.
This policy explains how concerns or complaints may be raised with HEADTURNED Foundation, how they should be considered, and what response steps may be expected.
Purpose and scope
Complaints help identify where something needs to be reviewed, corrected, or improved.
HEADTURNED Foundation welcomes constructive feedback and takes complaints seriously. This policy explains how concerns or complaints can be raised and what can generally be expected in response.
It covers complaints from members of the public, supporters, partners, prospective partners, volunteers, suppliers, participants, and others who interact with the Foundation’s public-facing work.
Serious concerns about wrongdoing, misconduct, safeguarding, retaliation, concealment, or significant risk may be more appropriately handled under the Whistleblowing Policy or Safeguarding Policy.
Related documents
Complaints sit alongside the wider trust, safeguarding, whistleblowing, and privacy framework.
Policies Overview
Brings together the trust, compliance, and governance policies that support the Foundation website.
Whistleblowing
Explains how serious concerns may be raised safely, responsibly, and in good faith.
Safeguarding
Explains how safeguarding responsibilities, welfare concerns, and protective principles are approached.
Privacy Policy
Explains how personal information is collected, used, stored, and protected.
What counts as a complaint
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction that asks for a response or review.
A complaint may relate to an action, decision, communication, delay, conduct, omission, process, service, public statement, website issue, event, or interaction connected with the Foundation.
Not all feedback is a complaint. General ideas, comments, reflections, or suggestions can be shared through the website contact routes without being treated as a formal complaint.
How to complain
Concerns should be raised clearly and as soon as reasonably possible.
Where possible, complaints should be raised through the contact routes published on this website. It helps if the message is clearly marked as a complaint.
To help us respond effectively, please include:
- what happened or what the complaint relates to;
- when and where it happened, where relevant;
- who was involved, where known;
- any relevant documents, messages, screenshots, references, or supporting information;
- whether there is any immediate risk or urgency; and
- what outcome, review, correction, or response you are seeking.
How we handle complaints
Complaints should be handled fairly, proportionately, and with appropriate care.
Depending on the complaint, we aim to:
- acknowledge receipt within a reasonable period where contact details are provided;
- assess whether the matter is a complaint, safeguarding concern, whistleblowing concern, data protection issue, or another type of matter;
- review relevant information and speak to appropriate people where needed;
- respond proportionately, taking account of seriousness, complexity, evidence, and available information;
- explain any findings, decisions, next steps, or actions where it is appropriate to do so; and
- identify learning or improvement where the complaint highlights a genuine issue.
Timescales and escalation
The response timescale will depend on the nature and complexity of the complaint.
We aim to respond to complaints within a reasonable timescale. Some matters may be resolved quickly, while others may require more detailed review, input from others, or specialist advice.
If a complaint is likely to take longer than expected, we aim to provide an updated indication where contact details are available.
If you are not satisfied with the initial response, you may request that the complaint is reviewed by another appropriate person. This may include a trustee, senior representative, or suitable independent or professional adviser where the context requires it.
Confidentiality and records
Complaint information should be handled carefully and shared only where needed.
Complaint information will be handled in line with our Privacy Policy. Information should be shared only with those who reasonably need to know in order to consider the complaint, manage risk, respond appropriately, or address any underlying issue.
We may keep proportionate records of complaints, how they were handled, decisions made, and any actions or learning identified.
Unreasonable behaviour
We aim to respond with courtesy, but may set limits where behaviour becomes abusive or unreasonable.
We recognise that complaints may be raised during moments of stress, frustration, or concern. Complaints should still be handled respectfully and with care.
In rare cases, where behaviour becomes abusive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing, knowingly false, persistently repetitive, or disproportionate, we may set reasonable limits on further contact while still considering the underlying issue appropriately.
Learning and review
Complaints can help improve processes, communication, and decisions.
Complaints and feedback may highlight where the Foundation needs to improve. Where patterns or themes emerge, we may review relevant processes, communications, decisions, website content, policies, training, or operating practices.
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated where necessary to reflect learning, experience, law, guidance, Foundation structure, or operational activity.
The version published on this page is the version currently in force.