Bipolar UK Complaints Policy
Bipolar UK is committed to providing high quality services to everyone that comes into contact with the charity.
We welcome all feedback and complaints about the services and support we provide. We recognise there may be occasions when we do not provide a quality service and that we can make mistakes.
When this happens, it is important that you let us know so we can work to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We therefore suggest you get in touch with the individual member of the team in the first instance.
If the issue is not resolved, this policy is designed to meet the needs both of staff and of other people connected with the organisation including trustees, volunteers and service users.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression or statement of dissatisfaction or concern about any aspect of Bipolar UK’s services.
A complaint can be made by anyone who comes into contact with the organisation. You may complain under our complaints procedure if you feel:
- the service you have received from us has failed to meet acceptable standards
- you have not been treated in accordance with our policies and procedures
- you are unhappy with the behaviour of our staff, volunteers or trustees
Please note that we are unable to deal with any anonymous complaints.
Bipolar UK’s Complaints Procedure
There are two stages of our Complaints Procedure. Our emphasis is to resolve issues quickly, simply and fairly.
Stage 1
If you are unhappy with one of our services or you are unhappy with the way we have dealt with you, your first step is to write to the officer/ staff member you are dealing with as soon as possible and within two months of the occurrence.
Your complaint will be acknowledged within seven working days and we will seek to respond to the matter within 28 days.
Stage 2
If you believe your complaint has not been satisfactorily addressed in line with Stage 1 of our policy, you should contact the Complaints Officer either by email to complaints@bipolaruk.org or via letter to the address below, within 28 days of receiving our Stage 1 response.
Complaints Officer
Bipolar UK
32 Cubitt Street
London, WC1X 0LR
A written acknowledgement will be sent within 14 days. Your complaint will be investigated by the Chief Executive, who will seek to respond to you within 28 days.
If the Chief Executive comes to the conclusion that the complaint has been fairly addressed in line with our policy, that complaint may be closed and the complainant will receive a written response advising them of the reasons for the decision.
If the complaint relates to the Chief Executive, the complaint will be passed to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
An acknowledgement will be sent within 14 days. The Chair or another trustee will investigate and will seek to respond within 28 working days.
Next Steps
If you believe that the charity has not handled your complaint in accordance with the published complaints procedure or that it has acted unlawfully you can contact the relevant regulator:
Contact the Fundraising Regulator to complain about:
- the way you’ve been asked for donations
- how fundraisers have behaved
You can also complain on behalf of someone else.
Contact the Advertising Standards Authority to complain about:
- advertising campaign you think is offensive, deceptive or inaccurate.
- the amount of emails or mail you get from a charity
You can change how often you get emails, phone calls, texts or post from a charity using the Fundraising Preference Service.
Records of Complaints
Please be aware that as part of our commitment to quality standards and in line with data protection requirements, written records of all complaints are kept and stored confidentially for a minimum of seven years.
They will then be disposed of confidentially. There may be exceptions to this where there are specific contractual or legal requirements for keeping records.
