Our approach
We are a small charity and we take complaints seriously. Telling us when something has gone wrong helps us improve, and most concerns can be sorted out quickly by talking to us.
Stage 1 — Talk to us
In the first instance, please raise your concern with a member of staff or a volunteer at the centre, or call us on +44 7543 625216. Many issues can be resolved on the spot. We aim to respond to informal concerns within five working days.
Stage 2 — Formal complaint
If you are not satisfied, or if the matter is serious, you can make a formal complaint in writing to the trustees by email at info@rhylecc.org.uk, or by post to182 Vale Road, Rhyl, LL18 2PD.
Please include:
- Your name and how to contact you.
- What happened, with dates where you can.
- Anything you have already done to try to resolve it.
- What you would like us to do.
We will acknowledge a formal complaint within five working days and give you a full response within twenty working days. If we need longer — for example if the matter is complex — we will tell you why and give you a new date.
Stage 3 — Review by the trustees
If you remain dissatisfied, you can ask for the complaint to be reviewed by the board of trustees. The review will be carried out by a trustee who has not been involved in the matter so far. Their decision is the final stage of our internal process.
Taking it further
If you are still unhappy after our internal process, you can contact the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The Commission does not deal with every kind of complaint, but it can look at serious matters such as harm to beneficiaries, financial loss to the charity, or the charity being used for improper purposes. Their guidance on complaining about a charity is available at gov.uk.
Complaints that raise a safeguarding concern are handled under our Safeguarding Policy and may be referred to statutory agencies. Complaints about how we have handled personal information may be raised with the Information Commissioner's Office.
Confidentiality and records
We keep a record of formal complaints and how they were resolved. Records are kept confidential and shared only with those who need to see them. Complaints are reviewed periodically by the trustees so we can learn from patterns.
Anonymous complaints
We will consider anonymous complaints, though it is harder for us to investigate them properly or to let you know the outcome. Where a serious risk is raised, we will act regardless of whether the complaint is anonymous.