This policy outlines the complaints procedure for Asthma and Lung UK. The policy covers all complaints made to the organisation, including fundraising complaints, and is available publicly as required by the Fundraising Regulator. The policy complies with legislation and guidelines from the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator and the Institute of Fundraising. The policy applies to all staff and volunteers of Asthma and Lung UK. All staff are responsible for knowing the complaints policy and being able to explain to supporters about how to file a complaint.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is defined as an expression of dissatisfaction with the organisation. This could be because of something we have done or failed to do including dissatisfaction with any service or information we provide, the behaviour of any member of staff, our methods of fundraising or services we are unable to provide such as financial aid.
As the organisation is a charity with limited resources, we must use these effectively and efficiently, therefore, on rare occasions, we will acknowledge a complaint but may chose not to respond to it. This may occur when:
- the complaint does not relate directly to Asthma and Lung UK, (formerly operating as Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation)
- the complaint related to a topic we are not in a position to comment on
- the complaint is unreasonably pursued after having been investigated in line with our complaints procedures [in this case we may choose not to reply again]
- the complaint is incoherent or illegible
- The complaint has been sent to us and other similar organisations i.e. a bulk mailing. In this instance we will decide whether it is appropriate to reply
- the complainant is abusive, prejudiced or offensive
- the complainant is harassing a staff member
How to complain
If a supporter feels something has gone wrong or they are are unhappy with an aspect of the organisation’s work, their first course of action should be to raise their complaint informally with the person or service concerned.
Formal Complaint
If the supporter is not satisfied with the outcome of the initial investigation into their complaint and they feel the matter has not been resolved, then they can make a more formal complaint.
The Supporter Care Team have responsibility for ensuring that complaints about the organisation are recorded and handled appropriately. The following should be included in the complaint recording:
- what went wrong
- when and where it happened
- whether the complaint applies to Asthma and Lung UK, including its previous names
- who was involved
- what the supporter wants from their complaint
- the supporter’s name, address and contact details: telephone and/or email
Complaints made to the Supporter Care Team should be received through one of the following routes:
- Through post
Supporter Care Team
Asthma + Lung UK
The White Chapel Building
10 Whitechapel High Street
London, E1 8QS
- On the phone
0300 222 5800 (option 2)
- Via email
The Supporter Care Team, or the person allocated to investigate the complaint, will follow the organisation agreed procedure to make sure that it is dealt with effectively.
First stage:
If a complaint is made by telephone, employees should be able to resolve it during the call. If this is not possible, then they should let the supporter know how long it will take us to resolve it.
If the complaint is made by email or post, employees should resolve it or acknowledge receipt of it within 5 working days. If the complaint is more complex, employees should contact the supporter again with a resolution within 20 working days of receipt.
If the employee thinks the investigation will take longer they should let the supporter know and provide updates every 20 working days. This may be necessary if the complaint is complex or requires statements from multiple people.
Second stage:
If the supporter is not satisfied with the response, then their complaint should be escalated to a member of the Executive Team. They will lead an investigation and contact the supporter with a resolution within 20 working days.
Third Stage:
If the supporter feels that their complaint has been unresolved by the organisation, then they should contact the relevant regulator. This includes the Fundraising Regulator, Charity Commission and Advertising Standards Authority.
Details for who to contact for different types of complaints can be found on the UK Government website here: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
Our pledge
We treat all comments and complaints as an opportunity to improve. We are happy to acknowledge the mistakes that we have made, sincerely apologise for them and then try to prevent them from happening again in the future.
Thank you for helping us to provide a better service.