Complaints Policy

Our promise

 

At b:friend, relationships matter. We’re here to build friendship, connection and community and we want everyone involved to feel heard, respected and valued.

We always aim to get things right. But if something hasn’t felt right, we want to know. Your feedback helps us learn, improve, and make sure we’re doing the best we can for our community.

You won’t be treated differently for raising a concern. We’ll listen, take it seriously, and do our best to put things right.

 

If something feels wrong

 

If you have a concern, we encourage you to let us know as soon as you can.

You can speak to a member of our team, or contact us in whichever way feels most comfortable:

● In person

● By phone: 07523698530

● By email: info@letsbfriend.org.uk

● In writing: b:friend ℅ Xeinadin, Sidings Court, Doncaster, DN4 5NU

We’ll always try to resolve things quickly and informally where possible.

 

Making a complaint

If the issue isn’t resolved, or you’d prefer to make a formal complaint, you can contact the CEO directly:

Email: colette.bunker@letsbfriend.org.uk

Address: b:friend ℅ Xeinadin, Sidings Court, Doncaster, DN4 5NU

If your complaint is in relation to the conduct or behaviour of the CEO, contact:

Email: trustees@letsbfriend.org.uk

If you need support to make a complaint, we’re happy to help.

To help us understand what’s happened, it’s useful (but not essential) to include:

● What happened
● When and where it happened
● Who was involved
● What outcome you’re hoping for

 

What will happen next

● We’ll acknowledge your complaint within 7 working days
● We’ll look into what’s happened, which may include speaking to those involved
● We may contact you if we need more information
● We’ll respond within 14 working days

If it takes longer, we’ll keep you updated and let you know when to expect a full response.

 

If you’re not satisfied

If you’re not happy with our response, you can ask for a review.

You’ll need to do this within 28 days of receiving our response, explaining why you’re not satisfied.

A senior member of the organisation will review your complaint and provide a final decision within 28 days.

Our response will explain what we’ve found and any action we’re taking.

 

Serious concerns

If your concern relates to someone’s safety or wellbeing, we may need to involve other organisations, such as safeguarding teams or the police.

If anyone is in immediate danger, please contact emergency services.

Confidentiality

We’ll treat your complaint with care and respect. Information will only be shared where necessary and in line with data protection law.

Anonymous complaints

You can raise a concern anonymously. We’ll still look into it where possible, though it may limit how fully we can respond or update you.

Learning and improving

Every concern is a chance to learn. We use feedback to:

● Improve our services
● Strengthen our policies and training
● Make sure our community stays safe, welcoming and supportive

Data protection concerns

 

If your complaint relates to how we’ve handled your personal information, we’ll investigate it carefully and respond clearly.

If you’re not satisfied, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

A note on keeping things manageable

We’re a small charity, and we want to give every concern the time and care it deserves. If a complaint is very long or complex, we may ask you to summarise the key points so we can respond as clearly and quickly as possible.

Availability

This policy is available on our website and can be provided in different formats if needed.