Complaints Procedure

Community Matters is the national voluntary organisation which aims to promote, listen to, support and represent democratically elected community organisations.

We aim to:

• promote mutual understanding and equal opportunities for all

• provide accessible, affordable and appropriate services of the highest quality developed from the best practice

• promote the value of the community development process and community organisations in educating people for democracy

• promote the distinctiveness of the community sector and the importance of the volunteer

• develop partnership to make the best use of resources

• continually improve services in the light of experience, feedback and innovation.

Standards of Service

Community Matters and its staff are committed to:

• providing high quality services and to continually improving them

• being helpful and courteous to all our customers

• identifying ourselves in all communications

• ensuring that customers know how to contact the most appropriate person

• regularly consulting users about the services that we provide and publishing the results

• taking all reasonable steps to make our services as accessible as possible

• dealing with all requests for standard written information within 5 working days subject to availability

• dealing with all requests for publications within 10 working days subject to availability

• dealing with all other information requests within 15 working days

• dealing with all other written correspondence within 20 working days.

Statement of Intent

• Community Matters recognise that a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction that a customer wishes to have addressed and an opportunity for us to improve our service.

• Community Matters will address complaints positively, quickly and courteously and treat all complaints equally and seriously.

• Community Matters will record all complaints, keep customers informed of the progress and record the action taken to address them.

Procedure for making a complaint

• Initial complaints should be directed to the staff member or other person providing the service, either by phone, letter or in person so that it can be dealt with immediately.

• If you are not happy with the outcome you should put your complaint in writing to the National Director at the London address, at which point it will be logged by the Administrative Officer.

• In normal circumstances the complainant will receive a written reply from the National Director within 10 working days of receipt of the complaint.

• If the complainant is not satisfied with the reply they should raise the matter in writing with the Chair of Community Matters at the London address, who will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 5 working days of its receipt in normal circumstances.

• The complaint will be discussed and adjudicated on by the first meeting after its receipt of the Community Matters National Executive Committee (which meets quarterly). The Chair will then reply to the complainant in writing within 5 working days of the meeting.