Complaints Procedure
At Future First we are committed to providing a first-class service for our member schools, employer partners, students who benefit from our activities and all other stakeholders. We recognise that, despite our best efforts, there may be times when we fall short of the high standards we set for ourselves. On these rare occasions, we openly welcome feedback so we can continue to improve our practices and the way we deliver our services. If you would like to provide us with such feedback then please read the following complaints procedure.
Complaints should be raised within three months of the incident occurring.
Our commitment to you
We will endeavour to ensure all complaints we receive are:
- acknowledged promptly;
- taken seriously, and investigated properly;
- dealt with fairly; and
- learnt from, so the same issue does not happen again
How to make a complaint
- Call our office on: 020 7239 8933 and ask to speak to the Company Secretary. Our office hours are 8:30am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
- Email us on: info@futurefirst.org.uk with ‘Complaint’ in the subject line
- Write to us at: Company Secretary, Future First, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE
Please include your name, contact details and a description of your complaint so we can respond to you promptly. Whilst we welcome contact via any of the above means, from experience we have found we are able to respond to complaints more quickly when they are raised by phone, as we can gather further information from you which enables us to resolve your complaint efficiently and effectively.
How we will respond to your complaint
We will respond to acknowledge your complaint and advise you on how we will be dealing with it within 10 working days. If further investigation is needed to resolve your complaint adequately we will inform you of this. We aim to reach resolution on complaints of this nature within 20 working days.
In some instances, there are complaints which we are not able to respond to. As a charity we have limited resources, and we must use these in the best way possible. This includes complaints which:
- have no direct connection to Future First
- are made by an individual unreasonably pursuing an existing complaint which we have already responded to
- are abusive or offensive
- are insufficiently clear or legible
- are made anonymously
If your complaint meets one or more of these criteria we will always write to you to let you know this, and to tell you why we are not responding to you further.
Who can make a complaint?
This policy applies to individuals or organisations who wish to make a complaint about our services or actions, the conduct of our staff or our fundraising activities. This policy does not apply to Future First staff, contractors, freelancers, consultants or trustees. These individuals should refer to the relevant policy as appropriate: grievance policy, whistleblowing policy, safeguarding policy.
Our process for dealing with complaints
A thorough and fair investigation will always be conducted when a complaint is received, to establish the facts of what has occurred. We may need to ask you for more information to enable us to do this. Investigations will be conducted by our Company Secretary and/or a sufficiently senior member of staff, as appropriate. Complaints regarding our staff will be dealt with by their line manager in the first instance.
Process of appeal
If you are not satisfied by our resolution to your complaint you have the right of appeal. Appeals must be made in writing within 15 days of receiving our resolution. We will acknowledge your appeal within 5 working days and it will be escalated to a more senior member of staff to review. We will provide you with a response to your appeal within 10 working days of receipt.
In the instance your complaint was initially dealt with by Future First’s CEO, your appeal will be dealt with b