Complaints Policy

The Charity for Civil Servants is committed to delivering a high standard of service to anyone who engages with our work, whether that be the people we are here to help, our supporters or volunteers. However, when we make a mistake, we want a chance to put things rights and take the opportunity to improve our operations.

The following complaints policy and procedure sets out how we will approach any complaints made about us.

Our policy is to:

provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint
publicise the existence of our complaints policy and procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint
make sure everyone at the Charity for Civil Servants knows what to do if a complaint is received
make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely manner
make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired
gather information which helps us to improve what we do

Definition of a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of the Charity.

Where complaints come from

Complaints may come from potential service users, established service users, potential supporters, existing supporters, contractors, volunteers or indeed any person or organisation who has a legitimate interest in the Charity for Civil Servants.

Complaints must be made in writing within 3 months of the issue occurring, either via the relevant emails provided below, via post to the Charity for Civil Servants, 5 Anne Boleyn’s Walk, Cheam, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 8DY or via phone at 0800 056 2424.

This policy does not cover complaints from staff, who should use the Charity’s Grievance Policy.

Raising a complaint

Fundraising

We aim to set the highest standards for our fundraising activity and we outline our commitment through our Supporter Promise. However, there may be times when our fundraising falls short of these and when this happens, we would like to know so we can address these as quickly as possible to put things right and make necessary improvements. We take any complaint very seriously and promise to investigate these thoroughly.

If your complaint relates to the Charity’s fundraising, please write to complaints@cfcs.org.uk or via post at the address above.

The Charity for Civil Servants is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and our fundraising teams are committed to following the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Help, Advice and Services

We aim to provide the highest standard of service to ensure that service users get the help and support they need. However, all feedback is appreciated, helping us to understand how people experience our services and improve it for the future.

If your complaint relates to the way you have been treated, the advice you have received, or the handling of your application, please write to Help, Advice and Services via email at help@cfcs.org.uk or via post at the address above.

You may also send a portal message or contact your caseworker directly.

Data Protection

The Charity ensures that Data Protection complaints are handled fairly, consistently, and in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This applies to all complaints from data subjects (individuals), concerns raised by employees, customers, or third parties regarding data protection, and all processing activities involving personal data.

A data protection complaint may include concerns about:

Unlawful processing of personal data
Failure to respond to Subject Access Requests (SARs)
Incorrect or outdated personal data; Data breaches or loss of information
Unauthorised disclosure of personal data
Failure to comply with data protection rights

Data Protection complaints can be submitted via email to data.protection@cfcs.org.uk, by phone or via post at the address above.

Confidentiality and personal data

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements. Please refer to our Privacy Notice which explains who we are and how and why we collect, store, use and share your personal information (personal data).

Responsibility

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Executive Team, with each Director responsible for their own respective team. Should the complaint be escalated, it will go to the Chief Executive and if appropriate to a Member of the Board of Trustees.

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

We will log and monitor all complaints and results of such complaints, and this information will be brought, regularly, to the attention of appropriate senior managers in order that we learn from what we do and how we do it.

How we will deal with your complaint

The Charity aims to manage complaints quickly and effectively.

Our aim is to acknowledge any complaint within 5 working days of the complaint being received.

We aim to investigate your complaint and provide a response within 20 working days. If it takes longer than this, we will let you know. If a complaint identifies a potential data breach, the Charity will notify the ICO within 72 hours if required and inform affected individuals where necessary.

We will access any relevant and necessary data related to your complaint to understand the issue in full, and may require further information to carry out a review. We appreciate your cooperation in this process.

If you are dissatisfied with the initial response to your complaint, then you must inform us within 2 weeks of our response, and your complaint will be escalated to a director. A review and outcome will be communicated within 20 working days.

If you continue to remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you must inform us within 2 weeks, and your complaint will be escalated to the CEO, and if appropriate, a member of the Board of Trustees who will review the complaint and provide a final decision within 20 working days.

If we do not hear back within 2 weeks of sending our response, the complaint will be considered closed.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response you have received, then we will advise you to take up your complaint with one of the following external regulatory bodies:

Last updated: May 2026
This policy is reviewed every 3 years.

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