Handling Complaints
Sometimes people want to make a complaint against a charity for the services it provides or an action it has taken and want to know how it will be handled. Charities should have a clear and accessible complaints procedure, which they should share with a complainant, to ensure concerns are handled fairly and transparently. As part of the legal responsibilities of charity trustees, ensuring a policy is in place is essential.
The effective handling of complaints is a core governance function in Scottish third sector organisations. It supports accountability, strengthens trust with stakeholders, and helps ensure compliance with applicable laws. Charities must have in place a complaints procedure that is proportionate, fair and accessible.
From a governance perspective, complaints should not be viewed simply as operational issues. Instead, they provide valuable insight into organisational performance, culture, and risk. Trustees have a duty to act in the best interests of their organisation and its beneficiaries. A well-functioning complaints process helps them to:
- Identify risks and potential governance failures
- Ensure accountability and transparency
- Improve services and user experience
- Protect the organisation’s reputation
Principles of good complaints handling
Scottish third sector organisations typically align with standards used across Scotland, including those reflected by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Good practice includes:
- Accessibility – easy for anyone to make a complaint
- Fairness – impartial and consistent handling
- Timeliness – prompt responses and clear timescales
- Transparency – clear processes and outcomes
- Learning – using complaints to improve services
A complaints-handling process
- Establish and adopt a complaints policy. A formal policy should outline how complaints are received, reviewed, investigated and resolved. Complainants should be encouraged to raise concerns directly with the charity before escalating the issue and they should be given a copy of the policy that the charity is following
- Provide multiple channels so complaints correspondence can be accepted via email, phone, or by written letter to ensure accessibility
- Acknowledge complaints promptly as responding quickly shows commitment to accountability and good governance. A good policy will explain target timelines for different stages of processing a complaint.
- Investigate complaints thoroughly and as described in the complaints policy. Complaints should be reviewed objectively, with clear documentation of findings and actions taken.
- Ensure there is a built-in escalation process. After the initial or first-stage investigation and findings are published, the complainant may want to appeal. Ensure that the staff member(s) or lead volunteer(s) who handled the process up until now are stood-down and new senior staff and the charity trustees (e.g. the chair of the organisation) take-up the appeal and continue to investigate as part of a second-stage.
Ultimately, if a complaint cannot be resolved internally, charities should provide guidance on final escalation to OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) or the Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel if the complaint is about fundraising.
Also remember to regularly review the operation and suitability of the complaints policy.
Further resources and links
SCVO - Handling complaints page
Engage Renfrewshire - Complaints policy template
Argyll & Bute TSI - Managing complaints
Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel – Making a complaint about fundraising
For further free, well-informed information, find your local Third Sector Interface (TSI) at the directory page here