About
Complaints Procedure
North Enfield foodbank is committed to delivering a high standard of service to anyone who engages with our work.
We believe that the best way to improve our service is by learning from the people who use it. We welcome comments, compliments and complaints from clients, referral agencies, volunteers and anyone else we come into contact with in our work. These help us to see what we are doing well and where we can make improvements.
We aim to promote an environment where people are encouraged to raise and discuss issues informally and, where necessary, seek solutions to prevent them developing into problems or complaints.
However, we recognise that there may be situations where people are not happy with the outcome of an informal discussion or feel that the issue needs to be taken further. In these cases, North Enfield foodbank has a complaints procedure so that we can work towards a resolution in a fair and transparent manner.
Our promise and commitment
We recognise that there may be times when our services and activities do not meet your expectations. If this happens, it is important that we know about it as soon as possible so that we can deal with the situation effectively to try to prevent it from happening again and to learn from our mistakes. We promise to take all feedback and complaints seriously and to deal with them in a timely manner.
We endeavour to ensure that:
- Complaints received by the foodbank are dealt with efficiently and discreetly and information is shared on a ‘need to know’ basis only.
- We will respond decisively, outlining a clear outcome of our investigation and any next steps to be taken as needed.
- We learn from the complaints made and use them to make improvements in the way we work.
How to register a complaint or give feedback
If you have a complaint, or would like to share a concern, compliment or comment on any aspect of our service, you can contact us in one of the following ways:
- In person to staff/volunteers at the foodbank
- By phone: 07826542119
- By email: [email protected]
- Write to the following address:
North Enfield Foodbank
Jubilee Central
Enfield
EN1 1FS
Please tell us what your complaint or feedback is about and what you would like to see happen as a result. Please also tell us how we may contact you. If you require the complaints procedure in another format, please contact us on the details above.
What will happen after I complain?
We will acknowledge your complaint within 10 working days of receipt and we will tell you who will be dealing with the matter and when you can expect a full response.
Wherever possible, North Enfield foodbank will respect your confidentiality and keep your complaint confidential as far as possible. Any information about the complaint will usually only be shared with those who need to know in order to help resolve it.
There may, however, be occasions when we cannot provide absolute confidentiality, for example in circumstances where a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of harm.
What to do if you need to make a complaint
Stage 1: Oral complaint
Initial complaints, whether concerning a volunteer, member of staff or the charity should first be discussed informally. Many issues can be resolved this way through sensible and open discussion. Complaints should initially be raised with the Foodbank Manager, or if the complaint refers to the Foodbank Manager, it should be made to the Head of social action.
Stage 2: Written complaint
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the oral complaint, you should make a formal complaint in writing to the foodbank manager or if the complaint refers to the foodbank manager, it should be made to the Head of social action.
The charity will reply to the formal written complaint within 10 working days and we ask the complainant to respond within the following 15 working days.
If you are not happy with the response you receive, you can escalate your concerns to the Head of social action/ Foodbank Director who will also investigate the matter and advise you on the next steps to resolving your complaint.
Stage 3: Opportunity to appeal
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of stage 2 then you can appeal to the Board of Trustees.