External Complaints Procedure
The Nuffield Trust is committed to providing high-quality evidence-based research and policy analysis. In order to maintain these high standards, we encourage feedback from our stakeholders and the public. If you have concerns about the integrity of our work, we want to help you resolve your complaint as quickly as possible.
We treat as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for a response. We listen to your complaints, treat them seriously, and learn from them so that we can continuously improve our work in service of our charitable objectives.
Our policy covers complaints about:
- the integrity of our publications and practices
- the behaviour of our staff and senior management
- the behaviour of our trustees as it relates to the Nuffield Trust
Our complaints policy does not cover:
- matters which have already been fully investigated through appropriate procedure(s)
- anonymous complaints
- complaints mistakenly directed to us about another body bearing the ‘Nuffield’ name, to whom we hold no connection
The Nuffield Trust is under no obligation to respond to complaints which fall outside this complaints policy.
Our standards for handling complaints
We treat all complaints seriously. You will be treated with courtesy and fairness at all times, and we hope that you will be courteous and fair in your dealings with our staff in turn.
We aspire to respond to all complaints as promptly as possible. As a small charity, we aim to acknowledge receipt of a first instance written complaint within 14 working days and we will send you a full reply within 45 working days of receipt. If we cannot send a full reply within this time frame, we will tell you the reason why and let you know when we will be able to reply in full.
Confidentiality
All complaints received will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.
How to complain
You can make a complaint using the online contact form, by phone (0207 631 8450) or by post:
59 New Cavendish Street
London
W1G 7LP
To help us to resolve your complaint quickly, please include:
- your full name and contact address
- as much clear detail as possible
- details of any relevant previous correspondence
- whether you are escalating an existing complaint
Stages of General Complaints Procedure
- Upon receipt of your complaint, we will notify the member of the leadership team responsible for the relevant function, who will review your complaint and respond directly. The Leadership team includes, including Director(s), Deputy Director(s) and the Chief Executive.
- If you are dissatisfied with our initial response, you may request that your complaint be independently reviewed by two other members of the senior management team.
- If you remain dissatisfied, you may request a review by the Chair and Senior Independent Director of the Board.
A complainant has a maximum of 28 days from the date of the most recent management response to request that their complaint be progressed to the next stage.
Exceptions to the General Procedure
Complaints regarding any of the following will automatically be escalated to the Chair of the Trustees.
- Complaints regarding the behavior of the Chief Executive or Directors
- Complaints regarding the behavior of a Trustee of the Board.
Complaints relating to the Chair of the Trustees would be referred to the Senior Independent Director.
The Trust may, at its discretion, escalate any complaint to the Board and/or seek legal advice as appropriate. A report of all complaints received and responded to will be presented to the Board on a quarterly basis
If having followed our complaints procedure you still remain dissatisfied, you can make a complaint to the Charity Commission.
Remedies
When we get things wrong, we will act to:
- issue a formal apology
- explain what went wrong and why
- put things right by taking appropriate action
The action we take to put matters right in response to a complaint, if any, may include a combination of the remedies below. The remedy chosen needs to be proportionate and appropriate to the concerns raised. A formal apology or offer of redress does not constitute acceptance of liability under Section 2 of the Compensation Act 2006.
- corrective action – this may include reviewing or changing a decision, issuing a correction, recalling, or republishing previously issued work (if required)
- proactive improvements - for example change of policy or procedures to prevent future difficulties of a similar kind)
- appropriate disciplinary procedures
- additional training for relevant staff
- in rare cases, financial compensation