Complaints Policy
Organisation: North Devon Against Domestic Abuse (NDADA)
Approval Body: Board of Trustees
Review Frequency: Every 3 years or sooner if required
Last Reviewed: April 2026

1. Purpose
NDADA is committed to providing safe, high-quality, trauma-informed and client-centred services. We recognise that complaints, concerns and feedback are an important source of learning and help us improve the way we work.
This policy explains how complaints can be raised, how they will be handled, and how learning from complaints will be used to strengthen our services and practice.

2. Our principles
NDADA will ensure that complaints are:
• taken seriously and handled respectfully
• addressed fairly, consistently and without unnecessary delay
• managed in a trauma-informed, accessible and client-centred way
• used to improve services, systems and practice
• responded to without discrimination, victimisation or prejudice
No one will be treated less favourably, or have their access to support affected, because they have raised a complaint, concern or comment.

3. Scope
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about:
• the service received, or not received
• the conduct of staff, volunteers, managers or trustees
• decisions made by NDADA
• communication, systems, processes or policies
• the way a concern or issue has been handled
A person does not need to use the word “complaint” for NDADA to treat a matter as a complaint.
This policy does not replace NDADA’s safeguarding procedures. Any safeguarding concern will be managed under the Safeguarding Policy.
This policy also does not cover:
• staff employment matters, which will be addressed through relevant internal HR procedures
• safeguarding matters, which will be managed under safeguarding procedures
• issues between service users, which will be dealt with through service-specific processes where appropriate

4. Who Can Complain?
Complaints may be made by:
• current or former service users
• family members, advocates or representatives acting on behalf of a service user, where appropriate consent is in place
• partner agencies
• funders or commissioners
• volunteers
• members of the public or other stakeholders affected by NDADA’s work
Anonymous complaints will be considered where enough information is provided, although this may limit NDADA’s ability to investigate fully or provide a direct response.
Third-Party Complaints
Where a complaint relates to services provided to an individual service user, confidentiality, consent and safety will be paramount. NDADA will only discuss individual service user matters with a third party where clear and recorded consent has been provided by the service user, unless there is a safeguarding concern, legal obligation or another exceptional reason requiring action. Where consent is not in place, NDADA may respond only at a general level about policy or process and will not share confidential information.
NDADA reserves the right not to engage with complaints made by individuals alleged to have caused harm to a service user where doing so would compromise safety, confidentiality or wellbeing.

5. How to Make a Complaint
Complaints can be made in a number of ways, including:
• verbally, in person or by telephone
• in writing, by email or letter
• with support from a worker, advocate, friend or representative where needed
A complaint may be raised with any member of staff. Where appropriate, it will then be passed promptly to the relevant manager to coordinate the response.
If a complaint is raised through social media or a public platform, NDADA will seek to move the matter offline as soon as possible in order to protect privacy and confidentiality.
Information about how to make a complaint will be made available in accessible formats wherever possible.

6. Support to Make a Complaint
NDADA understands that making a complaint can feel difficult, particularly for people affected by trauma, abuse, discrimination, disability, language barriers or other barriers to communication. Support will be offered where needed to help someone make a complaint safely and accessibly.
This may include:
• help to write down the complaint
• support to explain what has happened
• identifying a preferred method of communication
• involvement of an advocate, friend or representative where appropriate
• reasonable adjustments to support participation in the process
Where a representative or advocate is making a complaint on behalf of someone else, NDADA may ask for written or recorded consent before sharing information or responding in detail.

7. Early Resolution
Where appropriate, NDADA will try to resolve concerns quickly and informally, with the agreement of the person raising the issue. Early resolution may include a discussion, clarification, apology, correction of information, or another practical step to put things right. Informal resolution does not mean the matter is taken less seriously; it is intended to resolve issues quickly and respectfully where this is safe and appropriate to do so.
If the issue is serious, relates to staff conduct, involves safeguarding or confidentiality concerns, or the complainant does not wish to try informal resolution, the complaint will move to the formal stage.

8. Formal Complaints Process
Stage 1 – Acknowledgement and Investigation
Formal complaints will normally be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt.
At Stage 1, the complaint will usually be investigated by the Operations Manager or Accommodation Manager, depending on the nature of the complaint and which part of the service it relates to. The person investigating the complaint should not have been directly involved in the matter being complained about.
The complainant will be given the opportunity to explain:
• what happened
• what impact it has had
• what outcome they are seeking
NDADA may gather information from records, staff and others as appropriate in order to carry out a fair and proportionate investigation.
A written response will normally be provided within 20 working days of the complaint being received. Where this is not possible, NDADA will issue a holding response explaining the reason for the delay and confirming when a further response can be expected.
Stage 2 – Review / Appeal
If the complainant remains dissatisfied after Stage 1, they may request a review of the outcome. This should normally be made within 10 working days of the Stage 1 response.
The review will usually be carried out by the CEO, who will consider:
• the original complaint
• the Stage 1 investigation
• the outcome provided
• whether any further action is required
A written response to the appeal will normally be provided within 20 working days of the review request being acknowledged. Where this is not possible, NDADA will keep the complainant informed of progress.
The Stage 2 outcome is the final stage of NDADA’s internal complaints process.

9. Complaints About Specific Roles
To ensure fairness and independence, complaints will normally be handled as follows:
• complaints relating to frontline staff will usually be investigated by the Operations Manager or Accommodation Manager
• complaints about the Operations Manager or Accommodation Manager will be investigated by the CEO
• appeals following a Stage 1 investigation will usually be reviewed by the CEO
• complaints about the CEO will be handled by the Chair of Trustees
• complaints about a Trustee will be handled by the Chair of Trustees or another appropriate Trustee not involved in the matter
• where a complaint concerns the Chair of Trustees, it will be considered by another appropriate Trustee or by the Board
Where needed, NDADA may appoint an appropriate independent person to support or review the complaint process.

10. Complaints NDADA May Decline to Investigate
NDADA aims to listen carefully and respond fairly to complaints. However, there may be circumstances where NDADA decides not to investigate, or to bring a complaint process to a close. This may include where:
• the same complaint has already been fully investigated and responded to
• there is insufficient information to investigate
• the complaint is abusive, threatening or unreasonably persistent
• the issue is so historic that it is no longer possible to investigate fairly, unless there is a clear reason why it could not have been raised sooner
• the complaint is made by a third party without appropriate consent and there is no safeguarding or legal basis to proceed
• engaging with the complaint would compromise the safety or confidentiality of a service user
Where NDADA decides not to proceed, the reason will be recorded and communicated to the complainant where appropriate and safe to do so.

11. Outcomes
Complaint outcomes may include:
• an explanation
• an apology where appropriate
• corrective action or practical steps to put matters right
• changes to practice, systems, procedures or communication
• learning to inform supervision, training or service development
• a decision that the complaint is not upheld
Where a complaint relates to a member of staff, NDADA will balance transparency with confidentiality and may not be able to share full details of any internal action taken.

12. Confidentiality and Data Protection
All complaints will be handled sensitively and confidentially, in line with data protection law and NDADA policies. Information will only be shared on a need-to-know basis for the purpose of understanding, investigating and responding to the complaint. Particular care will be taken where complaints relate to those experiencing/have experienced abuse, children, or other people at heightened risk.
Where a complaint is made about services provided to an individual, NDADA will not disclose personal or sensitive information to another person unless it is lawful and appropriate to do so.

13. Recording, Monitoring and Learning
All formal complaints will be recorded securely, including:
• the date received
• the nature of the complaint
• who is handling it
• action taken
• the outcome
• any themes, learning or further actions identified
Complaint information will be reviewed by senior management to identify patterns, recurring issues and opportunities for improvement. An anonymised summary of complaints, themes and learning will be reported to Trustees at least annually, and more regularly where appropriate. Learning from complaints will be used to inform policy review, service improvement, quality assurance and staff development.

14. External Escalation
If a complainant remains dissatisfied after completing NDADA’s internal complaints process, they may raise their concern with an appropriate external body depending on the nature of the complaint. This may include a commissioner, funder, regulator, landlord, ombudsman or other relevant oversight body. Where appropriate, NDADA will provide information about the most suitable external route.

15. Accessibility and Review
NDADA will make reasonable adjustments to ensure the complaints process is safe and accessible. This may include:
• support with communication
• translated or alternative formats where available
• flexibility around contact methods
• consideration of cultural, disability, literacy or safety needs
This policy will be reviewed every 3 years, or sooner if legislation, guidance, organisational change or learning from complaints indicates an earlier review is needed.