Complaints Procedure

Please Call us on 0116 249 8839 or email governance@vistablind.org.uk  if you require this information and subsequent communications in an alternative format.

We work hard to offer high standards at all times, but sometimes, we may not get it right. Feedback and complaints help us to improve and develop. As such we want to hear from you when your experience with us is good, and when it isn’t.

This procedure applies to:

• All service delivery. 
• All fundraising and marketing activities, including in our shops.
• Staff, volunteers, trustees.
• Complaints from service users, partners, donors, supporters and the public.

When you raise a complaint or a concern we will:

• Ensure all feedback is acknowledged, recorded and learned from.
• Where you have a concern or complaint ensure they are comprehensively and sympathetically reviewed through a transparent procedure.
• Make sure you receive an honest response in the shortest possible time.
• Treat it confidentially – only those who need to will have access to information about a complaint.
• Ensure your complaint will not result in reprisals or retaliation, nor would it affect your support or engagement with the charity in any way.

Procedure guidance

If you have a complaint or concern about our work, please let us know as follows:

Stage 1 – informal problem solving

Speak to the staff member or volunteer(s) involved. They welcome your feedback, and, if you have a concern, they will work with you to try resolve any issues there and then.

You are also welcome to submit your compliments or concerns on our work in writing via email or post as follows: 

• governance@vistablind.org.uk 
• Vista, Provincial House, 37 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 6TE

If your problem is unable to be resolved by the staff member or volunteer at the time, either they or you may wish to raise with the line manager to ensure the problem is resolved in the quickest most straightforward way possible.  

Stage 2 – Complaints

If a satisfactory solution cannot be reached or you feel unable to raise the concern with a staff member or volunteer, you should contact our Complaints Officer (Director of Services).

You can contact our Complaints Officer in whichever way is most convenient to you and they will respond by the same method unless you tell us otherwise. We are ready to help you over the phone, by email or letter.

• Call us on 0116 249 8839. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Outside these hours you can leave us a message and a contact number and we will endeavour to return your call on the next working day.
• Email us at governance@vistablind.org.uk marking ‘complaint’ in the subject line
• Write to us at: Complaints, Vista, Provincial House, 37 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 6TE

(If the complaint is about the CEO or Chair specifically, then letters or emails should be addressed to a named Trustee only. Named Trustees can be located via our Charity Commission page).

Please include an explanation of the problem, how it occurred, and the effect on you. We will work to fix problems, correct mistakes and address concerns in a fair way. Please feel free when contacting us with a complaint, to let us know how you think it could be resolved. We want to reach the best possible outcome.

There may be some occasions where we need to seek further information from you to investigate your concerns fully. If this is the case, your timely response will enable us to resolve your complaint as promptly as possible.

We will deal with your complaint as follows:

1. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receipt. We will let you know who is handling the complaint and how to contact them. This may be a member of staff or one of our Trustees.
2. We aim to resolve your complaint within 20 working days of acknowledging it. You will hear from us again by this time with a response. If, due to the complexity of the complaint, this is not possible, we will keep you updated on progress.
3. If the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can ask for the outcome to be reviewed. Contact us within 20 working days of our original response.
4. The complaint will be reinvestigated by a different member of staff/trustee within 20 working days of acknowledging it. You will hear from us again by this time with a response. If, due to the complexity of the complaint, this is not possible, we’ll keep you updated on progress.
5. If, following completion of any appeal, you are still not satisfied you have the right to contact the Charity Commission, (https://forms.charitycommission.gov.uk/raising-concerns/) or, in the case of fundraising complaints, the Fundraising Regulator (https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/make-a-complaint).

Data Privacy Statement

We collate and analyse data about feedback, compliments and complaints in line with our Privacy Policy Statement.

Procedure Review

We review this procedure every three years and may adapt it sooner where our monitoring shows it would be beneficial to do so.  

Appendix 1 - Definitions:

Complaint:  As defined by the Charity Commission, any expression of dissatisfaction about the services a charity provides, whether or not the person explicitly states they are making a complaint.

Complaint: As defined by the Fundraising Regulator, an expression of dissatisfaction about fundraising conduct or decisions.

Appendix 2 – Sources:

This procedure has been developed in line with: 

1. Guidance from the Charity Commission (RS11 – Cause for Complaint? Report, 2006) 

2. Principles from the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice 2025 (sections 1.1, 1.2 and 2.3).