Candoco
Close-up of a person's hands writing in a notebook.

Complaints Policy

Policy and Procedure

Candoco Dance Company strives to be excellent in all that we do, but we recognise that this cannot always be the case. When we make a mistake, we want and need to be informed. We will use the information to endeavour to put things right and to help us become more effective.

The following complaints policy and procedure sets out how we will approach any complaints made about us.

 

Complaints Policy

  1. A complaint can be made by any individual or organisation who wishes to report dissatisfaction about the standards of service, actions or lack of action by Candoco or its staff, volunteers, or anybody directly involved in the delivery of our work.
  2. We will respond to complaints within 14 business days.
  3. Complainants who have launched a complaint and who are unsatisfied with Candoco’s response to that complaint have the right to appeal. The appeals process is described in the procedure below.
  4. Everyone who makes a complaint will be treated with courtesy and respect. In return, we expect people who make a complaint to communicate their concerns fairly and appropriately. Where complainants harass staff, behave abusively, or unreasonably pursue complaints, we reserve the right to withdraw or modify our complaints procedure.
  5. We will log and monitor all serious complaints and results of such complaints, and this information will be brought, regularly, to the attention of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and Board in order that we learn from what we do and how we do it. This information will not necessarily be available to the public.

 

 

Complaints Procedure

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint to Candoco in any of the following ways:

  1. By filling out our Online Form 
  2. By email to: complaints@candoco.co.uk 
  3. In writing to: Executive Director, Candoco Dance Company, c/o Mountview, 120 Peckham Hill St, London SE15 5JT
  4. By phone: +44 20 77046845


When contacting Candoco

  1. By filling out our online form or by email – you will receive a reply at the email address provided.
  2. By Postal mail – please include a return address so we can reply to you by post, or provide an email address if you would prefer an email response.
  3. By Phone – our office team will record your complaint by completing the Online Form on your behalf. We will reply to you based on your stated preference of post or email.


How we will investigate and respond

Within 14 business days of receiving a complaint, we will send you either:

  1. A response which addresses the complaint, or –
  2. A response that explains why we are unable to provide a response, provides reasons for the further delay, and indicates when we expect to be able to give a final response.

We will assess your complaint to determine the best course of action and identify the issues to be investigated. An investigation will be conducted by a nominated representative from Candoco Dance Company who is independent of the issues being raised. We may need to contact you during this time, and your cooperation will be important in order to complete the investigation.

Once the investigation has been completed and the appropriate response and action agreed, we will respond to the complainant with the following information:

  1. A written response describing the details of the complaint
  2. Comments addressing each of the violations alleged in the complaint
  3. Explain the investigations undertaken to consider the complaint
  4. State the findings resulting from the investigation
  5. Explain any improvements made as a result of the complaint

 

 

Appeal Process

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the decisions regarding your complaint, you can appeal the complaint decision by writing to the Chair of the Board of Trustees (to the address above) or email secretary@candoco.co.uk , setting out briefly the nature of the complaint/appeal; the steps already taken; details of the response received; and a statement as to why you remain dissatisfied.

The Chair will review all the information held relating to your complaint and will conduct further investigations if they consider that the initial investigation was insufficient.

Within 20 business days of receiving the appeal, you will be informed of the final decision in writing.

 

 

External bodies that you may consider referring to include:

  1. If the complaint relates to our fundraising activities, and you are unhappy with our final response, you can refer your complaint to the Fundraising Regulator. 
  2. If you have a serious complaint regarding another area of our work and do not feel completely satisfied by our response, you can raise a complaint with the Charity Commission.