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Complaints Policy and Procedures

Policy Statement

At Wac Arts, we aim to deliver our services to the highest possible standards. We recognise however that sometimes we get things wrong or could do better. In such circumstances, you should make a complaint so we can fix the problem and improve our organisation.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is a statement you make about a part of our service you are not happy with. It will be about something we did not do as well as we said we would, something we did wrong or something we have taken too long to do. It could also be about an incident where you were not treated well by a member of our staff. If you do not get the level of service you expect, you may make a complaint using this procedure.

Complaints Procedure

There are 3 stages to follow:

  1. Complain by email to complaints@wacarts.co.uk explaining what happened, when it happened and who was involved. If you can, please include what resolution you are seeking. The person responsible for handling your complaint will respond to you by email within 20 working days. If the person handling your complaint needs any further information from you in order to try to resolve the matter, they may contact you. The response will confirm any resolution and the timescale for its completion. If a meeting is required to determine the resolution you can bring someone to accompany you. You will receive an email confirming Stage 1 has been completed and that your complaint has been resolved.
  2. If you are still not satisfied after the completion of Stage 1, you have the right to appeal to a member of senior staff. Please send an email to complaints@wacarts.co.uk explaining why you feel the resolution agreed in Stage 1 does not address your complaint. A senior member of staff who has not been involved in your complaint previously will review your case and reply by email within 20 working days. If the senior member of staff handling your complaint needs any further information from you in order to try to resolve the matter, they may contact you. The response will either uphold the resolution set out in Stage 1 or uphold your appeal and suggest an alternative resolution. If a meeting is needed to agree an alternative resolution you can bring someone to accompany you. You will receive an email confirming Stage 2 has been completed and that your complaint has been resolved.
  3. If after the completion of Stage 2 you still do not think your complaint has been resolved satisfactorily you can appeal to the Chief Executive. (If your complaint is about the Chief Executive, it will be dealt with by the Chair of Trustees). Please send an email to complaints@wacarts.co.uk setting out the reasons for your continued appeal. The Chief Executive (or Chair) will investigate the issue. This will normally take no more than 10 working days. If a meeting is required, you can bring someone to accompany you. You will receive an email confirming the decision of the Chief Executive (or Chair). This decision will be final.  We will confirm by email that Wac Arts has exhausted its Complaints Procedure and the matter is now resolved or closed.

Further Escalation

If after exhausting our internal process, you remain unhappy with our efforts to resolve your complaint depending on the nature of the matter you may be able to pursue the matter with:

How to Make a Complaint about Fundraising

Wac Arts is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and we follow the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice We strive to be honest, fair and open about our fundraising and our commitment to funders, donors and supporters is set out in our Fundraising Charter.  Our Charter includes those who fundraise on behalf of Wac Arts and how we protect donors we believe are vulnerable or in circumstances which hinder their capacity to make a decision about contributing to us financially or in other ways. 

If you want to provide feedback about our fundraising or make a complaint about fundraising, you can address your complaint to the Director of Development at complaints@wacarts.co.uk. Please make your complaint as soon as possible after the incident or communication has taken place. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in a timely manner and respond within 10 working days. Our Development Director will investigate your complaint and provide you with an outcome of the investigation as quickly as possible and within 28 days of receipt of the complaint.  If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you can state this in writing to the Chief Executive at: complaints@wacarts.co.uk

We will provide you with clear, evidence-based reasons for our decision ensuring that our decisions are proportionate, appropriate and fair. We will tell you if things have gone wrong and what we have learned. We will also tell you about any changes we make to our fundraising activities, guidance or policy as a result of your complaint.

The Chief Executive will review all actions taken and decide if further action is required and will send a final response. If you remain dissatisfied after receiving this final response from the Chief Executive, you may refer your complaint to the Fundraising Regulator. This must be done within eight weeks of the final response from the Chief Executive.

You can contact the Fundraising Regulator using the contact details below:

We keep a record of all complaints for a minimum of 3 years. This information is for the purpose of reporting to the Fundraising Regulator and does not include personal details.

If you no longer wish to receive fundraising communications from Wac Arts, you can unsubscribe here or alternatively via the Fundraising Preference Service: https://public.fundraisingpreference.org.uk