The BPA is committed to being open and honest in all our dealings with supporters and donators, adhering to the Fundraising Promise and the Institute of Fundraising’s Code of Fundraising Practice.
It is important to us that our supporters have access to a formal feedback procedure in order to lodge a complaint if they wish to do so. As a member of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) we are committed to the following procedure in regards to handling complaints.
Definition of a complaint
The FRSB will deal with all complaints that are concerned with a breach of the Institute of Fundraising’s Code of Fundraising Practice or a breach of the Fundraising Promise provided that the complainant has first directed the complaint to the charity concerned but is not satisfied with the answer received.
Complaints procedure
1) How to submit your complaint to the BPA
Complaints with regard to the fundraising activities of the British Paralympic Association can be directed to Sophie Tye, Commercial and Marketing Manager, via:
Email: fundraising@paralympics.org.uk
Post: 60 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 2NU
If your complaint is submitted via email or post it will be acknowledged in writing within 14 days and investigated within 30 days. We will advise you promptly on the outcome of the investigation.
Phone: 0207 842 5789
If your complaint is submitted over the phone we will seek to gather the facts and summarise the situation with you at the end of the call to ensure we have fully understood the complaint. If we are knowledgeable about the area of the complaint we will seek to resolve the matter with you over the phone. If we are not knowledgeable about the area of the complaint we will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 14 days and it will be investigated within 30 days. If you are satisfied with the outcome we will record the complaint and its resolution in our complaints database that is submitted annually to the FRSB. If you are not satisfied with the outcome we will proceed as detailed in section 3 below.
2) Our internal procedure
We will always take all complaints very seriously and ensure thorough investigation is conducted. Accurate records will be kept of all investigations which have been carried out.
Once a complaint has been submitted we will establish which area of operation it relates to and consult with the relevant staff to further understand the situation. If a third party is involved, we will speak to them to gather any information about the circumstances of the complaint.
All facts and information gathered will be recorded on our official complaints database and the Chief Executive will be informed of the complaint. Where the complaint relates to fundraising we will note which area of the Code of Fundraising Practice or the Fundraising Promise is believed to be in breach.
A review of the complaint and all the relevant information will be conducted and a decision made on the appropriate action that should be taken. The outcome of the review will typically result in one of two options:
The complaint is justified: We will write to you within 30 days to apologise and let you know what action has been taken and how that action will help improve our fundraising practices in the future.
The complaint is not justified: We will write to you within 30 days to explain that we will not be changing our fundraising practices and give clear reasons for our position. Details of the steps that were taken to investigate the complaint will be clearly outlined to you.
3) If you are not satisfied with the resolution
If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of our investigation, you should contact the FRSB within 2 months of receiving our response. The FRSB will further investigate your complaint and report their findings to you within 30 days.
If you are still dissatisfied, you can request that your complaint is adjudicated by the Board of Directors for the FRSB. Their decision will be made within 60 days and will be final. The BPA agrees to abide by decisions made by the FRSB.
Where your complaint refers to public collections, contact:
The local authority
The local police
Where your complaint refers to:
- dishonest handling of funds
- misapplication of charitable funds
- actions that contravene the BPA’s Articles of Association or charitable law
- actions that threaten to bring the BPA into disrepute
contact the Charity Commission, the regulator for charities in England and Wales, using the form here or on 0845 300 0218.
