Complaints Policy

How do I make a compliment?

It’s always lovely to hear about your positive experiences of the centre and so please do pass these on to us. You can do this by emailing info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk - this will be shared with the relevant service lead who will let colleagues know. There may be times where your experience could be useful as a case study to help us fund our services. In these instances, we may approach you to see if you would be willing to support us in this way. This will always be your choice and you are able to withdraw from this process at any point.

How do I make a suggestion about improving the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre?

We are always keen to hear from people about how they think we can improve our services, and so welcome any and all suggestions. The best way of doing this would be to send an email to info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk and this will then be passed on to the relevant service lead. We will aim to acknowledge your suggestion within 14 working days.

How do I raise a complaint to the Cardinal Hume Centre?

This can be done in a number of ways, including:

By email – please email info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk
By phone – please call 0207 222 1602 – you may be transferred to a relevant manager who will listen to your feedback.
In writing – please post your written complaint, ensuring that you have provided at least one way for us to get in touch with you, to: The Cardinal Hume Centre, 3-7, off Arneway St, Horseferry Rd, London SW1P 2BG
In person – you are able to provide feedback verbally to any member of staff at the centre. You will be asked if you would like this feedback to be formally recorded.

We have a centre wide policy and process for handling complaints which applies to all aspects of the Centre. You can request a copy of our policy by emailing info@cardinalhumecentre.org.uk. Due to the nature of our work, some services are members of external bodies where you can also raise a complaint. In these cases, it is up to you as to where you raise your complaint. Some of these external bodies may require you to complain to us first.

Can my complaint be anonymous?

You have a right to complain anonymously, please let us know as early as possible when making a complaint. There may be times when you will have to give your name due to the nature of the complaint, we will discuss this with you if we think this may be the case. If this is the case and you still do not wish to give your name, we may be limited in what we can do in response to your complaint.

What happens after I raise a complaint?

Your feedback will be passed on to the relevant service manager on the day that it is received. If they are not working on that day, or it appears that the complaint is against the service manager, your complaint will be shared with a relevant member of the senior management team.

You should expect to receive acknowledgement of your complaint within 2 working days from the person handling your complaint. This will usually be in writing (by letter or email).

The manager handling your complaint will then begin investigating your complaint. The investigating manager will reply within 15 working days to confirm the outcome of your complaint, stating whether the complaint was upheld, partially upheld or not upheld. They will also outline any actions we will be taking in response to the outcome.

In certain circumstances, it may be necessary to extend the response timeline, for example if translators are required to help the investigation. The investigating manager will keep you informed at the earliest opportunity if there is any delay.

What happens if I am not happy with the outcome of my complaint?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you have a right to make a further complaint. You can do this by contacting us by one of the methods outlined above, or by replying to the outcome of your complaint.

Your complaint will then be passed on for a review (called adjudication). This is where a member of the senior management team (usually the head of service responsible for the team will be asked to review the investigation to decide whether the outcome was appropriate. This stage may take up to 10 working days. After the review is completed, you will receive a written response confirming the outcome.

Finally, if you are unhappy with the outcome of this decision, you have the right to appeal. This process will be overseen by the Chief Executive, who will appoint a member of the SMT (usually a director) who hasn’t been involved in the previous stages of your complaint. You may be advised that your complaint should be escalated to an external organisation instead of it being handled by the Centre.

In our response to your appeal, we will provide you with options to raise your complaint with external bodies. These will be different depending on the nature of your complaint. The Charity Commission have an overview as to how and when to make a complaint about a charity on their website.

If you would like to request a copy of our full policy, please contact us.

How do I complain about the Centre's immigration service?

Alongside the above process, clients of our immigration service can raise a concern or complaint directly to the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner at any time. You can do this via their website, where you will need to select ‘An immigration adviser’ when asked about who you would like to make a complaint against. If you have been supported by a solicitor at the centre, you can raise a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. You should have more information about your options on the client letter we sent you when we took on your case.

How do I complain about the Centre's fundraising practices?

If you are not happy with our fundraising practices you can raise a complaint following the process outlined above in “How do I raise a complaint to the Cardinal Hume Centre. As we are registered with the fundraising regulator, we are committed to working in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice. You are within your rights to make a complaint to the Fundraising Regulator if you are unhappy with how we work. However, they do ask that you to make your complaint to us first. You can find out more about the Fundraising Regulator complaints process here.

How do I complain about the Centre's data practices?

Our Privacy Policy gives you an overview of how we collect and manage data at the Centre. Complaints relating to this should initially be raised with the centre, however if you are unhappy with how we have resolved your complaint, you can seek advice or escalate a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Providing feedback to the Centre

How do I make a compliment?

How do I make a suggestion about improving the work of the Cardinal Hume Centre?

How do I raise a complaint to the Cardinal Hume Centre?

Can my complaint be anonymous?

What happens after I raise a complaint?

What happens if I am not happy with the outcome of my complaint?

How do I complain about the Centre's immigration service?

How do I complain about the Centre's fundraising practices?

How do I complain about the Centre's data practices?

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