Our Policies

Commitment to address ethical issues

We actively seek opportunities to work together with external organisations to achieve shared objectives. However, it is vital that we maintain our independence and do not allow external partnerships to bring the name of CLIC Sargent into disrepute.

CLIC Sargent therefore seeks, so far as is practical and within the constraints of UK law:

Initiatives that do not compromise the independent status of CLIC Sargent
To ensure that the activities of organisations we work with are consistent with our organisational values

This policy has been devised to ensure clarity and openness to all our stakeholders. It is designed to address sponsorship, “cause” related marketing and purchasing. We welcome comments, criticism and suggestions as to how these goals can be met.

Avoidance Criteria

Partnerships with companies involved with any of the following activities will be avoided:

• Tobacco manufacture
• Nuclear weapons systems manufacture
• Companies generating revenue from the sale of pornography

Cause Related Marketing, Affinity Marketing and Product Endorsement

• CLIC Sargent does not endorse or approve products or companies. A statement to this effect will be included alongside any branding or promotion associated with products
• CLIC Sargent will not promote any products knowingly linked to childhood cancer unless published research is proven to have benefits.
• Only CLIC Sargent will have direct access to our database
• In order to ensure that all of our cause related, promotion reflects our charities values any endorsement of products must come to the senior management meeting for approval.

Transparency

A full list of corporate sponsors giving over £10,000 will be maintained on our website. CLIC Sargent will communicate its commitment to this policy to the organisation’s stakeholders.

CLIC Sargent is committed to providing high quality, professional standards to all those who use our services and to people who support us in any way.

We are also committed to an ethos of continuous improvement and view any complaint received as an opportunity to improve our practices and services.

CLIC Sargent commits to ensuring that:

• People who use our services, those who support us, and the wider public know how to make a complaint and can do so easily
• Those making a complaint know that it will be dealt with sensitively, honestly and fairly
• Complaints are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner
• All CLIC Sargent staff are aware of the complaints policy and procedures and feel confident in these
• Complaints are reviewed on a regular basis to inform service and process improvements

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about the standard of service, actions or lack of action taken by the charity as a whole, members of staff, or volunteers- which affects an individual or groups of people with whom the charity is involved.

How do I make a complaint?

Any individual or group can make a complaint, or a complaint can be made on behalf of someone else (in cases where a complaint has been made on behalf of someone else, we will be mindful of data protection issues when responding).

You can make a complaint in the following ways:

• In person to any staff member
• By email: feedback@clicsargent.org.uk
• By phone: 0300 330 0803
• By letter: Central Supporter Engagement Team, CLIC Sargent, Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT

Any individual who posts negative feedback on any CLIC Sargent social media channel will be invited to discuss their concerns further with a relevant staff member and/or to make a formal complaint via the channels listed above.

What will be done with my complaint?

• All complaints will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt.
• A staff member of suitable seniority will investigate your complaint.
• We will inform you of the name of the person who will be investigating your complaint.
• We may need to ask you for any further information that will help us with our investigation (this could include asking for input from the person you are complaining on behalf of).
• We aim to resolve most complaints within 15 working days of receipt. Some more complex issues may require investigation that might mean this is not possible; in these circumstances, we will keep you informed of progress.
• We will respond to you, or the person the complaint was on behalf of, to communicate the findings and outcome of the investigation.
• Any complaint which involves a potential fraud, safeguarding or whistleblowing issue will be progressed in line with our internal policies which govern these areas.
• Any complaint which involves a staff member who is not directly employed by the charity will be referred to the staff member’s employer. The majority of CLIC Sargent nurses, and some of our social care staff, are funded by CLIC Sargent and employed by the NHS or a local authority.

What can I do if I’m not happy with the response I get?

If you are not satisfied with the response you have received, the complaint can be referred to a more senior manager. The final stage of appeal sits with our Board of Trustees.

If you are not satisfied with the final response you have received from us, the below external agencies may investigate further:

• Fundraising – the Fundraising Regulator
• Social Work – Concerns about an individual social worker can be referred to the Health & Care Professions Council. For CLIC Sargent social care staff who are not directly employed by the charity, concerns can be referred to the relevant NHS Trust or Local Authority.
• Nursing – Concerns about an individual nurse can be referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

How does CLIC Sargent use complaints to improve standards?

Our first priority is to satisfactorily resolve each complaint received. All complaints received are reviewed by our management teams on a regular basis; this allows us to identify learning points and make changes, where required, to improve our services or processes. Our Board of Trustees reviews an annual summary of complaints received.

Our management of complaints related to our fundraising practices is linked to the requirements set by the Fundraising Regulator, and ensures that we are accountable to our supporters and beneficiaries.

In order to ensure that we are responding to complaints properly and in the most constructive way possible, we review this policy regularly.

Updated June 2019