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Raising a complaint with us

This page outlines our approach when handling complaints. Indigo Volunteers is committed to safe and transparent conduct and encourages everybody in its network to raise their voice if they have a concern or if an incident occurs. 

Ways of raising a complaint

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Any member of staff, volunteer, partner, or person otherwise connected to Indigo’s network and its mission can raise a concern or report a case of misconduct. Generally, three dedicated pathways are available.

1

Where a complaint is in regards to a volunteer or partner, we invite you to fill in our Incident Reporting Form. If the complaint relates to an issue within a partner organisation, we encourage you to escalate your concern within the partner organisation  as far as possible before reaching out to us in order for it to be addressed in the most appropriate way

2

Where a complaint is about Indigo or any of its team members, where the Incident Reporting Form is inappropriate to use, or where a previously reported incident has not been resolved satisfactorily, you can contact complaints@indigovolunteers.org. 
In this case, your complaint will be received and processed by Indigo’s board of trustees and Designated Safeguarding Officer. 

3

Where it is inappropriate to reach out to Indigo’s board of trustees or Designated Safeguarding Officer, or where a previously reported incident has not been resolved satisfactorily, you can report to the UK Charity Commission - the legal body Indigo Volunteers is accountable to.

What to expect when raising a complaint

 

Indigo Volunteers is committed to processing your complaint responsibly and professionally. While each case may require a different approach, we commit to the following, general procedure when receiving a complaint. 

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  1. Acknowledgment & exploration - Once you have submitted your complaint, the most appropriate member of the Indigo team will start processing it. If you share your identity and/or contact details with us, you will be informed of this step.

  2. Investigation - If it’s appropriate for us to investigate, the details you have provided will be verified, and - only where appropriate - other parties may be questioned about their involvement in the issue you have raised.

  3. Follow up - Taking into account what we have learnt, we will decide on appropriate follow-up actions. If you share your identity and/or contact details with us, if it is appropriate to do so, we will inform you of what these actions entail. 

  4. Outcome & closing - Indigo will address the issue by implementing its action plan,  involving stakeholders where needed, and - where appropriate and possible - arranging support to those affected by the issue.

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Please note that while we are committed to resolving complaints as quickly as possible, the exact timeline for this procedure will depend on the nature of the complaint.

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All complaints are recorded internally in a confidential manner.

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Anonymity and Confidentiality

 

This procedure is designed to be easily accessible and certain safeguards are in place to protect your identity. While we encourage you to share your name with us for the processing of your complaint, you can also raise a complaint anonymously. Additionally, you can share your name with us but request that it remain anonymous from other parties involved in the complaint you’re lodging. 


Throughout our process, we will comply with  our Privacy Policy and  the UK and EU General Data Protection Regulation. 

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What should be reported?

 

Indigo Volunteers is interested in receiving information relating to  potential criminal offenses, safeguarding concerns, or otherwise unacceptable behaviour by representatives of the organisation, its partners, or volunteers. 

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Examples of complaints include but are not limited to:

  • Failure to comply with a legal obligation or internal governance guidelines 

  • Financial malpractice, corruption, fraud or theft

  • Criminal activity

  • Bullying, harassment, abuse or other forms of harm
    see Indigo Volunteer’s Safeguarding Policy for a more in-depth list of harms

  • Misuse of power

  • Breach of confidentiality

  • Improper conduct or unethical behaviour

  • Discrimination

  • Defamation

  • Attempts to conceal any of the above

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This process is not intended for use for complaints relating to a political disagreement with Indigo Volunteers or its representatives, or a disagreement regarding agreed rules of the organisation.

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With gratitude to A Drop in the Ocean for supporting us in the creation of this page. 

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