Making a complaint

We will acknowledge all complaints within 2 working days, often sooner, other than in exceptional circumstances. Our acknowledgement will include a date by when you can expect to either be informed about the outcome of your complaint or the process that will be followed to handle the issue you’ve raised. This date will be no more than 10 working days from the date your complaint was received. 

Depending on its nature, the time frame for handling a complaint and the way in which it is investigated will vary.  Our complaints and response procedures ensure reasonable confidentiality and security of all relevant records and documents. To ensure transparency of the complaints management process, you will be kept informed throughout and advised of the outcome.

A Fundraising complaint is one that relates to any of Concern UK’s fundraising activities.  A General complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about actions taken or a lack of action this is not a Fundraising, Fraud, Whistleblowing or Safeguarding complaint.

The Complaints Coordinator can be contacted through the following channels:

• Using our contact form
• By phone - Freephone 0800 032 4001
• Our phone lines are open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Outside of these hours, please leave a message and contact number, and someone will return your call within one working day.
• By post - marked ‘Private & Confidential’ to:
  Complaints Coordinator,
  Concern Worldwide (UK)
  47 Frederick Street,
  Belfast
  BT1 2LW
  To assist us in resolving your complaint quickly, please include a valid phone number or email address so that we can contact you.

Fraud encompasses the theft or misuse of Concern’s funds or other resources, by an employee or third party, which may or may not also involve misstatement of financial documents or records to conceal the theft or misuse. Corruption can take many forms, including financial and non-financial crimes such as procurement fraud, nepotism and any other form of abuse of power. Please see Concern’s Anti-Fraud Policy for more information.  For fraud complaints, you can contact the Head of Internal Audit and Investigations through the following methods:

• By email – [email protected]
• By phone – + 353 1 479 1326 during core office hours, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (Irish times).

Outside of these hours, please leave a message and contact number, and someone will return your call before midday the next working day.

• By post – marked ‘Private & Confidential’ to:

Head of Internal Audit and Investigations
Corporate Services
Concern Worldwide
52-55 Lower Camden Street
Dublin 2
Ireland

Concern defines whistleblowing as “making a disclosure in the public interest about possible wrongdoing in the workplace”.  The categories of wrongdoing which may constitute malpractice include: Criminal offences; Failure to comply with legal obligations; Miscarriage of justice; Endangering the health & safety of individuals; Serious HR complaints; Damaging the environment; Any sensitive complaint that is not about fraud or safeguarding; Attempting to cover up any of the above.  Please see Concern’s Whistleblowing Policy for more information.

For whistleblowing complaints, you can contact the Head of Internal Audit and Investigations through the following methods:

• By email – [email protected]  
• By phone – + 353 1 479 1326 during core office hours, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (Irish times).

Outside of these hours, please leave a message and contact number, and someone will return your call before midday the next working day.

• By post – marked ‘Private & Confidential’ to:

Head of Internal Audit and Investigations
Corporate Services
Concern Worldwide
52-55 Lower Camden Street
Dublin 2
Ireland

Concern has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment exploitation, abuse and trafficking of children and adults as reflected in our contracts of employment for all staff (or engagement for consultants, contractors etc.), who commit to adhere to the Concern Code of Conduct and associated policies. Confidentiality, safety, dignity, respect and natural justice are core principles applied in how we investigate and address such matters, always with the wishes and best interests of the survivor at the centre of our process.

For suspected safeguarding complaints, the following channels which are monitored by the safeguarding office in Concern’s head office should be used:

• By email – [email protected]
• By post – marked ‘Private & Confidential’ to:

Safeguarding Office
Concern Worldwide
52-55 Lower Camden Street
Dublin 2
Ireland

If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you can submit a formal written appeal directly to the Executive Director:

• By email –  [email protected]
• By post – marked ‘Private & Confidential’ to:

Executive Director
Concern Worldwide (UK)
The Foundry
17 Oval Way
London
SE11 5RR

The response to an appeal is final in terms of our complaints and response process, although you may choose to continue to pursue the matter via alternative routes if you wish.

If your complaint is about fundraising and you feel it has not been resolved by us satisfactorily, then you can forward your complaint to the Fundraising Regulator within two months of receiving our final response.

Fundraising Regulator
Eagle House
167 City Road
London
EC1V 1AW

Telephone: 0300 999 3407

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints

If your complaint is related to an area of our work other than fundraising or advertising, you can contact The Charity Commission.

The Charity Commission
1 Drummond Gate
London
SW1V 2QQ

Website: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

Complaints about our shops in Northern Ireland may be made to:

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
Marlborough House
Central Way
Craigavon
BT64 1AD

Website: https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/concerns-and-decisions/submit-a-concern-about-a-charity/

Although we would appreciate an opportunity to address any advertising complaint, you can make these directly to the Advertising Standards Authority. 

Broadcasters are required to keep recordings for specified periods i.e. 42 days after the relevant radio transmission; 60 days after the relevant satellite and cable television transmission; and 90 days after the relevant terrestrial television transmission. Complaints must be made well within these periods. For non-broadcast ads, complaints must be made within 3 months of their appearance.

Advertising Standards Authority
Castle House
37-45 Paul Street
Shoreditch
London
EC2A 4LS

Website: https://www.asa.org.uk/make-a-complaint.html

If you feel you were treated unfairly after purchasing goods in one of our Northern Ireland shops you may complain to Trading Standards.

Northern Ireland Trading Standards Services
176 Newtownbreda Road
Belfast
BT8 6QS

Website: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/how-complain-business-or-trader