COMPLAINTS POLICY & PROCEDURE
1. Introduction
If for any reason you are unhappy with any aspect of our organisation, the following tells you what you can do to help us improve our service to you. Your continued goodwill is greatly valued by us and we would expect to resolve any day-to-day concerns or complaints informally and as quickly as possible.
All complaints will be handled sensitively and taken seriously, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.
If you are unhappy with an individual in our Organisation sometimes it is best to tell him or her directly. If you feel this is difficult or inappropriate then please follow the procedure below.
2. Making a written complaint
If you are not satisfied with the response or wish to raise the matter more formally, please write to The Chair. (If your complaint is about the Chair, please write to The Treasurer). Contact details are set out below.
All written complaints will be logged. You will receive a written acknowledgement within 3 working days.
The Chair will investigate the circumstances leading to the complaint. The Chair may investigate the complaint themselves or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. The aim is to investigate your complaint properly and give you a reply within 28 working days, setting out how the problem will be dealt with. If this is not possible, an interim response will be made informing you of the action taken to date or being considered.
3. Outcome
If the complaint is found to be justified The Chair will agree with you any necessary further action to be taken. If you are not satisfied with the reply please write to the Chair who will report the matter to the next meeting of the Board of Trustees, which will decide on any further steps to resolve the situation. If the appeal is found to be justified, any necessary further action with the complainant will be agreed. The decision at this stage is final and no further appeal is possible.
4. Contact Details
If you have a complaint please write to:
The Friends of Bedford Cemetery (Foster Hill Road)
Bedford Cemetery
Foster Hill Road, Bedford
or
Email: info@fosterhillroadcemetery.co.uk
The Board of Trustees may vary the procedure for good reason, which may be necessary to avoid a conflict of interest. Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Board of Trustees. This policy will be monitored on a regular basis.
Date: 11th October 2018
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EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY
1. General Statement
1.1. The Friends of Bedford Cemetery (Foster Hill Road) hereafter referred to as ‘FOBC’, are committed to achieving equality and diversity in the services it provides and in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, which legally protects people from discrimination in wider society and in the workplace. FOBC will ensure that everyone is treated equally. No user of our services, volunteer, or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of: gender, colour, ethnic origin, age, race, disability, religion, being pregnant or having a child, sexual orientation and/or marital status. This is not an exhaustive list.
1.2. As a provider of a service to the community, we accept the responsibility to promote equality and diversity and challenge discrimination wherever it occurs. This document sets out the main consequences of this commitment and the action to be taken in order to achieve equal opportunities.
1.3. It is the responsibility of everyone at FOBC to ensure that no one, e.g. service user, volunteer, or visitor receives less favourable treatment than any other on the grounds stated in Para. 1.1 of this policy.
1.4. FOBC recognises that some users of its services may say or do things that would otherwise be unacceptable and incompatible with its Equal and Diversity Policy. FOBC will do all it can to challenge such behaviour. In cases where intervention is possible a gentle approach will be adopted which aims to alter attitudes and behaviour while maintaining support for the distressed individual.
2. Responsibility
2.1. FOBC has overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy. However, all volunteers and service users have a duty as part of their involvement with us to do everything they can to ensure that the policy works in practice.
2.2. FOBC will bring to the attention of all trustees, volunteers and service users the existence of this policy and its contents, and will provide such training as is necessary to ensure that the policy is effective and that everyone is aware of it.
2.3. Those responsible for recruiting volunteers to work on FOBC projects are responsible for ensuring that they are aware of its Equality and Diversity Policy and adhere to it while working with its volunteers.
2.4. Every effort will be made to ensure that the services offered by FOBC reflect the composition of the community it serves. FOBC is committed to encouraging equal access to all its services, and to encouraging under-represented groups to access all its services.
2.5. All materials used or developed by us will be judged in the light of the promotion of equal opportunities, and those considered to be discriminatory will not be used.
2.6. If any service user, volunteer or visitor feels that they have been, or are being discriminated against, in any way, they are entitled to pursue the matter with the board. See the Complaints Policy.
2.7. All instances or complaints of discriminatory behaviour will be treated seriously.
2.8. Complaints or allegations of an unfounded or malicious nature will also be treated as serious.
3. Disabled Access
3.1. FOBC will endeavour to ensure, as far as is practicable, that all the premises it uses have disabled access. When considering new premises, every effort will be made to ensure such premises are fully accessible.
4. Use of Language
4.1 Language reflects and enshrines the values and prejudices of the society in which it has evolved, and is a powerful means of perpetuating them. Volunteers, trustees and service uses have a responsibility both to give a true picture of society and to avoid discriminating against or excluding any sections of it.
We aim to create the conditions whereby people are treated on the basis of their merits and potential, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (includes colour, nationality and ethnic origins), religion and or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or other distinctions.
4.1. Where the language used has a personal impact on others, and it has been made clear to the person concerned that their use of such language is unwelcome and/or offensive, disciplinary action may be taken if they persist with it.
5. Preventing harassment
Harassment is defined as behaviour that is unwanted, unreasonable and offensive.
5.1. No volunteer or service user should be subject to any type of harassment including::
• verbal abuse including verbal sexual abuse
• physical contact
• repeated remarks which an individual finds offensive
5.2 If it has been made clear to the person concerned that their behaviour is unwelcome and they persist with it, then the service user, volunteer, member, or visitor who is the recipient of the behaviour will be entitled to make a formal complaint. FOBC will ensure all complaints are dealt with fairly. (See Policy on Complaints above)
6. Equal Opportunities Monitoring
6.1. The board will monitor its equal opportunities progress, development and practice on a regular basis.
Date: March 2019
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PRIVACY STATEMENT
When you sign up to become a Friend of Bedford Cemetery (Foster Hill Road), hereafter referred to as FOBC, we will keep the information you provide to us on our database. This information enables us to send you news about the Friends and its work and to let you know how you can support us. We may do this by post or e-mail where you have given us permission to do so.
1. Your Personal Data
Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR). A guide to the GDPR can be found on the gov.uk website.
2. The Data Controller
FOBC is the data controller, (see contact details below). This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.
3. How do we process your personal data?
FOBC complies with its obligations under the GDPR by keeping personal data up-to-date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.
We use your personal data for the following purposes: –
• To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public;
• To administer membership records;
• To fundraise and promote the interests of the organisation;
• To manage our volunteers/employees;
• To maintain our own accounts and records (including the processing of Gift Aid applications);
• To inform you of news, events, activities and services running at Bedford Cemetery (FHR);
4. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?
• Explicit consent of the data subject so that we can keep you informed about news, events, activities and keep you informed about our services.
• Processing is necessary for carrying out legal obligations in relation to Gift Aid or under employment, social security, or a collective agreement;
• There is no disclosure to a third party without consent.
5. Sharing your personal data
Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with the Trustees of FOBC for purposes connected with the organisation. We will only share your data with third parties outside of the organisation with your consent. We will not sell or rent your data to third parties. We will not share your data for marketing purposes.
6. How long do we keep your personal data?
We will not retain your personal information longer than necessary. The length of time will vary depending on the type of information provided. We retain Gift Aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate.
7. Your rights and your personal data
Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: –
• To request a copy of your personal data.
• To request that errors are corrected in your personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date.
• To request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary to retain such data.
• To withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time.
• To request that your personal data is made available (right to data portability).
• The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing.
• To object to the processing of personal data.
• To lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office who are in charge of upholding information rights in the interest in the interest of the public. (See Contact Details below)
8. Further processing
If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose not covered by this Data Protection Notice then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.
9. Contact Details
If you have any queries or complaints please contact us in the first instance via:
e-mail: info@fosterhillroadcemetery.co.uk or write to us:
Bedford Cemetery (Foster Hill Road), Foster Hill Road, Bedford, MK41 7TD
website: https://fosterhillroadcemetery.co.uk/
The Information Commissioners Office contact details are available at:
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
Date: 11th October 2018
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