1. Our Commitment

At MLF UK CIC, we welcome all feedback – positive or negative. Complaints help us improve the quality of our programmes, events, partnerships and fundraising activities.

We are committed to handling all complaints seriously, fairly and consistently, with openness, honesty and respect.

  1. Quick Guide – How to Complain in 4 Steps
  1. Tell us – Submit your complaint using the form below within 3 months of the issue
  2. Acknowledgement – We will confirm receipt within 5 working days
  3. Investigation – We will review the complaint and aim to respond within 20 working days
  4. Escalate – If you are not satisfied, you can request a Stage 2 review

For fundraising complaints, you may also contact the Fundraising Regulator (see Section 6).

  1. Scope

You can complain about:

  • Our programmes, training or events
  • Our staff, volunteers or representatives
  • Our communications, publicity or publications
  • Our fundraising activities
  • Any other aspect of our work

This policy does not cover:

  • Safeguarding concerns — please see our Safeguarding and Support page or email info@themlf.org
  • Data protection or privacy issues — please see our Privacy Policy or contact the Information Commissioner’s Office
  • Complaints about partner organisations — we will redirect you and may help facilitate contact where appropriate
  1. How to Contact Us

You can submit a complaint using our online form:

Complaint form:
https://forms.gle/P5pQVPnFfjT6CKRC7

Alternatively, you can contact us:

Email: info@themlf.org

You may appoint someone to make a complaint on your behalf.

If you need support accessing the form or would like to submit your complaint in a different format, please contact us by email.

  1. How We Handle Complaints

Stage 1 – Initial Review

  • Managed by the relevant manager or team lead
  • Acknowledged within 5 working days
  • Full written response within 20 working days
  • If more time is needed, we will explain why and provide a new timeline

Stage 2 – Senior Review

  • You can request a review within 20 working days of the Stage 1 outcome
  • Reviewed by a senior manager, Director or trustee not involved in Stage 1
  • We aim to respond within 20 working days
  1. Fundraising Complaints

A fundraising complaint relates to any activity where MLF UK CIC asks for, collects or receives donations.

This includes events, online appeals, community fundraising or activity by third-party fundraisers.

We follow the same two-stage complaints process.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, or we have not responded within 20 working days, you can contact the Fundraising Regulator:

Website: https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/service/complaints-about-fundraising

We follow the Code of Fundraising Practice and expect all staff, volunteers and third-party fundraisers to do the same.

  1. Accessibility and Support
  • We can provide this policy or our responses in other formats or languages
  • You may appoint someone to act on your behalf
  • There is no negative consequence for raising a complaint

We will consider anonymous complaints where enough detail is provided. However, if no contact details are given, we may not be able to acknowledge the complaint, request further information, or provide an outcome.

  1. When We May Not Respond

We may not respond to complaints where:

  • The complaint relates to an organisation or issue outside of MLF UK CIC
  • The complaint has already been fully investigated and resolved
  • The complaint is abusive, threatening or unreasonable
  • The complaint is anonymous and does not contain enough information to investigate
  1. Recording and Data Protection

All complaints are recorded securely and handled in line with our Privacy Policy.

Complaint records are normally retained for up to 24 months from the date the complaint is closed, unless there is a safeguarding, legal or regulatory reason to retain them for longer.

  1. Safeguarding

If a complaint raises a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a young person or adult, it will be treated as a safeguarding concern and handled in line with our Safeguarding procedures.

If you believe someone is at immediate risk of harm, please contact emergency services on 999.

  1. Responsibility and Governance

Complaints are managed by the CEO.

If a complaint relates to the CEO, it will be managed by a Director or trustee who has not been involved in the matter.

  1. Learning from Complaints

All complaints are reviewed by senior management and trustees to identify patterns, risks and areas for improvement.

We use complaints to strengthen our work, improve our programmes and maintain accountability.

  1. Review of this Policy

This policy is reviewed annually, or sooner if required by changes in law, regulation or organisational practice.