Two thirds of charities have no complaints procedures in place

Just over two thirds of charities do not have complaints procedures in place leaving them with no formal way of knowing whether users are unhappy with their services, according to research from the Charity Commission published today.

The Commission also found that 80 per cent of charities felt that they did not need complaints procedures, a view it described as “worrying”.

It argues that many charity users are amongst some of the most disadvantaged groups in society and having an accessible, clear complaints procedure is vital to ensuring that they have their views heard.

It warns that charities that do not have procedures in place are failing to fully account to their service users and missing valuable opportunities to learn from complaints to improve their services.

Of charities who had introduced procedures almost two thirds thought they were beneficial.

The Commission’s director of policy and effectiveness Rosie Chapman said: “Charities without complaints procedures are missing a trick. This is a key way for charities to make sure their services are truly responsive to user needs.”