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The Scottish Bame Women

Complaints Procedure

Scottish Bame Women is committed to delivering open, compassionate, and high-quality community support. We welcome constructive feedback and view complaints as opportunities to listen, learn, and improve our services.

Charity Information: Scottish Bame Women is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), Scottish Charity Number SC053466, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Designated contact: thesbworg@pm.me.

1. Purpose of This Procedure

This procedure outlines how anyone who engages with Scottish Bame Women—including service users, donors, volunteers, partners, and members of the public—can raise a concern or formal complaint, and how we will handle it.

2. How to Submit a Complaint

Please submit complaints in writing to our designated email address:

Complaints Inbox: thesbworg@pm.me
Please use the subject line: Formal Complaint – SBW

To help us investigate effectively, please include:

  • Your name and preferred contact email address;
  • A clear description of the matter, including relevant dates and circumstances;
  • Any correspondence or supporting information;
  • What resolution or outcome you are seeking.

3. Our Handling Process and Target Timeframes

We treat all complaints seriously, impartially, and confidentially:

  • Stage 1 – Acknowledgment: We aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within 5 working days.
  • Stage 2 – Investigation: An authorised representative of Scottish Bame Women will review the matter objectively and impartially.
  • Stage 3 – Response: We aim to provide a full, substantive written response within 20 working days of initial receipt. If an investigation requires additional time (for example, to interview individuals or verify complex facts), we will notify you before the 20-day deadline, explain the reason for the delay, and provide an updated expected completion date.

4. Stage 4 – Escalation to the Board of Trustees

If you are not satisfied with the initial outcome, you may request an internal escalation within 14 calendar days of our response. The matter will be referred to an independent member of the Board of Charity Trustees who was not involved in the original investigation. The Trustees will review the file and issue a final written decision.

5. External Regulatory Oversight (OSCR)

Scottish Bame Women is regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). If you believe there has been serious misconduct, financial mismanagement, or an issue that poses significant risk to the charity or its beneficiaries that has not been addressed, you can contact OSCR:

Please note that OSCR cannot intervene in individual disagreements, personal disputes, or employment matters unless they indicate broader governance failure.

6. Confidentiality and Record Keeping

All complaints are treated with discretion and shared only with authorised trustees and staff who need to know in order to investigate and resolve the issue. Complaint records are retained securely in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

7. Review Date

This Complaints Procedure was agreed and adopted in October 2026.