1. Purpose
Kentish Town City Farm is committed to providing a welcoming, safe and high-quality service for everyone who visits, participates in or works with the charity. We welcome feedback and recognise that complaints can help us improve our services, activities and ways of working.
This policy explains how concerns or complaints can be raised and how they will be handled fairly, respectfully and promptly.
We aim to:
- listen carefully to concerns and complaints;
- resolve issues as quickly as possible;
- treat all complaints seriously and sensitively;
- learn from feedback and improve our services;
- ensure complaints are handled openly, fairly and consistently.
2. Scope
This policy applies to complaints from:
- visitors and members of the public;
- participants and service users;
- volunteers;
- supporters and partners;
- neighbours and local residents.
It covers complaints about:
- our services, activities or facilities;
- the conduct of staff, volunteers or trustees;
- decisions made by the charity;
- customer service and communication.
This policy does not cover:
- safeguarding concerns;
- staff grievances or disciplinary matters;
- whistleblowing concerns;
- criminal matters.
These matters will be dealt with under the relevant separate procedures and policies.
3. Safeguarding
Any complaint that raises concerns about the safety or welfare of a child or vulnerable adult will be referred immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and managed in accordance with the charity’s safeguarding policy.
Where necessary, concerns may also be referred to external agencies including social services or the police.
4. Accessibility and Support
Complaints may be made:
- in person;
- by telephone;
- in writing;
- by email.
We will make reasonable adjustments to support anyone who may need assistance to make a complaint, including support for communication or accessibility needs.
5. Informal Resolution
We encourage concerns to be raised as soon as possible so that they can often be resolved quickly and informally.
In the first instance, we encourage you to speak directly to the member of staff or volunteer involved, or to the Manager or Acting Manager.
Many issues can be resolved promptly at this stage without the need for a formal complaint.
If the matter cannot be resolved informally, the complaint will be recorded and handled through the formal procedure below.
6. Formal Complaints Procedure
Stage 1 – Investigation by the CEO or Manager
Complaints should be made in writing wherever possible and should include:
- your name and contact details;
- details of the complaint;
- what outcome you are seeking.
Complaints should be sent to:
The Chief Executive Officer Kentish Town City Farm
1 Cressfield Close London NW5 4BN
Or by email to
We will:
- acknowledge your complaint within five working days;
- confirm who will investigate the matter;
- carry out a fair and proportionate investigation.
You will normally receive a full written response within 15 working days.
If additional time is needed, we will explain the reason for the delay and provide a revised timescale.
If the complaint concerns the CEO, the complaint will be investigated by the Chair of Trustees or another trustee who has not previously been involved.
Stage 2 – Review by the Chair of Trustees
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving the Stage 1 response, you may request a review within one month of the date of the response.
The review will be conducted by the Chair of Trustees or another trustee not previously involved in the matter.
We will:
- acknowledge your request within five working days;
- review how the complaint was handled and the outcome reached;
- provide a written response within 15 working days wherever possible.
If additional time is required, we will explain why and provide an updated timescale.
This is the final stage of the charity’s complaints process.
7. External Advice
If you remain dissatisfied after the completion of our complaints procedure, you may seek independent advice.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales does not usually investigate complaints about charities unless there is evidence of serious misconduct or mismanagement. Information about raising serious concerns can be found on the Charity Commission website:
8. Confidentiality and Data Protection
Complaints will be handled sensitively and information will only be shared with those who need to know in order to investigate and respond to the complaint.
Records relating to complaints will be stored securely and managed in accordance with our data protection policy and legal obligations.
9. Learning and Improvement
We maintain a confidential record of complaints and outcomes in order to:
- monitor patterns and recurring issues;
- improve our services and practices;
- support accountability and good governance.
Trustees may receive anonymised reports on complaints as part of the charity’s governance and oversight responsibilities.
10. Unreasonable Behaviour
We recognise that people may feel upset or frustrated when making a complaint. However, we expect all communication to remain respectful.
The charity may limit or end contact where behaviour becomes abusive, threatening, discriminatory or unreasonable.
11. Publicising This Policy
This policy will be:
- available on our website;
- displayed on our noticeboard;
- provided on request.
This reflects our commitment to openness, accountability and continuous improvement.
12. Contact Details
CEO
1 Cressfield Close London
NW5 4BN
Email: info@ktcityfarm.org.uk
Approved by: Board of Trustees Approved date: 18/05/2026 Review date: October 2028