Complaints Policy

Last updated: 31st October 2025

Donegal Women’s Centre is committed to providing high quality services, programmes, and support to women across County Donegal. We value feedback from service users, supporters, and members of the public. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our services, staff, or activities, we encourage you to let us know so we can improve.

1. Purpose of this Policy

This policy outlines how you can make a complaint, how we will handle it, and what you can expect from us. We are committed to dealing with complaints:

• Promptly, acknowledging and addressing issues quickly.
• Fairly, treating all complaints with respect, impartiality, and confidentiality.
• Constructively, using feedback to improve our services and standards.

2. What is a Complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about:

• Services provided by Donegal Women’s Centre
• Behaviour of staff, volunteers, or representatives
• Policies, practices, or decisions made by the Centre

3. How to Make a Complaint

You can make a complaint in any of the following ways:
In writing:
Donegal Women’s Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Eircode: F92 X892
Call: (074) 912 4985
By Email: donegalwomenscentre@gmail.com

Please provide as much detail as possible, including:

• Your name and contact details
• What happened, when, and where
• The names of people involved (if known)
• Any supporting evidence (if available)

4. How We Handle Complaints

1. Acknowledgement, We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
2. Investigation, A senior staff member or manager will review your complaint, gather information, and if necessary, speak with relevant parties.
3. Response, We will provide a written response within 20 working days where possible. If more time is needed, we will inform you.
4. Resolution, We will explain our findings and any actions we plan to take.

5. Appeals

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may request an appeal. An appeal will be reviewed by a senior manager or Board member not previously involved in the matter.

6. Confidentiality

• All complaints will be handled sensitively and in confidence.
• Information will only be shared with those directly involved in resolving the issue.
• Making a complaint will not affect your right to access services at Donegal Women’s Centre.

7. External Recourse

If you remain dissatisfied after our internal process, you may contact:

• The Charities Regulator (for issues relating to governance or charity operations) – www.charitiesregulator.ie
• The Ombudsman (for complaints about public services, where applicable) – www.ombudsman.ie
• The Data Protection Commission (for complaints about data privacy) – www.dataprotection.ie

8. Review of This Policy

We review our Complaints Policy regularly to ensure it remains effective and reflects best practice.