Policy reviewed: November 2025. Wording updated: 15 October 2026.
Crawley Down Community Centre CIO and CDCCA Trading Limited view complaints as a valued opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person or organisation that has made the complaint.
We define a complaint as a verbal or written communication in which somebody expresses dissatisfaction with an aspect of the services offered by The Haven.
How to make a complaint
Minor issues can be raised with a member of the Centre or Lounge & Bar team in person or by telephoning 01342 716791.
Formal complaints should be sent by email to mail@cdhavencentre.co.uk or by post to Crawley Down Community Centre CIO, The Haven Centre, Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down, Crawley RH10 4LJ. Please mark the correspondence Formal complaint.
Please include your name and contact details, your relationship to The Haven and a clear account of what happened.
Our policy
Our policy is to:
- provide a complaints procedure that is clear and easy to use;
- ensure complaints are, where possible, resolved informally and relationships are maintained;
- ensure all complaints are investigated impartially and in a timely manner; and
- review serious complaints annually at a committee meeting to identify trends that may indicate a need for further action.
External complaints procedure
An external complaint could be made by a user or hirer of The Haven, a customer of the Lounge & Bar, or somebody else affected by the use of The Haven and its surroundings. All complaints should be handled considerately and compassionately.
Informal complaints
The Office Co-ordinator or Lounge & Bar Supervisor should aim to resolve minor issues quickly and informally, liaising with the CIO Chairman or CDCCA Trading Limited Chairman to agree any appropriate action or compensation.
The Office Co-ordinator has discretion to offer compensation of up to 100% of the cost of the hire or item, up to a maximum value of £25.
The relevant Chairman should be informed of an informal complaint where financial compensation has been given. The Secretary will log the complaint and record its status, the date received and the date resolved. Minor issues for which no compensation is required are not logged.
Formal complaints
Where an informal resolution is not possible, the complainant should be informed of their right to receive a written response, where applicable, from a named person at Trustee level. The matter then becomes a formal complaint and should be dealt with within two weeks.
Formal complaints should be handled by the Chairman. If the complaint concerns the Chairman, it should be handled by the Secretary.
The details should be recorded and the complainant informed of the procedure and the anticipated timescale. The record should include:
- the complainant’s name, address, email address and/or telephone number;
- the complainant’s relationship to The Haven, such as hirer, Lounge & Bar customer, user or contractor; and
- the facts of the complaint. Where appropriate, the complainant should be invited to provide a written account by post or email so that the complaint is recorded in their own words.
If the complaint relates to the behaviour or actions of a specific person, that person should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond unless doing so would give rise to confidentiality, safety or safeguarding concerns for the complainant. Where such concerns arise, the person handling the complaint will decide what can safely and lawfully be shared and when, record the reasons for their decision, and follow the safeguarding procedure where appropriate.
Our response
We will respond as soon as possible and within 14 days. If this is not possible, for example because the investigation is incomplete, we will write to the complainant with an indication of when a full response will be available.
The full response should explain:
- the action taken to investigate the complaint;
- the conclusions reached; and
- any action taken as a result of the complaint.
Review at Trustee level
If the complainant is not satisfied with the result, they can request a review at Trustee level. This will take place at the next committee meeting. The Chairman has discretion to call an extraordinary committee meeting if the circumstances warrant it.
The complainant will be notified of the meeting date and should receive the outcome within seven days of the meeting.
If the complaint concerns a specific person, that individual should also be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond unless doing so would give rise to confidentiality, safety or safeguarding concerns for the complainant. The same protections and decision-recording requirements described above apply at the review stage. The decision taken at this stage is final.
Charity Commission
A complainant can contact the Charity Commission at any stage. Information about the matters the Commission can consider is available from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.