Complaints Policy

We pride ourselves on being an open, fair and friendly organisation but completely understand that from time to time things may go wrong or decisions may need further clarification. We urge you to get in touch with us at any point if you are not happy about something.

We aim to respond to any complaint in a fair, efficient and effective way. We also welcome feedback to enable us to improve in all aspects of our work. We are committed to high standards in everything that we do and will work with you to ensure that that always drives our culture.

How do I make a complaint?

Our aim is deal with any complaint as soon as possible. Many complaints can be resolved informally. In the first instance, we would encourage you to speak to the member of staff with whom you have had contact, or ask to speak to the relevant manager. They will try to resolve the matter.

But if you would like to make a formal complaint, you can do so as follows:

  • By using the Contact Us form
  • By emailing hello@nyo.org.uk
  • By calling 020 7189 8100
  • By writing to us at The National Youth Orchestra, 10 Great Turnstile, London, WC1V 7JU

Please include your name and contact details in your email or letter so that we can get back in touch with you easily.

What happens after a complaint has been made?

We will acknowledge all complaints within five working days, and aim to respond fully within ten working days. If it is not possible to provide a full response within that time period (due to circumstances beyond our control), we will notify you and explain why further time is needed. If an action needs to stop immediately while we investigate the complaint we will make sure that that happens.

What if I am not satisfied with the response?

If you are not satisfied with the response you have received, you may request that the complaint is escalated to NYOโ€™s CEO & Creative Director, Sarah Alexander or contact her directly by email (s.alexander@nyo.org.uk) or post. Sarah will investigate and provide a response within ten working days.

Taking your complaint beyond NYO

We are confident that we can resolve any complaint that you may have and are happy to work with you to find a sensible resolution. If you remain dissatisfied with the response you have received, NYO works with a number of regulatory bodies that can provide you with further help and advice.

Regulatory bodies will expect you to have contacted us in the first instance and given us a chance to help you with your complaint, but if we have not done that adequately then please get in touch with:

The Charity Commission https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

Or the Fundraising Regulator https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints/make-complaint (telephone: 0300 999 3407).

The Regulator offers a Fundraising Preference Service. If you do not want to hear from NYO via postal mailings then one option is to contact us and let us know. We will suppress you immediately. Or you can ask the Fundraising Regulator to block mailings. They will then let us know. You can do that here: https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints/fundraising-preference-service

Monitoring and Reporting

Thank you for taking the time to help us improve. We will keep this policy under review, and complaints registers will be monitored, with reports provided regularly to the board of trustees.

Safeguarding at NYO

NYO has comprehensive procedures for the safeguarding of young people. Our Safeguarding Young People policy is updated annually and published on our website.

Whistleblowing

A whistleblowing policy is in place for the reporting of suspected wrongdoing or dangers in relation to our activities. This policy covers all employees, officers, consultants, contractors, volunteers, casual workers and agency workers.