Complaints Policy

Introduction

End of Life Doula UK is a membership association for end of life doulas. We are not a regulatory body and do not oversee or manage the individual practice of self- employed doulas working in their communities.

Our role is to support, develop, and represent our members. We have robust policies in place relating to safeguarding, whistleblowing, and mentoring. All members are expected to work in line with our Code of Practice and Code of Conduct when providing support. End of life doulas work independently and are responsible for their own professional relationships, decisions, and practice.

If you are a member of the public and have a concern or complaint about an end of life doula supporting you or someone important to you, this should be raised directly with the doula in the first instance.

This procedure applies only to complaints relating to the activities, decisions, or conduct of End of Life Doula UK as an organisation.

When handling complaints, we will ensure we abide by the Equality Act 2010 which protects all individuals from discrimination due to: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex (gender) and sexual orientation.

Definition of a complaint

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of End of Life Doula UK as an organisation.

What constitutes a legitimate complaint?

We regard a legitimate complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction with aspects of End of Life Doula UK that are within the control of the organisation, including its governance, processes, communications, or organisational conduct.

We do not handle complaints about the individual practice or conduct of self- employed end of life doulas.

Where complaints come from

Complaints may come from any individual or organisation who has a legitimate interest in End of Life Doula UK and its work. A complaint should be made in writing.

What to do if you have a complaint

We view complaints about End of Life Doula UK as an opportunity to improve our work and how we operate. If you have a complaint about the organisation, please contact us as soon as possible.

All formal complaints should be directed to the Chair of End of Life Doula UK (operations@eol-doula.uk), who will arrange for the complaint to be reviewed and handled appropriately.

We take safeguarding seriously. Where a concern relates to immediate risk of harm, you should contact the relevant statutory services in your area.

What we will do on receiving your complaint

• We will acknowledge your complaint and explain how it will be handled
• We will review the complaint where it relates to matters within our remit
• We will act to resolve the issue where appropriate and inform you of the outcome
• We will treat you with respect and ask that you do the same
• We will handle any confidential information sensitively
• We are not able to respond to anonymous complaints
• We will not investigate matters that fall outside of our organisational responsibility, including the independent practice of end of life doulas

Please note that complaints submitted more than six months after the relevant event will not usually be considered, except in exceptional circumstances.

Complaint response times

• We will acknowledge your complaint within ten working days
• We aim to resolve most complaints within this timeframe
• Where further review is required, we aim to provide a full response within 20 working days
• If this is not possible in exceptional circumstances, we will keep you informed

If you are not satisfied with our response

If you remain dissatisfied, you should notify us in writing within five working days of receiving our response. The Chair will appoint an appropriate independent person to review the complaint. Their decision will be final.

Vexatious complaints procedure

There may be occasions where complaints about End of Life Doula UK are considered vexatious. This section outlines how such complaints are identified and managed.

A determination that a complaint is vexatious relates to the nature of the complaint itself, not the individual making it. This approach ensures that all complainants are treated respectfully, while also protecting the organisation, its members, and its resources.

Time spent responding to complaints must be proportionate, and outcomes sought must be realistic and within the remit of End of Life Doula UK.

What constitutes a vexatious complaint?

When considering whether a complaint is vexatious, we may take into account:
• Whether the complaint is intended to cause distress, disruption, or undue pressure
• Whether the complaint is unreasonable in nature
• Repeated complaints about the same issue after it has been addressed
• Excessive or repetitive correspondence
• Requests for information already provided
• The history of interactions between End of Life Doula UK or a member of End of Life Doula UK and the complainant
• Any failures or errors that we have made and whether these have previously been addressed and apologised for
• The tone of communication, including abusive or threatening language
• The level of resource required to respond and whether this is proportionate
• Patterns of behaviour that impact the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, or members

How vexatious complaints are managed

The Chair of End of Life Doula UK will determine whether a complaint is vexatious, with input from other Trustees where appropriate.

If a complaint is not considered vexatious, it will be handled through the standard complaints procedure.
If a complaint is considered vexatious:

• The complainant will be informed of this decision and the reasons for it
• The complaint will be closed with no further action
• A decision may be made to limit or restrict further communication where necessary

Any decision applies to the specific complaint and does not prevent future contact where appropriate.