How to make a complaint
We always aim to deliver the highest standards in everything we do. If you’re unhappy with any aspect of our work, we’d like to hear from you. Your feedback helps us listen, learn and improve.
We take all complaints seriously and promise to:
- Treat everyone with respect and fairness
- Make our complaints process easy to access
- Learn from complaints so we can improve
Our complaints process follows the guidance of the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and the Fundraising Regulator.
A copy of our complaints policy is available here.
Please note, this policy applies only to the RCN Foundation, a registered charity. If your complaint relates to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), RCNi or another RCN Group organisation, please contact them directly or visit www.rcn.org.uk.
How to contact us
You can make a complaint in whichever way suits you best:
- Email: rcnfoundation@rcn.org.uk
- Phone: 020 7647 3645
- Post: RCN Foundation, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN
We recommend emailing us so that we can be clear about the issue and keep a record.
If you need help to make a complaint, we’re happy to support you. You may also nominate someone to contact us on your behalf, as long as we have your consent.
What happens next
We aim to resolve all complaints quickly, fairly and sensitively.
Stage 1 – Informal Resolution
We’ll acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to respond in full within 10 working days. If we can’t resolve the issue straight away, we’ll explain why and let you know what happens next.
Stage 2 – Formal Review
If you’re not satisfied or your complaint is complex, you can request a formal review. This will be carried out by a senior member of staff or the RCN Foundation’s Director. You'll receive written acknowledgment within 5 working days and a full written response within 20 working days.
Stage 3 – Escalation
If you remain unhappy after our internal review, you can take your complaint to the relevant regulator:
- Fundraising complaints – contact the Fundraising Regulator or call 0300 999 3407
- Serious concerns about a charity – contact the Charity Commission
We handle all complaints in line with our Privacy Policy. Your information will be kept secure and used only to manage and respond to your complaint.
We keep complaint records for one year, after which they are securely deleted.
In some cases, we may appoint an independent organisation to review a complaint or appeal. This helps ensure fairness, transparency and impartiality throughout the process. For complaints of this nature, we may will need to keep a complaint record for longer, in such cases we will inform you of the length of time we propose to retain the details of the complaint.