1. Purpose

Men’s Aid Ireland is committed to providing professional, respectful, accessible and high-quality services.
We recognise that there may be occasions when a person is dissatisfied with our service, an action we have taken, or the way in which they have been treated.
This policy provides a fair, accessible and proportionate process through which complaints can be raised, considered and concluded.
Men’s Aid welcomes legitimate feedback and will use relevant learning from complaints to improve its services and organisational practices.
Making a genuine complaint in good faith will not adversely affect a person’s access to Men’s Aid services.

2. Who May Make a Complaint?

A complaint may be made by:
• a person using or seeking to use a Men’s Aid service;
• a representative or support person acting with the person’s consent where appropriate;
• a member of the public;
• a donor, supporter, partner or stakeholder; or
• another person directly affected by the services or activities of Men’s Aid.
A person making a formal complaint must normally provide their name and sufficient contact details to enable Men’s Aid to communicate with them.

3. Anonymous Communications

Men’s Aid Ireland does not normally accept or investigate anonymous complaints.
Fair consideration of a complaint generally requires Men’s Aid to be able to communicate with the complainant, clarify the matters raised and ensure procedural fairness to any person who may be the subject of the complaint.
Men’s Aid nevertheless reserves the right to consider information received anonymously where it raises a credible and significant safeguarding, safety, criminal, legal, regulatory or other serious organisational risk.
In such circumstances, the information may be treated as a safeguarding, risk or other concern rather than as a formal complaint under this policy.

4. What May Be Complained About?

Complaints may concern matters such as:
• the quality or accessibility of a Men’s Aid service;
• unreasonable delay or failure to respond;
• the conduct or behaviour of a staff member, volunteer or representative;
• an action or decision taken by Men’s Aid;
• communications or information provided by Men’s Aid;
• fundraising or public-facing activities; or
• another reasonable concern relating to the delivery of Men’s Aid services or activities.
Complaints should normally be made within 12 months of the matter concerned.
Men’s Aid may consider an older complaint where there is a reasonable explanation for the delay or where the seriousness of the matter warrants consideration.

5. Matters Dealt With Under Other Procedures

Some matters are more appropriately dealt with under another procedure.
These may include:
• safeguarding or child protection concerns;
• allegations of criminal activity;
• data protection matters;
• employee grievances or disciplinary matters;
• protected disclosures;
• health and safety matters; or
• matters falling within the responsibility of another statutory or regulatory body.
Men’s Aid may refer a matter to the appropriate internal process or external authority where necessary.

6. How to Make a Complaint

Formal complaints must normally be made in writing. To make a formal complaint, please use one of the following methods:
• By email: send your complaint to hello@mensaid.ie and put “Complaint” clearly in the subject line.
• By post: mark the correspondence ‘Complaint’ and send it to: Complaints, Men’s Aid Ireland CLG, St. Anne’s Resource Centre, Railway Street, Navan, Co. Meath, C15 W0YX.
Please state clearly that you are making a formal complaint. A particular complaints form is not required.
For clarity and to ensure that the complaint is properly recorded and directed, formal complaints should be sent to the email or postal address above rather than to an individual member of staff.
The written complaint should, where possible, include:
• the complainant’s full name and contact details;
• a clear description of what happened and what the complaint is about;
• the date or approximate date of the matter complained about;
• the person, team or service concerned, if known;
• why the complainant is dissatisfied;
• any relevant information or supporting documentation; and
• the outcome the complainant is seeking.
A concern raised by telephone or in person may be dealt with informally where appropriate. If the person wishes the matter to be treated as a formal complaint under this policy, they will normally be asked to submit it in writing using the email or postal address above.
Where a person is unable to make a written complaint because of disability, literacy, language, accessibility or another reasonable difficulty, Men’s Aid will provide or facilitate appropriate assistance. This may include recording the complaint on the person’s behalf and asking them, where practicable, to confirm that the record accurately reflects their complaint.
Complaints received through hello@mensaid.ie or by post will be referred to the appropriate person responsible for managing complaints, entered in the complaints process as appropriate, and handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.
Nothing in this section prevents Men’s Aid from taking appropriate action where information received through social media raises an immediate safeguarding, safety, criminal, legal, regulatory or other serious concern.
A complaint will not ordinarily be treated as formally received until it has been submitted through one of the designated written complaints channels.

6.1 Social Media and Other Informal Channels

Men’s Aid Ireland does not accept formal complaints through social media, including comments, posts, replies or direct/private messages on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or other social media services.
Where a potential complaint is raised through social media, the person may be directed to submit the complaint in writing using the formal complaints process set out above: by email to hello@mensaid.ie with ‘Complaint’ clearly stated in the subject line, or by post to the Complaints address provided in Section 6.
Social media accounts are not monitored or managed as formal complaints channels and should not be used to submit confidential, sensitive or personal information.

7. Informal Resolution

Where appropriate, straightforward concerns should be resolved promptly and informally by the relevant staff member or manager.
An apology, explanation, clarification or correction may be sufficient to resolve many concerns without a formal complaints process.
Where a matter is resolved informally, Men’s Aid may still record it where appropriate for monitoring and organisational learning purposes.
A complainant may request that a matter be considered formally.

8. Initial Assessment

Receipt of a communication described as a complaint does not automatically require Men’s Aid to undertake a formal investigation.
A designated Complaints Officer or appropriate manager will first assess the matter.
The initial assessment may consider whether:
• the matter falls within this policy;
• sufficient information has been provided;
• there is a reasonable basis for further consideration;
• further information is required;
• the issue can be resolved without investigation;
• another policy or procedure is more appropriate;
• the matter has previously been considered and concluded; or
• further action is reasonably warranted.
Following this assessment, Men’s Aid may:
1. resolve the matter informally;
2. request further information;
3. undertake proportionate enquiries;
4. arrange a formal investigation where warranted;
5. refer the matter to another appropriate procedure or authority; or
6. decide that no further action is required.
The fact that Men’s Aid decides not to investigate does not constitute a finding for or against any person. It means that Men’s Aid has determined that a formal investigation under this policy is not warranted.

9. Complaints That May Be Declined or Discontinued

Men’s Aid has a responsibility both to consider genuine complaints fairly and to use its charitable resources responsibly.
Men’s Aid may decline to investigate, discontinue consideration of, or close a complaint where it reasonably considers that:
• there is no reasonable or identifiable basis for the complaint;
• insufficient information has been provided to allow the matter to be considered fairly;
• the complaint is frivolous, vexatious or manifestly unfounded;
• substantially the same matter has already been considered and concluded;
• no significant new information has been provided;
• the complaint seeks an outcome that Men’s Aid has no authority or reasonable ability to provide;
• the complainant refuses, without reasonable explanation, to provide information necessary to consider the complaint;
• the complaint is outside the reasonable remit or responsibility of Men’s Aid;
• communications are abusive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing or otherwise unacceptable;
• the nature, frequency or volume of communications is excessive or disproportionate to the issue being considered; or
• continuing the process would serve no reasonable purpose.
The decision will be taken by an appropriately authorised manager.
Where appropriate, the complainant will be advised that the matter will not be progressed or has been closed and will be given a brief reason.
Nothing in this section prevents Men’s Aid from acting upon information which raises a safeguarding, criminal, legal, regulatory or other serious risk.

10. Management of Formal Complaints

Formal complaints will normally be managed by a designated Complaints Officer or another appropriate manager.
The Chief Executive Officer will not ordinarily investigate or manage complaints at first instance.
Where a complaint concerns the designated Complaints Officer or person who would ordinarily deal with it, the complaint will be assigned to another appropriate person.
Men’s Aid will determine who is most appropriate to consider a complaint and the nature and extent of any enquiries required.
A complainant does not have an automatic right to select the person considering the complaint or to require that the Chief Executive Officer personally investigate or consider it.
Where appropriate, an external person may be appointed to consider a particularly serious or specialised matter, but there is no automatic entitlement to an external investigation.

11. Timescales

Men’s Aid will normally:
• acknowledge a formal complaint within 10 working days; and
• aim to provide an outcome within 21 working days.
Many complaints will be dealt with considerably sooner.
Where the matter is complex or additional time is reasonably required, Men’s Aid will inform the complainant and provide an updated timeframe.
These timescales are targets rather than absolute deadlines and may be extended where reasonably necessary.

12. Fairness

Men’s Aid will consider complaints fairly and proportionately.
Where a complaint makes an allegation concerning another identifiable person, that person will normally be given a reasonable opportunity to respond before an adverse finding is made.
Information supplied by a complainant may therefore need to be shared, to the extent reasonably necessary, with the person concerned or others involved in considering the complaint.
Men’s Aid cannot guarantee complete anonymity or confidentiality where disclosure is necessary to ensure fairness, safeguarding or compliance with legal obligations.

13. Participation in the Complaints Process

Complaints submitted to Men’s Aid will be managed in accordance with this policy and procedure.
By asking Men’s Aid to consider a complaint, a complainant acknowledges that Men’s Aid will determine the appropriate process for assessing, considering and concluding the matter under this policy.
The complainant is expected to:
• engage reasonably with the process;
• provide relevant information reasonably requested;
• communicate respectfully; and
• allow Men’s Aid a reasonable opportunity to assess and respond to the complaint.
A complainant may explain the outcome they would like to see. However, the complainant does not determine:
• whether a formal investigation is required;
• the manner or extent of any investigation;
• who will consider or investigate the complaint;
• whether another employee or person should be disciplined or sanctioned;
• any confidential employment or management action; or
• the ultimate outcome of the complaint.
Failure to engage reasonably with the procedure may result in Men’s Aid being unable to progress the complaint and the matter being closed.
Nothing in this policy removes any statutory or legal right a person may otherwise have.

14. Complaint Outcome

Following consideration of a formal complaint, the complainant will normally be advised whether the complaint has been:
• upheld;
• partly upheld;
• not upheld;
• unable to be determined; or
• otherwise resolved.
Where appropriate, Men’s Aid may:
• provide an explanation;
• apologise;
• correct an error;
• address an identified problem; or
• change an organisational practice or procedure.
A complainant will not normally be provided with confidential information concerning disciplinary, employment or management action relating to another person.

15. Internal Review

A complainant who remains dissatisfied with the outcome of a formal complaint may request one internal review.
A request for review must identify reasonable grounds for believing that the original consideration or outcome should be reviewed.
Reasonable grounds may include:
• a significant procedural issue;
• relevant information which was not reasonably considered; or
• genuinely new and material information which could reasonably have affected the outcome.
Simply disagreeing with the outcome does not automatically provide grounds for a review.
Men’s Aid will first decide whether the request provides sufficient grounds for an internal review.
Where sufficient grounds have not been identified, the request may be declined and the complaint will remain closed.
Where a review is accepted, it will be undertaken by an appropriate senior person who was not materially involved in the original decision.
This may, where Men’s Aid considers it appropriate, include the Chief Executive Officer. However, a complainant has no automatic entitlement to escalation to or personal consideration by the Chief Executive Officer.
The review will normally consider whether:
• the complaint was dealt with fairly;
• the procedure was appropriately followed;
• relevant information was reasonably considered; and
• the outcome was reasonable in the circumstances.
A review will not normally involve a complete reinvestigation of the original complaint.
Where a complaint concerns the Chief Executive Officer, any necessary review or consideration will be referred to the Chairperson of the Board or another Director nominated for that purpose.

16. Closure and Finality

The complaints process must have a clear conclusion.
A complaint will be considered closed when:
• the matter has been resolved;
• the complainant has been provided with the outcome;
• Men’s Aid has determined following initial assessment that no further action is warranted;
• any permitted internal review has been completed;
• a request for review has been declined because sufficient grounds were not established;
• the complainant has failed to provide information reasonably required to progress the complaint; or
• Men’s Aid has otherwise determined in accordance with this policy that no reasonable purpose would be served by continuing the process.
Once a complaint has been closed, Men’s Aid is not required to reconsider, reinvestigate or continue corresponding about the same matter solely because the complainant disagrees with the decision or outcome.
A complaint about the handling or outcome of a previous complaint will not ordinarily create a new complaints process where it concerns substantially the same facts, issues, process or outcome.
Men’s Aid may reconsider a closed complaint only where genuinely new and material information becomes available which:
• was not reasonably available during the original consideration; and
• could reasonably have affected the outcome.
Men’s Aid will determine whether information presented as new meets this threshold.
The outcome following completion of the complaints procedure and any permitted internal review is final for the purposes of Men’s Aid Ireland’s internal complaints process.

17. Repeated or Unreasonable Contact

Repeated correspondence about a matter which has already been concluded does not require Men’s Aid to continually issue further substantive responses.
Where appropriate, Men’s Aid may inform the person that:
• the complaint has concluded;
• the organisation’s final position has been provided; and
• further correspondence raising substantially the same matters will be retained on file but may not receive a further response.
Where communication becomes excessive, persistent, abusive, threatening or otherwise unreasonable, Men’s Aid may place proportionate restrictions on further contact.
These may include:
• requiring communication through one designated point of contact;
• restricting communication to email or written correspondence;
• limiting the frequency of responses;
• declining to respond further on matters already concluded; or
• in exceptional circumstances, ending further engagement concerning the closed complaint.
Such restrictions relate to the management of communication and do not prevent Men’s Aid from appropriately considering genuinely new safeguarding, legal, regulatory or other serious information.

18. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible.
Information will only be shared where reasonably necessary to assess, manage, investigate or review the complaint, ensure fairness, protect individuals, or meet a legal or regulatory obligation.
Personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and Men’s Aid Ireland’s data protection policies.

19. Complaints Register

Men’s Aid Ireland will maintain a central Complaints Register.
The register will contain sufficient information to demonstrate that complaints have been received, considered and concluded, while avoiding unnecessary recording of sensitive personal information.
Detailed complaint correspondence and evidence should be retained separately with appropriate access controls.
The register will be reviewed periodically to identify:
• recurring complaints;
• emerging risks;
• service or procedural improvements; and
• any matters which may require organisational action.
Significant complaints, risks or trends may be reported to senior management and, where appropriate, to the Board.

20. Governance and Review

Responsibility for the day-to-day administration of this policy may be delegated to an appropriate manager or Complaints Officer.
The Board retains overall governance oversight of Men’s Aid Ireland.
This policy will be reviewed periodically and may be amended where required by legislation, regulation, funding requirements, organisational learning or changes in Men’s Aid services.