Access is committed to the highest levels of customer service and transparency, however if we fail to meet your expectations we have a complaints process which you can use.

 

Access provides capital in the form of grant and loan for social investors to apply to, and in the form of grants for grant administrators to deliver capacity building programmes.

 

If you are a social investor or a grant administrator then you can make a complaint if:

• You feel we have not provided you with the customer service standards you would expect;
• You feel we have treated you unfairly;
• You feel we have not followed our processes; or
• You feel that we have given you incorrect or misleading information.

A decision on allocation of funding is considered final. A complaint or an objection to a funding decision will need to evidence a suspicion of unfairness, maladministration or some other extenuating circumstances which would undermine the decision.

 

If you are a social investor or a grant administrator wishing to make a complaint then:

• You should contact the staff member at Access who you first dealt with. They will try to put things right.

• If you are not satisfied with this response then you may contact the Access Chief Executive in writing.

• If you are still not satisfied then the complaint can be referred to the Chair of Access.

 

If you are a charity or social enterprise which has applied to or has been supported by a programme funded by Access then:

• You should contact the relevant staff member at the social investor or grant administrator who will try to put things right.

• If you are not satisfied with this response then you may contact the Chief Executive of Access in writing.

• If you are still not satisfied then the complaint can be referred to the Chair of Access

 

Access will aim to resolve complaints at the earliest possible opportunity.

• Acknowledgement of complaint within two working days: Access will endeavour to acknowledge the complaint within two working days of receipt and confirm to the complainant that the complaint is being dealt with.  Acknowledgement will be in writing and will include the name of the complaint investigator and their title, telephone number and e-mail address.

• Final response or holding letter within ten working days: Access will investigate the complaint and endeavour to send a final response to the complainant within ten working days of receipt of the complaint.

This final response will be a written response which either:

• accepts the complaint and offers appropriate redress; or
• offers redress without accepting the complaint; or
• rejects the complaint and gives reasons for doing

If, after ten days, Access is not in a position to provide a final response, Access will write to the complainant and give reasons for the delay and an indication of when the complainant can expect to receive a final response.