CHARITY COMMISSION
News Release (PR 01/08) issued by The Government News Network on 4
January 2008
The Charity
Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and
Wales, has today launched a new procedure for dealing with
customer dissatisfaction about service delivery issues.
Following public consultation last year, the new procedure will
now give Commission customers the option of having a
'light-touch' review of the outcome of their case, if it
doesn't qualify for a formal review under the
Commission's Decision Review procedure.
Another key feature of the new process is greater focus on
resolving matters early through local resolution within the
Commission's business teams. If customers remain dissatisfied
they will still get an arms-length review by the Commission's
Customer Service Team.
The Commission will continue to operate its Independent
Complaints Reviewer service for customers who remain dissatisfied
following an internal review of their complaint. Following an
open tendering process, Jodi Berg, the Commission's ICR since
2000, has been reappointed until the end of 2010. Mrs Berg, an
experienced solicitor and mediator, acts as the ICR to a number of
large public bodies.
Kenneth Dibble, Executive Director, Legal Services and Compliance
at the Charity Commission said: "This new procedure offers an
enhanced service for our customers to have their concerns looked
at fairly and impartially. It is another important element in the
Commission's continuing development as an accountable and
customer focussed organisation."
Ends
Notes to editors:
1. Cases that would qualify for a formal decision review are ones
where the Commission has used its statutory powers - for example,
to freeze accounts or remove trustees. "Light-touch"
reviews will be available if a customer is unhappy with the
conduct or outcome of a case, but where there has been no use of
statutory powers.
2. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for
charitable activity in England and Wales. See http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk
for more information.
3. The new information can be found at http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/compproc.asp