Complaints Procedure

Calm Connect CIC provides neurodivergent-affirming coaching, sensory support and community connection across Charlton and Greenwich. We want to hear when something hasn't gone well, and we won't victimise anyone for raising a concern.

This procedure follows the same trauma-informed principles as our other policies (safety; trust and transparency; choice and control; collaboration; empowerment; cultural awareness), applied here in a neurodivergent- and disability-affirming way:

• Safety and trust: raising a concern with us should feel safe and predictable, with no penalty for how you communicate it.
• Choice and control: you choose the format, written, spoken, direct, blunt, repeated, or via a support person, advocate or interpreter, and we won't read tone, eye contact or pauses as a sign of how serious or truthful something is.
• Collaboration and empowerment: reasonable adjustments are agreed with you, not decided for you, and you never need a diagnosis to ask for one. Processing time is standard: questions in advance, breaks, and no pressure to respond immediately. Our deadlines to you are firm commitments; deadlines for you are flexible.
• Cultural awareness: there's no single 'normal' way to raise a concern - a direct, blunt or unfamiliar communication style is respected on its own terms, not measured against a neurotypical default.

A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about our coaching, sensory support, training or community work, or the behaviour of anyone representing Calm Connect CIC, including how a decision was made, not just what was decided.

Anyone can complain: coaching clients and families, community members, volunteers, partner organisations, training attendees, or anyone raising a concern on someone else's behalf with their consent. If you're not sure whether something counts as a complaint, get in touch anyway - we'll help you find the right route.

• Email: calmconnectuk@gmail.com, write "Formal Complaint" in the subject if you want it treated formally, otherwise we'll check with you.
• Phone or video call: 07962 400996 (cameras off is fine).
• In person, at a session or event, or in writing by post: Calm Connect CIC, 58 Fairlawn Court, Charlton, London SE7 7DT.
• Through an advocate, support worker, interpreter or BSL communicator, we will arrange and pay for interpretation.
• By voice note or video message if that's easier than writing.

There's no need to write formally or at length. Short, direct or list-form messages are just as valid, and you can send information in stages rather than all at once.

Stage 1, Informal (usually within 7 days)

• Raise it directly with the person involved, or with the Complaints Lead (currently Rowan Pubble, Director and Project Manager), whichever feels safer.
• We'll try to resolve it through conversation, at your pace and in your preferred format.
• This step is optional, go straight to Stage 2 at any time, especially for anything serious.

Stage 2, Formal complaint

• We acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days, confirm who is investigating, and check the timeframe works for you.
• An independent Director not involved in the issue investigates: reviewing evidence and, only with consent, talking to those involved. We aim to gather your account once rather than repeatedly.
• You can ask for questions in advance, breaks, a support person, or to answer in writing rather than out loud.
• We respond in writing within 14 days: whether the complaint is upheld, our reasoning, any action taken, and an apology where appropriate. If we need more time we'll explain why within the 14 days and give a new date.

Stage 3, Appeal (21 days)

• Ask for an appeal in writing within 28 days of our Stage 2 response, explaining why you remain unhappy.
• A different Director (or, if all three Directors were involved at Stage 2, an independent outside advisor) reviews the complaint and investigation.
• Final written response within 21 days, with the reasoning behind the decision.

Complaints about a Director

Investigated by one of the other two Directors (Rowan Pubble, Elaine Bhalla and Gabriella Molina hold equal authority as Calm Connect CIC's Board). If a complaint involves more than one Director, an independent outside advisor investigates instead.

• Safeguarding or potential criminal conduct: reported to the appropriate authorities immediately, alongside our Safeguarding Policy. Contact a Designated Safeguarding Lead directly at any time: Rowan Pubble or Elaine Bhalla.
• Anonymous complaints: investigated as far as possible, though a limited investigation may result without a way to reach you.
• Complaints from more than one person: usually looked at together with an individual response to each; a joint meeting or mediation is only ever offered, never required.

You don't need to finish every internal stage if a matter is serious or urgent. Calm Connect CIC is a Community Interest Company (Company Number 17016042), not a registered charity, so:

• Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CIC Regulator) - for governance or use of assets: www.gov.uk/complain-about-community-interest-company
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - for how we've handled your data: ico.org.uk / 0303 123 1113
• Local Authority Complaints Department - for services delivered through a funded programme (e.g. Healthier Greenwich).
• Citizens Advice (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) or a local disabled people's or neurodivergence support organisation can offer free, independent help with a complaint, ask us and we'll help you find one.

Complaints are recorded and shared only with those directly involved in investigating them, in line with our Privacy Policy. Records are kept securely for at least 7 years. A summary of complaints and what we changed as a result goes to the Board and, anonymised, into our annual reporting.

• Help completing a complaint, including someone to scribe for you.
• A plain-language explanation of the process, repeated as many times as you need.
• Updates in your preferred format and at a pace that works for you.
• The choice to pause, slow down, or take a break at any point without losing your place.
• Assistance animals and communication aids are always welcome; interpretation is arranged and paid for by us.

Asking for any of this will never count against you.

Distress, frustration, or a direct/repetitive communication style is not unreasonable behaviour, and we won't treat it that way. Before considering any change to contact, we check whether what's happening is understandable distress, an unmet access need, or a sign our own explanation wasn't clear enough.

Only where contact is genuinely threatening or discriminatory towards someone, or a matter has already been fully concluded through appeal, might we agree a change, for example, written contact only, or a single named contact, and we'll always explain this to you in writing first and keep it to the minimum necessary.

Reviewed annually by the Board of Directors, in partnership with disabled and neurodivergent community members where possible, and updated based on real experience.

Signed

R>Pubble

Print Name: Rowan Pubble

Date: 2/09/2026

Optional, use this, email us freely in your own words, or send a voice note or video instead. Leave anything blank you're unsure about.

Name:

Preferred contact method and any adjustments that would help:

Date of incident or issue:

Who was involved:

What happened:

How this has affected you:

What outcome you are hoping for:

Have you tried to resolve this informally? (Yes / No / Not sure):

• Ref No.
• Date Received
• Complainant
• Nature of Complaint
• Involved
• Investigated By
• Date Resolved
• Outcome
• Action Taken
• Learning