Complaints policy

The Nuffield Foundation sees value in good complaints handling. Learning from complaints, as well as providing organisation transparency where we can, takes primacy in our complaints procedure.


Most of the time a concern can be remedied by informal discussions with the people involved. This is the approach we encourage as a first step, as in the great majority of cases, matters can then be resolved in a prompt and straightforward manner. However, if this does not work, or if you think it not suitable in your case, we have a formal process for handling complaints independently.

If you have a complaint which you have been unable to resolve informally, you can send a formal complaint by:

Please include your name, email and/or postal address, and contact telephone number so that we can get back in touch with you easily.

For clarity and to assist you in determining your best path, please note that the Nuffield Foundation does not consider complaints regarding:

  • a decision about whether to award a grant, including but not limited to the amount;
  • a decision made by an organisation we fund;
  • an issue which is subject to litigation or legal proceedings;
  • an earlier complaint which has previously been processed and closed;
  • something that the Foundation has no direct connection to.

Once your complaint is received, we will send you an acknowledgement within 5 working days of receiving your complaint and investigate and send you a written reply within 25 days, unless we have communicated another timescale to you. Our reply to you will describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.

If you are not satisfied with our response you may write to us again (copying in our original response) and request that someone more senior take up your case. They may decide to investigate the facts of the case themselves or delegate a suitably senior person to do so. This may involve reviewing the paperwork of the case and speaking with the person who dealt with the complaint at an earlier stage. The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the investigating officer decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.

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