How to make a complaint to the Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust aims to offer a highly professional service to all of our stakeholders. However, we recognise that things can go wrong on occasion and, when this happens, feedback is important to us so that we can learn and improve.

The Wellcome Trust will seek to respond to any complaint quickly, fairly and politely. The intention will be to resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of both the Trust and the person who has complained.

Scope

This procedure deals with complaints arising from people and organisations outside the Trust. It does not include matters relating to recruitment or investment properties, which have their own procedures, or appeals against decisions by Grant Committees or Governors regarding funding, which are final. Complaints relating our freehold estate in South Kensington should be submitted directly to Knight Frank.

Procedure

Stage 1 You should address your complaint to a member of staff in the section responsible for the particular activity that is the subject of the complaint. This will help to ensure that an informed and relevant response can be made. If you do not have a contact name, please submit your complaint to the Trust’s Company Secretary.

If the complaint concerns a senior manager of the Trust, it should be submitted to the Personal Assistant of the Chair of the Board of Governors.

If the complaint is not made in writing, a note will be made of the issue and you will be asked to confirm that it records your concerns accurately.

Stage 2 If the initial response by the Trust does not resolve the complaint to your satisfaction, you should request that the matter be referred to the head of the department or division concerned, or contact him or her directly.

Divisional staff contacts can be found on the website in the Organisation page.

Stage 3 If the response at stage 2 does not resolve your complaint satisfactorily, the head of the department or division will refer the matter for a final review to the Director of the Trust. This decision will be final.

The Wellcome Trust’s internal audit staff will be kept apprised of complaints at all stages.

Timescales

An acknowledgement should be made within three working days and a reply given within two weeks. An interim reply should be given within two weeks if the issue is too complex to resolve in that time.