Concerns & Complaints Policy

NMBS officers and committee members are committed to providing a high quality, accessible and responsive service to our members, beneficiaries, and stakeholders. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to your concerns and complaints.

Our committee and staff abide by codes of conduct which seek to ensure appropriate conduct in all aspects of their work. Although we are a Registered Friendly Society and not a charity, our policies are in keeping with the Charity Commission’s broad guidance on safeguarding which is to ensure that all those in contact with the Society receive a service which is appropriate and safe.

Responding to concerns and complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about the conduct of a committee member, linked staff or an individual performing a service for the Society, or about any occurrence at a Society event, you can send your concern or complaint, which we will deal with confidentially, by one of the following methods;

In writing:

• NBMS Chief Officer, Andrew Barnes
  c/o Hansells Solicitors, Cambridge House, 26 Tombland, Norwich, NR3 1RE
• Chairman, Dr Chris Hutchinson
  C/O Cambridge House

By email:

• NBMS Chief Officer: C/O jacquelinecollyer@hansells.co.uk
• Chairman: chairman@nbms.org.uk

If your complaint is in connection with our Chief Officer, please contact the Society’s Chairman.
If you would prefer to speak in the first instance to a different person, for instance the Committee Secretary, or any committee member, the Chief Officer or any committee member will be pleased to assist. Names can be found on the NMBS website and can be contacted via any of the addresses above.

What we need to know and what happens next?

To help us follow up or investigate your concern or complaint, please provide as much of the following information as possible when you contact us:

• A clear description of the concern or complaint and what you would like us to do to address it
• Whether it is an original complaint, or a follow-up to a reply you were not satisfied with
• Your full preferred contact details such as postal address, telephone number and email address.

We will acknowledge your concern or complaint within ten working days.

We will aim to respond in full within this time, but if this is not possible we will explain why, contact you for further information if necessary, and give you a date by which you can expect a full response.

When we contact you, we will also tell you what you can do if you are not satisfied with our reply and depending on the nature of your complaint you can contact the governing body of Friendly Societies which is the Financial Conduct authority at https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/friendly-societies-introduction

Policy date: September 2020