At New Life Church Battersea, we are committed to resolving any dissatisfaction you may have with our activities or interactions. Our complaints procedure is designed to ensure that complaints are handled fairly, sensitively, and confidentially, with the goal of resolution and relationship repair.

 

WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?

 

We define a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, concerning any aspect of church life, including a person, activity, group, or service provided by the church.

 

HOW TO COMPLAIN

 

You can make a complaint in several ways:

• In Person at any church event.
• Via the contacts page on our website: www.batterseachurch.co.uk
• By Email to: complaints@newlifebattersea.com
• By Post to: Sarah Dowding, Flat 33, Goulden House, Bullen Street, London, SW11 3HG.

If you complain in person, we ensure a comfortable, non-threatening environment, and you are welcome to bring a friend.

 

THE COMPLAINTS PROCESS

 

Stage 1: Initial Resolution

• We may offer an on-the-spot apology, an immediate explanation, or action to resolve the issue.
• We will inform you who is handling your complaint (a designated trustee/director).
• We aim to respond with our resolution/explanation within five working days or less.

Stage 2: Further Investigation

• If you are dissatisfied with the Stage 1 response, you may escalate to Stage 2 within 14 days.
• Stage 2 is also used for complaints that clearly require more detailed investigation.
• We will confirm our understanding, investigate the desired outcome, and aim to provide a full response or resolution within one month.

Specific Allegations

• Complaints against a fellow church member are dealt with in the manner of Matthew 18.
• Complaints against a pastor or elder follow the guidance of 1 Timothy 5.
• Safeguarding Allegations are handled strictly in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.
• Whistleblowing (reporting wrongdoing) is welcome. While we adopt a formal policy, you can email us to report in this way.

 

EXTERNAL RECOURSE

 

If you remain dissatisfied after we have provided our final decision, you can ask Co-Mission (https://co-mission.org), the support umbrella organization we are affiliated with, to look at your complaint. Details for this are available upon request.

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