Complaints

For fundraising complaints, the following channels monitored by Public Affairs Directorate should be used: 

• Post: postmarked “Private and Confidential” to Fundraising Department Concern Worldwide, 52-55 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
• Email: info@concern.net
• Telephone: 00 353 1 4177777 during official office hours

For fraud or whistleblowing complaints, the following channels monitored by the Internal Auditor should be used:

• Post: postmarked "Private & Confidential" to Internal Auditor, Corporate Services, Concern Worldwide, 52-55 Lower Camden Street Dublin 2, Ireland.
• Email: fraudmailbox@concern.net or whistleblowing@concern.net
• Telephone: + 353 1 479 1326 during official office hours between 10am and 4pm (Irish time) Monday to Friday In order to ensure confidentiality, complaints submitted through these channels will be opened only by the Internal Auditor or his/her delegate.

Concern defines fraud as 'the theft or misuse of Concern’s funds or other resources, by an employee or a third party, which may or may not also involve misstatement of financial documents or records to conceal the theft or misuse. Read Concern's Anti-Fraud Policy

Concern defines whistleblowing as 'making a disclosure in the public interest about possible wrongdoing in the workplace.' The categories of wrongdoing which may constitute malpractice include the following:

• criminal offenses 
• failure to comply with legal obligations 
• miscarriage of justice 
• endangering the health & safety of individuals 
• damaging the environment 
• attempting to cover up any of the above. 

Read Concern Whistleblowing Policy

For suspected safeguarding complaints, the following channels monitored by the safeguarding office in Concern's head office should be used:

• Email: safeguarding@concern.net or whistleblowing@concern.net
• Post: postmarked “Private and Confidential” to Safeguarding Office, Concern Worldwide, 52-55 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

Concern has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse and trafficking of children and adults as reflected in our contracts of employment for all staff who commit to adhere to the Concern Code of Conduct and associated policies as part of their terms and conditions of employment (or engagement for consultants, (sub) contractors, relevant suppliers; involvement for volunteers).

All complaints are taken seriously, whether anonymous or not. Confidentiality, safety, dignity, respect and natural justice are core principles applied in how we investigate and address such matters, always with the wishes and best interests of the survivor at the centre of our process.

Concern has clear guidelines as to how we address safeguarding reports, and a team of experienced and trained investigators throughout our organisation to respond rapidly to reports of actual or suspected safeguarding concerns. The Safeguarding Office in Concern’s Head Office is available to oversee and support responses to such reports. 

Individuals raising complaints about Concern may include, but are not limited to:

• Any staff member of Concern or a programme partner organisation
• Beneficiaries of programmes delivered by Concern or its partners
• Non-beneficiaries within the area where Concern or its partner work if their complaint relates to our programme or that of our programme partner organisations
• Delegated representatives of our beneficiaries
• Any other stakeholder affected by the work of Concern including local leaders, government representatives, representatives of other agencies, etc.
• Members of the public 
• Our suppliers

Confidentiality is a principle that restricts access to and dissemination of information. Confidentiality helps create an environment in which people are more likely to raise concerns or complaints or to stand in witness against bad practice or incidents of abuse.

People might not raise concerns if they fear reprisal or retaliation from Concern or its partner or any other stakeholder in so doing. Confidentiality ensures that information is shared on a strict need-to-know-basis with a limited number of specified people for the purpose of taking action.

The complaints and response process must ensure reasonable confidentiality and security of all relevant records and documents. Breaches of confidentiality will be taken very seriously and may result in disciplinary action against any staff member involved.

1. Concern Complaints Management Group will review and acknowledge the complaint within ten working days on receipt of the complaint.
2. We will send the complainant an acknowledgment of having received the complaint and give a date when the complainant can expect to be informed about the process being followed to handle the issue. Time frames for handling complaints will vary depending on their nature. We will keep the complainant informed throughout the process.
3. In the event that the complaint is about an issue that falls outside the control of Concern, we will advise the complainant of this in the acknowledgment letter.
4. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Complaints Management Group will identify the appropriate person to provide a response.
5. If the matter can be resolved directly, the designated person will provide a prompt response.
6. If the matter needs to be investigated, appropriate people within the organisation will be appointed to conduct this confidentially. Only a limited number of persons who need to know about the complaint will be informed. Investigations will be carried out following Concern Investigation Guidelines. In instances where appropriate action is required Concern reserves the right to keep the action confidential.

Should the complainant not feel satisfied with the response received despite having had the opportunity to request further clarification or feedback, s/he can submit a formal written appeal directly to the Chief Operating Officer who will pass it on to a member of Senior Management Team (SMT) who has no involvement in the complaint or its management. The SMT member will review the management of the complaint and determine whether it has been handled properly.

This can be done in writing by postmarked "Private & Confidential" to the following address: Concern COO, Concern Worldwide, 52-55 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

At this point the case will be reviewed, the procedures followed, the investigations conducted, the outcomes and the actions taken to date will be assessed. The COO or by him/ her designated Concern staff will respond and keep the complainant informed about the appeal process.

The response to an appeal is final in terms of the Concern complaints and response process although the complainant might continue to pursue the matter legally.

No complaint will be ignored and we will treat everyone who makes a complaint with courtesy and respect. In return, we expect complainants to raise their complaints fairly and appropriately. In cases where complainants harass staff, behave abusively or unreasonably pursue their complaint, we reserve the right to withdraw our investigation of their complaint. In all such instances, the complainant will be informed by the Chief Operating Officer that we do not propose to consider further, or correspond about, the complaint or any specific points raised in the complaint and the reasons for it.