Our Policies
This section contains our ethical policy, complaints policy and confidentiality statement. If you need any more information about to these policies, please contact us.
Commitment to address ethical issues
We actively seek opportunities to work together with external organisations to achieve shared objectives. However, it is vital that we maintain our independence and do not allow external partnerships to bring the name of Young Lives vs Cancer into disrepute.
Young Lives vs Cancer therefore seeks, so far as is practical and within the constraints of UK law:
- Initiatives that do not compromise the independent status of Young Lives vs Cancer
- To ensure that the activities of organisations we work with are consistent with our organisational values,
This policy has been devised to ensure clarity and openness to all our stakeholders. It is designed to address sponsorship, “cause” related marketing and purchasing. We welcome comments, criticism and suggestions as to how these goals can be met.
Avoidance Criteria
Partnerships with companies involved with any of the following activities will be avoided:
- Tobacco manufacture
- Nuclear weapons systems manufacture
- Companies generating revenue from the sale of pornography
Cause Related Marketing, Affinity Marketing and Product Endorsement
- Young Lives vs Cancer does not endorse or approve products or companies. A statement to this effect will be included alongside any branding or promotion associated with products
- Young Lives vs Cancer will not promote any products knowingly linked to childhood cancer unless published research is proven to have benefits.
- Only Young Lives vs Cancer will have direct access to our database
- In order to ensure that all of our cause-related, promotion reflects our charities values any endorsement of products must come to the senior management meeting for approval.
Transparency
A full list of corporate sponsors giving over £10,000 will be maintained on our website. Young Lives vs Cancer will communicate its commitment to this policy to the organisation’s stakeholders.
Young Lives vs Cancer is committed to providing high quality, professional standards to all those who use our services and to people who support us in any way.
We are also committed to an ethos of continuous improvement and view any complaint received as an opportunity to improve our practices and services.
Young Lives vs Cancer commits to ensuring that:
- People who use our services, those who support us, and the wider public know how to make a complaint and can do so easily
- Those making a complaint know that it will be dealt with sensitively, honestly and fairly
- Complaints are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner
- All Young Lives vs Cancer staff are aware of the complaints policy and procedures and feel confident in these
- Complaints are reviewed on a regular basis to inform service and process improvements
What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about the standard of service, actions or lack of action taken by the charity as a whole, members of staff, or volunteers- which affects an individual or groups of people with whom the charity is involved.
How do I make a complaint?
Any individual or group can make a complaint, or a complaint can be made on behalf of someone else (in cases where a complaint has been made on behalf of someone else, we will be mindful of data protection issues when responding).
You can make a complaint in the following ways:
- In person to any staff member
- By email: supporter.services@younglivesvscancer.org.uk
- By phone: 0300 330 0803
- By letter: Central Supporter Engagement Team, Young Lives vs Cancer, Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol BS1 2NT
Any individual who posts negative feedback on any Young Lives vs Cancer social media channel will be invited to discuss their concerns further with a relevant staff member and/or to make a formal complaint via the channels listed above.
What will be done with my complaint?
- All complaints will be acknowledged within three working days of receipt.
- A staff member of suitable seniority will investigate your complaint.
- We will inform you of the name of the person who will be investigating your complaint.
- We may need to ask you for any further information that will help us with our investigation (this could include asking for input from the person you are complaining on behalf of).
- We aim to resolve most complaints within 15 working days of receipt. Some more complex issues may require investigation that might mean this is not possible; in these circumstances, we will keep you informed of progress.
- We will respond to you, or the person the complaint was on behalf of, to communicate the findings and outcome of the investigation.
- Any complaint which involves a potential fraud, safeguarding or whistleblowing issue will be progressed in line with our internal policies which govern these areas.
- Any complaint which involves a staff member who is not directly employed by the charity will be referred to the staff member’s employer. A small number of Young Lives vs Cancer social care staff are funded by Young Lives vs Cancer and employed by the NHS or a local authority. Complaints about a funded employee should be referred to the relevant NHS Trust or Local Authority.
What can I do if I’m not happy with the response I get?
If you are not satisfied with the response you have received, the complaint can be referred to a more senior manager. The final stage of appeal sits with our Board of Trustees.
If you are not satisfied with the final response you have received from us, the below external agencies may investigate further:
- Fundraising – the Fundraising Regulator
- Social Work – concerns about an individual social worker can be referred to the relevant social work regulator – Social Work England in England, Social Care Wales (SCW), Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
How does Young Lives vs Cancer use complaints to improve standards?
Our first priority is to satisfactorily resolve each complaint received. All complaints received are reviewed by our management teams on a regular basis; this allows us to identify learning points and make changes, where required, to improve our services or processes. Our Board of Trustees reviews an annual summary of complaints received.
Our management of complaints related to our fundraising practices is linked to the requirements set by the Fundraising Regulator, and ensures that we are accountable to our supporters and beneficiaries.
In order to ensure that we are responding to complaints properly and in the most constructive way possible, we review this policy regularly.
Updated June 2019
Young Lives vs Cancer has a commitment to protect the personal information provided to us by the people we support, and the people who support us. Our Confidentiality Policy below outlines how we handle this information, and the measures we take to protect it.
Confidentiality Policy
- Young Lives vs Cancer respects your privacy and values the trust you place in us when giving personal information. Young Lives vs Cancer fully complies with all provisions of the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998
- In compliance with the provisions and principles of the DPA, Young Lives vs Cancer will not pass on information to a third party without your consent, or except where there is a legal requirement to do so.
- Information you give Young Lives vs Cancer will only be used for the purpose of providing you with the services you require and to monitor our performance.
- We have strict security measures to protect personal data and information will only be shared within the organisation on a ‘need to know’ basis to deliver and monitor services to you.
- All records (electronic and paper) will be stored securely.
- All Young Lives vs Cancer records, other than Local Authority files, remain the property of Young Lives vs Cancer. Local Authority files are not the property of Young Lives vs Cancer and are subject to Local Authority procedures.
- Under the Data Protection Act 1998, applications can be made to the DP Co-Coordinator at Young Lives vs Cancer, to gain access to all such personal Young Lives vs Cancer records.
- Under the Access to Health Records Act 1990, for Local Authority subject access, any release of clinical details has to be authorised by the responsible healthcare professional. This may be withheld where it’s believed that the release of information to the subject may result in damage to the physical or mental health of the data subject, or where a third party might be identified by such release.
- All Young Lives vs Cancer employees and specifically those with access to data are contractually obliged to maintain confidentiality of personal and sensitive data.
Safeguarding isn’t just about preventing abuse or neglect; it’s about putting the voices, safety and wellbeing of children and young people first. That means balancing risks with opportunities so that children and young people with cancer can thrive, not just survive.
This policy details the measures in place to ensure that our lottery activities are conducted in line with the regulatory framework set out by the Gambling Act 2005.
Please read our social media house rules for anyone engaging with our community on social media.