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

Our trustees and staff abide by separate Codes of Conduct which seek to ensure appropriate conduct in all aspects of their work. Our policies are in keeping with the Charity Commission’s broad guidance on safeguarding which is to ensure that all those in contact with a charity receive a service which is appropriate and safe.

Your comments about our work

We are always pleased to receive your comments about our work. It is useful for us to know when we have done a good job, as well as when things have gone less well. This helps us maintain and enhance our service to all our members and stakeholders

Responding to concerns and complaints

If you have a concern or complaint about the professional conduct of a trustee, member of staff or an individual contracted to perform a service for the Society, or about any occurrence at a Society event, you can send your concern or complaint  by one of the following methods, which we will deal with confidentially, to our Chief Officer as follows:

In writing:

Chief Officer
Society for the Study of Addiction
Room 5
Rothersthorpe House
4 Billing Road
Northampton
NN1 5AN

By email:  martin@addiction-ssa.org

By telephone: 07759 093062

If your complaint is in connection with our Chief Officer, please contact the Society’s President or any other trustee.

What we need to know?

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:

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

What happens next?

We will acknowledge your concern or complaint within two working days. We hope to respond in full within this time, but if this is not possible we will explain why and give you a date by which you can expect a full reply.

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 also complain to the Charity Commission at www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity.

Policy last updated April 2021. Contact information updated in February 2024.