Concerns & complaints
Ensuring transparency and accountability
Caritas Europa is guided by the values expressed in the Code of Ethics of the global Confederation, and maintains a Code of Conduct to strengthen corporate ethics by all its members in the exercise of their activity. We recognise that sometimes our values and commitments might not be upheld to the expected standard. If this is the case, you can file a complaint in order to report breaches of the Code of Ethics or the Code of Conduct.
We strive to be an accountable organisation and value any feedback. If you have any concern, complaint or other comments about the behaviour of our staff or the impact of our work, please contact our Complaints Handling Officer:
Email: cho@caritas.eu
Post: Caritas Europa, Complaints Handling Officer, Rue de la Charité 43, 1210 Brussels, Belgium
You can also contact the Complaints Handling Officer by filling out the form below.
You may make your complaint anonymously if you wish. In any case, all complaints will be dealt with the strictest confidentiality.
We will address all complaints in a fair, equitable and unbiased manner. We will use all of the evidence submitted to try to right things and improve the quality of our work.
Our policies
Anyone who is impacted by activities carried out by the Caritas Europa’s secretariat, its staff or associates.
Complaints concerning staff, interns, volunteers, governance, associates or suppliers of our member organisations should be filed directly with the concerned member organisation. For their contact details, please refer to the member pages. Some members also have dedicated webpages regarding complaints:
- Armenian Caritas (Caritas Armenia)
- Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina (policy | complaints form)
- Caritas Bulgaria (safeguarding policy | complaints-handling policy | complaints form)
- Caritas Denmark
- CAFOD (Caritas England and Wales)
- Secours Catholique (Caritas France)
- Caritas Georgia
- Caritas International (Belgium)
- Trócaire (Caritas Ireland)
- Caritas Luxembourg
- Caritas Moldova
- Cordaid (Caritas Netherlands) (Integrity and Code of Conduct)
- Caritas Norway
- Caritas Portugal
- Caritas Romania
- SCIAF (Caritas Scotland)
- Caritas Serbia
- Caritas Slovakia
- Caritas Spain
- Caritas SPES Ukraine
- Caritas Sweden
- Caritas Switzerland
- Caritas Ukraine
In case the complaint concerns the management of that organisation, an external investigator may be appointed to follow up. Confidentiality is ensured at all stages.
You can contact Caritas Europa via email or by sending a letter to the addresses indicated above. You have the possibility to file your complaint anonymously. If possible, attach evidence supporting your claim. But even if you do not have any evidence, you can still file a complaint.
Your complaint will be received by the Caritas Europa Complaints Handling Officer (CHO). The CHO is appointed by the Senior Management Team of Caritas Europa and all staff are aware about the appointment. The CHO will treat your complaint with strict confidentiality.
All complaints will be handled in a confidential manner. Caritas Europa will make every reasonable effort to investigate all the relevant circumstances surrounding your complaint. The level of investigation will be determined by the seriousness and frequency of the complaint.
Regardless of the manner in which you submitted your complaint, only the CHO will open it. The CHO is bound to secrecy and will only disclose information about the complaint to the relevant person in charge to take action, if required.
We will record all complaints without personal data into an internal Caritas Europa registration system. It will have restricted staff access, and it will be used to track the receipt of complaints and the actions and outcomes resulting from complaints.
You will receive notice of receipt of your complaint within five working days. We will acknowledge oral complaints immediately. We aim to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. The CHO will provide feedback to you and to those involved in the complaint as appropriate.