We hope that you won’t ever be made to feel upset or annoyed whilst you’re at your allotment. But we want to make sure you know that if you do need to raise concerns about anything we will take these seriously and deal with them properly.

You may think that someone has behaved in a way that is unprofessional, discriminatory, offensive or intimidating. Or you may believe that someone has broken important rules. We can’t help you resolve this unless you tell us about your problem.

You have a right to complain, we take complaints seriously, and we will make sure you are not be put at any disadvantage because you have made a complaint and we will treat your complaint as confidentially as possible.

We have a process for you to follow to make sure that every complaint is dealt with fairly and sorted out as quickly as possible.
For most complaints we will follow a simple 3 stage process.

Stage 1 – Your site reps

If you are unhappy about way the site is being managed, or if you have a complaint about the way you have been treated or another plotholder, please speak to your site reps or email us at tamworthfarm@gmail.com or you can give a letter to your site reps or any committee members.

The names or your site reps are posted on the noticeboards on all three sites and in the community sheds on the Horseshoe and Rose Avenue.

We hope that your site reps will be able to solve your complaint quickly with some informal discussions. If needed they will talk to you and other people on the site so they understand the problem. Your site reps may need to bring your complaint to other committee members or to the full committee for further informal discussion either on site or by email.

We aim to resolve most complaints quickly within 3 weeks of being told about them. If it will take longer your site reps will explain why and tell you what will happen next.

Stage 2 – The Committee

If you think the site reps won’t be able to solve your problem or if you’d rather speak to someone else please either email tamworthfarm@gmail.com or speak to any committee member (our names and plot numbers are on the noticeboards). If you prefer you can give any committee member a letter telling us about your issue.

We will email you or write to you within 10 working days setting out how your complaint will be investigated. You’ll also be given the name of the person doing the investigation and how long it’s likely to take.

We will also ask for one or two allotment holders who are not on the committee (or involved with your complaint in any way) to help us with the investigation, review any results and to attend any meetings. Their role is to make sure that we deal fairly and impartially with all complaints.
After the investigation, the committee will discuss the matter at the next committee meeting. We’ll write to you with our decision and our reasons for it, within 10 working days of the meeting or we’ll explain why it might take longer.

If the complaint relates directly to a member of the committee, that person will NOT be involved in the process or present at the Committee meeting to discuss your complaint.

Stage 3 – Appeal to Merton Council via iDverde

If you think we have failed to sort out your complaint at Stage 1 or 2, or if you want to appeal against the decision of the Committee you can get in touch with Merton Council and ask them to review your complaint.

You can do this by contacting iDverde (email: slwpallotments@idverde.co.uk or phone 020 3876 8806).

You will need to show that you raised the complaint with us and that we have dealt with it at Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 before Merton will consider an appeal.

You will also need to tell them why you are unhappy with our decision and/or why you think it is unfair so that they can properly investigate your appeal.

How to complain

If you are talking to your site reps, emailing us or handing over a letter please tell us the following so we can deal quickly with your concerns.

• Your site and plot number
• Your name, full postal address including postcode, email and if you are happy to do so your phone number
• Full details of your complaint – include things like o the dates and times when things happened or what rules have been broken
• • the names of any people involved (or their plot numbers) or anyone else who saw what happened
  • a description of what rules have been broken or what happened and why it upset you
  • it would be very helpful if you could tell us what you want to happen next to resolve your complaint and make you feel happy again.

We believe in taking a collaborative approach to problem solving and would try to get people to discuss their concerns.

Some possible outcomes from a complaint:

• a change in arrangements for some activities or actions
• an explanation about why people acted in a certain way or an apology
• an agreement to communicate or act differently in the future
• a formal warning to be sent to an allotment holder or member of the committee
• serving a notice to an allotment holder or member of the committee to quit their allotment (this would only happen for very serious complaints or for repeated breaking of the rules of a tenancy agreement)
• closing the complaint without any further action but explaining to you why the complaint has been closed

TFAS Committee