How customers, clients, contributors and website users can be heard and receive a fair response.

VERSION 1.0 | EFFECTIVE 6 August 2026

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How to raise a concern

Email thethrivingmindset@yahoo.com and put “Complaint” in the subject line. Tell us what happened, when it happened and what outcome you are seeking. We aim to acknowledge complaints within 5 working days and usually respond within 20 working days. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

 

1. Purpose

The Thriving Mindset wants people to be able to raise a concern without unnecessary friction or fear of being dismissed. This policy explains how complaints, concerns, compliments and suggestions are received, investigated, answered, escalated and used for improvement.

 

2. Scope

This policy covers complaints about:

• website information, accessibility, contact and customer experience;

• books, journals, digital content and direct e-commerce service;

• shipping, returns and refunds where the issue is not resolved through the relevant policy;

• coaching, workshops, communications, professional boundaries or conduct;

• a coach, contributor, contractor or person representing The Thriving Mindset;

• privacy, data protection, marketing or cookies;

• safeguarding handling or failure to follow an organisational policy; and

• any other action or omission that a person reasonably believes was unfair, unsafe, misleading or below the expected standard.

 

3. What is a complaint, concern or feedback?

Complaint

An expression of dissatisfaction that seeks an explanation, remedy, apology, correction or other response.

Concern

An issue raised before or without a formal complaint, including a safety, conduct, boundary or safeguarding worry.

Feedback

A suggestion, observation, compliment or comment that may help improve the work.

Data protection complaint

A complaint about how personal information has been collected, used, shared, secured, retained or handled.

Safeguarding concern

Information suggesting that a child or adult at risk may be experiencing or at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation or serious harm. This is escalated immediately and is not left in the normal complaints queue.

 

4. Our principles

• Accessible: People can complain by email and can request a reasonable alternative format or communication adjustment.

• Human: We will listen, avoid defensive language and recognise the effect the issue may have had.

• Fair: We will examine relevant facts, policies and records and give anyone complained about an appropriate opportunity to respond.

• Proportionate: The depth and speed of the investigation will reflect the seriousness, complexity and risk.

• Safe: Safeguarding, urgent risk, criminal concerns and data breaches are escalated immediately.

• Confidential: Information is shared only with people who reasonably need it, subject to safeguarding, law and fair investigation.

• Learning-focused: The outcome is used to improve services, documents, training, contributor decisions and controls.

• No retaliation: A person will not be treated unfairly or denied an appropriate service simply because they raised a complaint in good faith.

 

5. How to contact us

Email thethrivingmindset@yahoo.com and include one of the following in the subject line where possible: “Complaint”, “Privacy complaint”, “Safeguarding concern”, “Return or refund”, or “Feedback”.

A person who cannot use email can ask for a reasonable alternative route through the website Contact page or the company contact details. Complaints may be made by a representative where the complainant has authorised them or another lawful basis applies.

Emergency and safeguarding matters

Do not use the complaints inbox for immediate danger. Call 999 where someone is in immediate danger or needs emergency help. Safeguarding concerns received through the inbox will be removed from the routine complaints timetable and handled under the Scope of Practice, Safeguarding and Referral Policy.

 

6. Information that helps us investigate

• name and preferred contact details;

• order, booking or session reference where relevant;

• what happened and when;

• the people, product, service or communication involved;

• copies of relevant messages, photographs or documents;

• what outcome the person is seeking; and

• any accessibility, safety, confidentiality or urgency concern.

A person does not need to use legal language or complete a perfect form. We may ask proportionate follow-up questions where the issue is unclear or information is missing.

 

7. Anonymous complaints

Anonymous information will be considered, particularly where it raises safeguarding, safety, fraud, harassment or serious conduct concerns. Anonymity may limit the investigation, prevent clarification and mean we cannot provide an individual outcome. We will not promise that a person’s identity can never be inferred from the circumstances.

 

8. Complaint ownership and conflicts of interest

The founder is initially accountable for complaints. A complaint must not be investigated solely by the person whose conduct is being challenged where a fair alternative is reasonably available.

Where The Thriving Mindset is operated by one person, a complaint about the founder may be reviewed by a suitably independent external adviser, safeguarding professional, legal adviser or other trusted reviewer. Any disclosure to an external reviewer must be necessary, confidential and supported by an appropriate data protection arrangement.

 

9. Our complaint process and timescales

Receipt and triage

What happens: Log the complaint, identify urgency, conflicts, safeguarding, data protection, potential crime, insurer notification or immediate customer remedy.

Target time: Same or next working day for urgent risk; otherwise promptly.

Acknowledgement

What happens: Confirm receipt, explain the process, identify the complaint owner and request any essential information.

Target time: Within 5 working days. Data protection complaints will always be acknowledged within the legal 30-day limit.

Investigation

What happens: Review relevant facts, records, policies and responses. Keep the investigation proportionate and fair.

Target time: Aim to complete within 20 working days.

Progress update

What happens: Explain any delay, work completed, information needed and a revised target date.

Target time: Before the original target expires.

Final response

What happens: Set out the issues considered, findings, reasons, remedy or action, learning and any next review route.

Target time: Normally within 20 working days; complex matters should usually conclude within 40 working days unless an external process prevents this.

Stage 2 review

What happens: A person dissatisfied with the final response may request a review, explaining what was missed, unfair or unsupported.

Target time: Request within 20 working days of the final response; review normally completed within a further 20 working days.

These are service standards rather than a reason to rush an unsafe or incomplete investigation. Where law requires a different timetable, that legal timetable applies. The complainant will be kept informed without undue delay.

 

10. Investigation standard

• Define the issues being investigated and the outcome sought.

• Preserve relevant emails, orders, session records, website records and documents.

• Check the applicable contract, policy, website wording, service promise and professional boundary.

• Speak to relevant people and distinguish fact, recollection, opinion and inference.

• Consider whether the person received a service with reasonable care and skill and whether information was clear and fair.

• Consider equality, accessibility, safeguarding, data protection and conflicts of interest.

• Avoid retaliation, blame, unnecessary disclosure and conclusions unsupported by evidence.

• Record the decision, reasons, remedy, learning and owner of any corrective action.

 

11. Possible outcomes and remedies

• an explanation or clarification;

• an apology that acknowledges what happened without empty performance;

• correction of website, product, record or communication;

• replacement, repeat service, refund or partial refund where appropriate;

• a change to policy, process, training, supervision or contributor arrangements;

• suspension or removal of a coach or contributor from delivery;

• referral to an insurer, platform, professional body, regulator, police or safeguarding service;

• no further action where the complaint is not upheld, with clear reasons; or

• partial upholding where some elements are supported and others are not.

A requested remedy is considered but is not automatically granted. The remedy should be lawful, proportionate, fair and connected to the issue found.

 

12. Data protection complaints

A data protection complaint will be handled in line with the Public Privacy Notice and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 requirements. The Thriving Mindset will provide a clear electronic route, acknowledge the complaint within 30 days, make appropriate enquiries, keep the person informed and communicate the outcome without undue delay.

A person who remains dissatisfied may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The final response will explain this route and provide current contact information.

 

13. Safeguarding, criminal and regulatory concerns

A complaint that indicates immediate danger, abuse, neglect, exploitation, a serious professional-boundary breach, potential crime or a serious risk to others must be escalated immediately. The normal complaint timetable does not delay protective action. The Thriving Mindset may share necessary information with emergency services, safeguarding authorities, insurers, legal advisers or regulators where lawful and proportionate.

The organisation will not conduct a criminal investigation or interfere with a statutory process. The internal complaint may be paused or limited where necessary to avoid prejudice, while the complainant is kept appropriately informed.

 

14. Complaints involving returns, delivery or consumer rights

Where the issue can be resolved promptly under the Returns and Refunds Policy or Shipping and Delivery Policy, it may be handled as a service request rather than a formal complaint. A person may still make a complaint about how the issue was handled or about an alleged breach of their consumer rights.

 

15. Complaints about coaches or contributors

The person complained about will normally be told the substance of the complaint and given a fair opportunity to respond, unless doing so would create a safeguarding, legal or investigation risk. Interim restrictions may be applied to protect clients while facts are established. A contributor must cooperate with a reasonable investigation as a condition of representing The Thriving Mindset.

 

16. Unreasonable, abusive or persistent contact

The Thriving Mindset will not label a complaint unreasonable merely because it is persistent, emotional, critical or difficult. However, it may set proportionate communication boundaries where contact becomes threatening, discriminatory, abusive, knowingly false, excessively repetitive after a final review, or so frequent that it prevents a fair response to the person or others.

Any restriction should be explained in writing, limited to what is necessary, reviewed after a stated period and should preserve a route for new safeguarding, legal or materially different information.

 

17. Confidentiality, privacy and record retention

Complaint information will be shared only with people who need it to investigate, advise, decide or comply with law. Records should include the complaint, evidence, communications, findings, outcome, remedy and learning. Data protection requests and complaints may normally be retained for up to six years after closure where justified by regulatory, contractual or legal-claim needs, subject to the approved retention schedule.

 

18. Learning and organisational development

• Review upheld, partially upheld and serious complaints for root causes rather than treating them as isolated correspondence.

• Track recurring themes by product, service, coach, channel and policy area.

• Assign corrective actions, owners and deadlines.

• Check whether the action actually worked.

• Use anonymised themes in quarterly and annual service review.

• Update contracts, website wording, training, safeguarding controls and stage gates where required.

• Do not publish a testimonial, complaint story or case study without a lawful basis and clear permission.

 

19. External escalation

The final response will identify any relevant external route. Depending on the issue, this may include the Information Commissioner’s Office, Citizens Advice consumer service, Trading Standards, a relevant professional body, an insurer, an applicable alternative dispute resolution arrangement, the police, a local authority safeguarding team or the courts.

Where The Thriving Mindset is required by law or contract to participate in an alternative dispute resolution or complaint scheme, the final response will give the relevant details. The organisation will not imply that an external body has approved the service unless that is true.