This page sets out GWPC’s Complaints Policy and Procedure
This policy was approved by the GWPC PCC in January, 2026
At Great Western Park Church, we strive to meet the needs of our regular worshippers, those who engage with our events, and the wider community in Didcot that we serve. We seek to do our best in this, but we acknowledge that sometimes things may go wrong, and you may have an experience that disappoints or distresses you.
It is important to us to try to resolve and mend situations where something has gone wrong, and, where relationships may have been damaged, to seek reconciliation where it is possible. To help both you and us to do this, the Complaints Policy and Procedure details how complaints and concerns can be brought to our attention and what response you can expect.
Complaints about the handling of Safeguarding concerns
| Please note that this document does not deal with safeguarding concerns. If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact our Safeguarding Officer, Aimee Farmer aimee.safeguarding@gwp.church. Alternatively, to make direct contact with the Safeguarding Team at the Diocese of Oxford by calling 01865 208295 or emailing them at safeguardingreferrals@oxford.anglican.org. Additional means of contact for the Diocese can be found on their website here: Safeguarding – Diocese of Oxford Details of our safeguarding policy can be found on our website. |
If you have a complaint about how a safeguarding concern has been handled, please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA), Erica Hegg by phone on 07341 866832 or by email at erica.hegg@oxford.anglican.org.
The Diocese of Oxford Safeguarding Complaints Procedure can be found here.
A helpful booklet, When Things Go Wrong: Safeguarding complaints policy and procedure, produced by the Diocese of Oxford, can be found here.
Making a complaint about a member of the clergy
Informal Complaints
You are encouraged to share your dissatisfaction with the vicar or clergyperson concerned, who should attempt to resolve the matter with you.
We understand that on occasion, this is not possible, or that you may be unhappy if your complaint remains unresolved. If this is the case, you can speak to your local area dean or lay chair, who will then speak to the member of the clergy about your concern. Great Western Park Church is part of Wallingford Deanery, in the Dorchester area, and the staff list for this area can be found here.
The local area dean is currently Andy Lord who can be contacted on: vicar@didcotallsaints.org.uk. The lay chair of the Deanery is Vaughn Lawfull, he can be contacted on wallingford_laychair@outlook.com
Formal Complaints
The Oxford Complaints Procedure set out here explains how you can raise your concerns or complaints with the clergyperson’s Area Bishop so that a resolution can be found.
You are encouraged to visit the Diocese website which sets out the processes involved in a fuller way. This can be found here: Policies, procedures & safeguarding – Diocese of Oxford
Making a complaint about the PCC or an employee of the PCC
If you would like to make a complaint about how the PCC have dealt with a church matter that is their responsibility, or if you would like to complain about the behaviour or activity of an employee of the PCC (e.g., the Administrator, Children and Families Worker), please follow the following steps.
Informal Complaints
You are encouraged to share your concerns with the vicar and/or the churchwardens who will attempt to resolve the matter with you. At time of writing, we are in an interregnum period and so do not have a vicar.
The current churchwardens are Andy Walker andy.walker@gwp.church and Rebecca Kerry rebecca.kerry@gwp.church
If this is not possible, or your complaint remains unresolved, you can make a formal complaint.
Formal Complaints
You can make a formal complaint within 6 months of an incident occurring.
Complaints should be addressed to the PCC Secretary at administrator@gwp.church or one of the churchwardens, as appropriate. The churchwardens are Andy Walker andy.walker@gwp.church and Rebecca Kerry rebecca.kerry@gwp.church.
Please ensure that when you are making a complaint, you include:
- Your full name and contact details
- What you think went wrong and how it has affected you
- What (if anything) you think the PCC should do to put it right
The PCC Secretary will acknowledge your claim within 10 working days.
The PCC Secretary will make sure that your complaint is:
- treated seriously
- handled fairly without bias or discrimination
- treated confidentially.
Your complaint will be addressed in confidence by the Vicar (if sitting), PCC Secretary, and the Churchwardens. Where one of these is directly mentioned in the complaint, they will not be present in this discussion and another member of the Standing Committee or PCC will be asked to take their place.
A member of this group will be appointed as liaison and will write to you within 8 weeks of your complaint being received to inform you about the outcome of this meeting and, if appropriate, what steps will be taken to address the matter.
If you are unhappy with how a complaint has been resolved internally you can complain to the Charities Commission. While Parochial Church Councils are independent bodies they are charities and as such are regulated by the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission can be contacted either via their website (Complain about a charity – GOV.UK) or by writing to them at Charity Commission First Contact, PO Box 1227, Liverpool L69 3UG.
Great Western Park Church 