Introduction and purpose
This Complaints Procedure aims to provide a clear and simple process to be followed in the case of a concern or complaint in relation to Bradford Producing Hub (BPH) and our work. It details how to raise a concern, how it will be handled, and what you can expect from us.
This procedure covers both informal concerns and formal complaints. We take all concerns seriously and view them as an opportunity to listen, learn, and improve how we work.
Who this procedure applies to
This procedure applies to:
- Members of the public, including our event attendees, training participants and beneficiaries;
- Freelancers we work with;
- Volunteers we work with;
- Partner organisations and collaborators.
This procedure does not apply to employment-related issues raised by PAYE staff, which are covered under BPH’s internal Grievance Procedure.
Raising a concern
If you are concerned about something: we want to know, we want to help, and we will work hard to put things in place to try and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Everyone involved in raising a concern will be treated with respect. You can raise a concern by emailing hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
A concern might be about, but is not limited to:
- The quality or delivery of BPH’s programmes, events, or communications;
- The behaviour of BPH staff, freelancers, collaborators or volunteers (including the board);
- The behaviour of BPH event attendees, training participants or beneficiaries;
- A policy, decision, or action taken by BPH.
In order to raise a concern, you should email hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
Please provide as much information as you can / as you feel comfortable with sharing. This could include:
- Who/what the concern is about;
- Why you are concerned about it;
- Who else is / was involved / was there / is aware of what happened;
- When it happened and whether it has happened before;
- What you would like to happen next.
We can’t guarantee that what you would like to happen next will be agreed, but it’s helpful to know your expectations and we will take any suggestions into consideration.
Timescale
If you raise a concern:
- We will acknowledge receipt of your concern within 5 working days.
- A member of the BPH board will investigate your concern.
- You will receive a full response within 10 working days
- If the investigation cannot be completed within this timeframe, we will inform you and provide an updated timescale.
Confidentiality
Concerns raised will be treated confidentially by all parties involved. We will involve as few people as possible and will let you know who specifically is dealing with your concern.
We respect that people may wish to report concerns anonymously, and we will do our best to support this wish. However, there may be times where we need to escalate a concern, and people may need to engage with this with transparency. We will keep you informed throughout and will handle each situation with sensitivity and care towards everyone involved.
Records will be stored securely and handled in accordance with the UK GDPR and BPH’s Data Protection Policies.
Agreed action
There are many potential actions that could be taken in relation to a concern raised. We will propose the action to the person who has raised the concern, and will agree with them the steps to be taken and a clear timeline.
In most cases the action will be agreed and delivered swiftly. If for any reason an agreement on an action cannot be reached, the formal complaint / escalation process should be followed.
Informal process:
The following list is some examples of the actions that may be undertaken or recommended by the people who have been involved in investigating the concern:
- A conversation with the person who has raised the concern, to understand the situation in more detail and understand what they see as a resolution;
- A conversation with the person the concern has been raised against, to understand their perspective and how a resolution could be supported;
- Mediation / facilitated conversation;
- Identifying and implementing training needs;
- Making changes to BPH internal systems and processes;
- Escalation to a formal complaint.
Excluded actions through an informal process:
The following actions cannot be taken through the informal process. If any of the following actions are requested by the person who raised the concern, or recommended, escalation to formal complaint would be needed:
- Permanent removal of a role or responsibility;
- Termination of a contract or agreement;
- Exclusion from future BPH events, courses, or opportunities;
- Legal action to retrieve funds or payments made.
Formal complaint / escalation process:
Examples when a formal complaint / escalation process may be needed:
- A serious concern, e.g. bullying, harassment, racism, or other inappropriate behaviour;
- An informal approach has not been successful;
- The action you wish to see taken is not possible through an informal process (see ‘Excluded actions through an informal process’).
A formal complaint / escalation process may mean that external HR advice and support, or potentially legal support, may need to be involved in the investigation.
You may decide that you wish for your concern to be dealt with formally from the start, or the people reviewing your concern may decide that the concern is best dealt with through a formal process.
Your concern should initially be raised as detailed in ‘Raising a concern’. The people investigating the concern may then involve appropriate external partners who will investigate and work with you to conclude your formal complaint with an appropriate resolution.
Review of this procedure
This procedure will be reviewed annually by the BPH board. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please contact hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk
Last Reviewed: October 2025 Board Approved: October 2025 Next Review: October 2026