Listed below are details of the complaints process from our constitution. For advice relating to the complaints process you can call or email the secretary of the society for assistance. Feedback can be passed on to the secretary in the same way.  Serious complaints should be set in writing and signed by the complainant before posting to the secretary at the address at the bottom of the page.

All correspondence is confidential but matters may need to be heard by a disciplinary committee before a decision can be made.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

(a) The Executive Committee (EC) shall have the power to appoint a special Complaints Committee consisting of not less than five senior Members of the BSCH who are not Members of the EC and will investigate all complaints. The Complaints Committee shall have the power to request the Organising Secretary of the BSCH to report its findings and recommendations to the EC at its next available meeting. 

(b) The EC may at its discretion choose to delegate the responsibility of rule 4(a) to an outside professional body. 

(c) No Member of the EC, Disciplinary Committee (DC) or Complaints Committee shall be involved in any way with an investigation concerning him/herself. 

(d) Members of the public with a complaint against any Member of the BSCH shall be requested to put that complaint in writing to the Organising Secretary of the BSCH who shall be obliged to lodge each complaint with the Complaints Committee. The Organising Secretary shall keep the complainant informed of each stage of the progress of the complaint with regular written reports. (e) Should a complaint be upheld by the Complaints Committee the matter will be placed before the EC who shall have the power to: 

• Censure the said Member 

• Impose a fixed period Suspension on said Member 

•Expel said Member under Rule 5(a) of this Constitution

5. DISQUALIFICATION AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE

(a) Should any Member be guilty in the opinion of the EC of a breach of the BSCH Code of Ethics, the EC may by resolution terminate his/her membership. The EC may under this rule delegate its powers to a Disciplinary Committee of no fewer than five members of the BSCH of whom at least one shall be a Member of the EC, and of whom three shall form a quorum. 

(b) Notice of intention to propose a resolution for his/her removal from membership shall be given to a Member whose conduct is in question at least fifteen days prior to the date of the meeting at which such resolution is to be proposed, and the Member shall be entitled to attend and be heard at any such meeting and shall be entitled to appeal against any decision of the EC or DC to an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the BSCH called for that purpose, but if such an appeal be lost the appellant shall bear the costs of such Extraordinary General Meeting at which the appeal was heard together with the cost of notices. The EC or DC shall have the power to request estimated costs of such an appeal to be deposited into the bank account of the BSCH before official notices are posted for an EGM . 

(c) Failure to comply with Rule 3(t) of the BSCH Code of Ethics shall result in the Members’ immediate expulsion from the BSCH. Members shall have the right of appeal to the EC and this appeal must be made in writing to the Organising Secretary of the BSCH and be made no more than 15 days after receiving notification of the judgment. Members shall accept that the decision of the EC regarding rule 5(d) of this Constitution is final. There shall be no right of appeal under this rule to an EGM .

(d) Organisations referred to in Rule 3(t) of the BSCH Code of Ethics shall be proscribed by resolution of the EC. Proscribed Organisations shall have the right to request a change in their status in the form of a written request to the Organising Secretary of the BSCH who will then place the matter before the EC who shall consider the request at their next meeting. Such Organisations shall have the right to attend and be heard at this meeting and have the right to appeal against the decision of the EC by requesting an EGM of the BSCH called for that purpose, but if such an appeal be lost the Proscribed Organisation shall bear all costs of such an EGM at which the appeal was heard together with the cost of the notices. The EC shall request that estimated costs of such an appeal are deposited into the bank account of the BSCH before official notices are posted for an EGM. 

Email the Secretary: sec@bsch.org.uk