Make a complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about the Union, please send a formal email to complaints@goldsmithssu.org. 

What happens during the complaints process? 

Stage 1 - Complaint lodged with the SU

• All student complaints must be made in writing to the Union office and sent to complaints@goldsmithssu.org .
• Students wishing to speak to an SU staff member first may do so, but should know that for an investigation to occur, the complaint must be made in writing first.
• Complainants should receive a receipt of their submission within two working days and provided a reasonable timeline of when they can expect a considered response.
• Students should also be aware that all complaints and any subsequent investigations will be recorded in a confidential database.

Stage 2 -  Investigation

• The Lead Investigator will contact the complainant to verify an account of the incident and all the relevant facts. At this stage, the Lead Investigator should also explain the complaints process as well as the limitations of the Union’s ability to act before referring the incident onto the College. The complainant will then be given the opportunity to pursue or discontinue the complaint process.
• The Lead Investigator will then contact the complainant to verify an account of the incident and all the relevant facts. At this stage, the Lead Investigator should also explain the complaints process as well as the limitations of the Union’s ability to act before referring the incident onto the College. The complainant will then be given the opportunity to pursue or discontinue the complaint process. The complainant will also be advised that the Union has a responsibility and duty of care to report an incident to the College if they feel that it is serious and beyond the capacity of the Union to deal with.
• If the complainant decides to pursue the complaint, the Lead Investigator will advise them to relieve themselves of Union activities (i.e. sports training or club meetings) for their own wellbeing until the investigation has been completed.
• The Lead Investigator will then liaise with the relevant Student Activities team members in the Union to confirm as much accurate information about the accused as possible.
• The Lead Investigator should also liaise with the relevant staff members to contact the accused student and explain the general nature of the complaint. The accused will be given the opportunity to make representation in writing. It should be explained that that they will be suspended from Union activity (i.e. sports training or club meetings).
• Student is notified of the general nature of the charge under investigation and given an opportunity to make representation in writing. 
• The Student Activities team will be responsible for liaising with the relevant student groups to inform them about any changes that may occur while the investigation is underway.
• The Lead Investigator will present their findings to a member of Senior Management who can then determine the appropriate course of action. Both the complainant and the accused will be contacted and presented with the findings, recommendations and actions.
• If the incident is serious and the Lead Investigator feels that it is necessary to escalate it to the College’s Misconduct Procedures, the complainant will be contacted and presented with their options. In the instance that the complainant does not wish to escalate the issue to the College, the case will be considered closed, however, they will be provided a list of external support services that may be able to assist.

Stage 3 - Appeals

• If the person involved wishes to appeal any decisions taken against them, including decisions to escalate the complaint to the College, they may do so to the Union and through the Appeals Procedure.
• Appeals are open for 14 days after the decision email has been sent to the complainant.