Complaints Procedure

The British Education Suppliers Association is committed to working in an open and accountable way that encourages the trust and respect of all stakeholders. BESA members are committed to the highest ethical standards in their dealings with schools and must comply with the association’s Code of Practice as a condition of membership.

Any BESA member found to be in breach of the Code of Practice risks being expelled from the association. Individuals who have found a member to have acted improperly and outside of the standards outlined in our Code of Practice can report the company to the association for further investigation.

This procedure is based upon the provisions made in paragraph 19 of our Articles of Association.

How to make a complaint

We encourage complainants to give members a reasonable opportunity to address concerns outside of the formal complaints procedure.

All complaints should be made in writing to the BESA Secretariat, in the first instance to besa@besa.org.uk or in writing to the BESA address (marked Private and Confidential). Complaints should be specific and include evidence of any alleged breach of the Code of Practice.

Complaints should be made within three months of the incident or, where a series of associated incidents have occurred, within three months of the last of these incidents. We will consider complaints made outside of this timeframe if exceptional circumstances apply.

If a complainant wishes to withdraw a complaint, they should do so in writing.

Stages

Stage 1. Complaint

If you believe a member has breached the Code of Conduct, you can file a complaint against that member within 3-months of the event occurring by writing to the BESA Secretariat. Your complaint you must set out your concerns clearly, give BESA as much information as possible and include any documentary evidence in support of your complaint.

Stage 2. Investigation

On receipt of your complaint, BESA will assign a senior member of staff – usually the Deputy Director General – to investigate the matter and decide whether there is a sufficient ground for a case to be heard. Investigations usually take up to 20 business days.

Stage 3. Hearing

Following the investigation, if the Secretariat believes that there are grounds for expulsion of a member, then the case will be referred to a hearing of the association’s Executive Council who will consider the case before a final decision is made.