Do you have a complaint?

We know sometimes that things can go wrong, so we have a complaints procedure for members in our Bye-Laws. Take a look at the guidance below before submitting a Complaint Form.

Is it about the Students' Union, or a service, individual or group within the Union?

If your complaint is about an individual, then this will normally be investigated under our Disciplinary Procedure. If it is about another member, then the complaint would need to be about an event or act that took place specifically within the context of Students' Union UCL membership, such as through a club or society event.

We can't investigate complaints that are about events not specific to Union membership.

Our Advice Centre can offer impartial information on the Complaints process. However, please note that our Advisors will not be able to provide advice regarding the nature of the complaint or the prospects of success due to conflicts of interest.

If your complaint is about the conduct of a member of staff, then this will be investigated confidentially by Students' Union UCL's HR team.

If your complaint is about a service, then this will be investigated by the appropriate Head of Department who will write to you with their findings.

Submit your complaint

Required field
Please describe your complaint as fully and clearly as you can, attaching any additional information/evidence on this form.
Attach any document or image relevant to the complaint.
One file only. • 2 MB limit. • Allowed types: gif, jpg, jpeg, png, txt, rtf, pdf, doc, docx, odt, ppt, pptx, odp. • 50 MB limit per form.
Have you raised this complaint informally with any member of staff or in any other way?

Your consent

I would like Students' Union UCL to consider my complaint and declare that the facts stated in this application are true. I understand that:

  • You will need to handle personal details about me which may include sensitive information (for example, relating to my health) in order to deal with my complaint effectively.
  • You may need to exchange information about my complaint with other persons within Students' Union UCL and external organisations such as the University.
  • Students' Union UCL is the data processor and will process my personal data in accordance with the Union's Data Protection and Privacy Policy and the relevant laws and regulations.
  • If Students' Union UCL wishes to transfer personal data to a data processor not listed on the form, Students' Union UCL will need to seek separate consent for this.
  • External transfer of personal data will be undertaken through approved security arrangements such as Union's Data Protection and Privacy Policy, its data sharing agreements with third parties, and/or sent only to the intended addressee.
  • I understand that Students' Union UCL may retain data relating to my complaint for a specified term in accordance with the Union's Data Protection and Privacy Policy.

What next?

Your complaint form will first be assessed as to whether it is a formal complaint and whether it can be investigated. We will only consider complaints in scope if they are about activity connected to Students' Union UCL membership or our services.

If it is about a member or a student group, then this will be referred to the Disciplinary Procedure set out in the Bye-Laws and investigated if appropriate. You may be asked to provide further information or attend a disciplinary panel. If you complaint is 'upheld', an independent panel may decide on disciplinary action. This is at their discretion and you won't have a say in what action is taken.

Complaints made about the conduct of members of staff will be investigated confidentially by the HR team at Students' Union UCL.

If your complaint is about a service, then this will be referred to the relevant Head of Department to look into and they will write to you with their findings.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the investigation into the conduct of a member, or if your complaint is not upheld, then as a member you have the right to have it reviewed by the Students' Union UCL Trustee Board. The decision by the Board of Trustees on any complaint they review is final.

Reporting on complaints

At the end of each academic year, at the last Trustee Board meeting, a report summarising the complaints received by the Union will be presented. This report will detail how complaints have been handled, the number of complaints received and identify any emerging trends. This report will then be made available alongside Trustee Board minutes to any member that requests it.

Last updated 8 months ago Read time 4 mins