AC Complaints Procedure

Complaints may be sent to Association for Coaching in writing at:

Association for Coaching:
Golden Cross House, 8 Duncannon Street, London WC2N 4JF
or by e-mail at complaints@associationforcoaching.com

The AC Complaints Policy is available to view here.

Making a Complaint Against an AC Member, or an individual/organization with AC Accreditation

1. A complaint may be made if :
   1. There is deemed to be a breach of a clause of the Association for Coaching (AC) AC Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors.
   2. A member is demonstrating behaviour which is deemed to bring the AC and or the profession of coaching into disrepute.
2. The complaint may be made by a Client or by an Individual, Provider or Corporate Member or a named representative of the same against another.
3. The person and/or organization concerned must be named and be a member of the Association, or hold AC Accreditation at the time of the complaint being made.
4. The Complaint must be made in writing using the AC Complaints Form.
5. Complaints that do not meet the criteria above will not be heard.

Actioning a Complaint:

1. The complaint will be passed to the AC Complaints Review Panel¹ within 28 days of receipt and will either be rejected, deferred so that further information can be obtained, or accepted and referred on to the AC Complaints Committee. The complainant and AC Member will be informed accordingly.
2. All correspondence and information received will be provided to all relevant parties.
3. The AC Complaints Committee will arrange a Hearing date within 40 days of the outcome of the Complaints Review Panel and notify all relevant parties.
4. Both the complainant and Member may bring in;
   1. supporting evidence (i.e. correspondence, witness statements etc.) from any other relevant person to be considered as part of the complaint
   2. a witness to be present
   3. The paperwork and/or the name of the witness must be submitted a minimum of 7 days before the Hearing date.
5. Any member of the AC Complaints Committee, or Member may question witnesses.
6. The Chair of the AC Complaints Committee will decide whether any legal advice needs to be sought from the Association’s legal advisers. It will be up to the Chair of the AC Complaints Committee to decide whether new evidence can be accepted on the day of the hearing.
7. If either the Complainant or Member fails to attend the hearing the Chair has the right to continue with the case in the absence of one of the relevant parties, terminate the hearing or adjourn and reset the meeting for a date no later than 30 days from the day of the original hearing.

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¹ If anyone involved in reviewing a complaint has a conflict of interest, they will openly declare it and remove themselves from the process.

Resolving a Complaint:

1. The outcome of the Hearing will be notified in writing to all relevant parties within 30 days of the date the Hearing took place.
2. Any actions / restrictions / sanctions will be clearly stated. In the event that any sanctions are conditional upon certain requirement of the complainant , they may apply for these to be lifted when the conditions have been met and evidence is provided of that. All parties will be informed in writing of the lifting of the sanction.

Appeal Process:

1. Appeals will be considered if new evidence of a significant nature becomes available that would have changed the decision of the AC Complaints Committee had it been available at the time of the hearing. Alternatively, appeals will also be considered where the sanction is deemed unfairly harsh in relation to the event.
2. Appeals can be made in writing to the CEO of the Association within 30 days of notification of the original decision and are required to clearly outline the grounds on which the appeal is being made and/or submit further evidence.
3. An independent person will be appointed by the CEO of the Association within 30 days.
4. The independent person will consider the Appeal and make a decision based on all available evidence within 21 days
5. The independent person will inform the CEO of the Association of the decision, and /or the Hearing committee for further discussion. The CEO of the Association will take the appropriate action and the decision will be made in writing within 21 days of the independent person’s findings.
6. All parties will be informed of the Appeal decision which could be the appeal is upheld, turned down or there is insufficient evidence.

Professional Misconduct:

Misconduct applies where a Representative or a Member of the Association is deemed to have failed to adhere to the AC Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors.

Professional Misconduct applies to a Representative or a Member of the Association who has contravened the ethical standards that are expected of any member of the Coaching profession, which could include conduct not explicitly covered within the AC Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors and Supervisors.

AC Complaints Form

A completed complaints form (or email for complaints against the AC) and any further relevant documentation must be submitted within 12 months of the issue arising. (In extenuating circumstances this time frame may be waived at the discretion of the AC Complaints Panel or AC Complaints Committee).

We encourage Association for Coaching (AC) members and any complainants to undertake all reasonable means to resolve the situations before initiating a complaints process and making representation to the Association for Coaching. Should a formal complaint be received, we will continue to encourage the relevant parties to reach a mutually acceptable outcome.

The Association for Coaching is not responsible for any expenses incurred by either party or any supporting parties. The Association for Coaching may hear a complaint made against an Individual member or an Organisational Member even if another professional body is considering the case. The Association for Coaching will distribute/publish the outcomes against an Individual Member or Organisational Member where the complaint has been upheld.

AC undertakes to be transparent in its activities and therefore the Non member with accreditation or AC Member who is the subject of the complaint will receive a copy of all correspondence and be kept fully informed of the process. The criteria include:

1. The complaint is deemed to be a breach of a clause of the Association for Coaching’s Global Code of Ethics for Coaches and Mentors.
2. A Member is demonstrating behaviour which is deemed to be prejudicial to the Association or to the services which the Association represents.
3. The complaint may be made by a Client or by an AC Member of the Association against another.
4. The person and/or organisation concerned must be named and be a member of the Association at the time of the complaint being made.
5. I acknowledge that I have read the AC Complaints Procedure