Cambridge SU endeavours to offer all of our members, employees, volunteers, partners and clients the highest levels of respect and good service. We demand a high standard of professional conduct from our officers and staff. If you are dissatisfied in your dealings with the Cambridge SU we want to hear from you, and we will work hard to address your issue swiftly and fairly.
How to complain
If you are unsure of how to take forward a complaint or who to contact, contact enquiries@cambridgesu.co.uk or call 0808 1641 222? and someone will support you to find the relevant information. If you are a student, you might also contact one of Cambridge SU’s elected officers.
Complaints might ordinarily be expected to concern one of the following:
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Cambridge SU services or facilities
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How the charity has behaved in its activities
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Cambridge SU members’ conduct (e.g. at a Cambridge SU function)
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The conduct of Cambridge SU elected officers
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The conduct of Cambridge SU staff
When submitting a complaint please be specific with detail as far as possible (e.g. if relevant, include the date, time, and location of the behaviour that you witnessed or the service that you received); and try to include additional information that would help the Cambridge SU in reviewing your complaint, including information about the harms caused to you or your knowledge of others who may have been impacted. Please give details of the best way in which the Cambridge SU can be in contact with you regarding your complaint.
Employees of Cambridge SU should refer to the Staff Handbook for information on how to raise a grievance.
Handling of complaints
The below sets-out the relevant processes for different types of complaint as well as the role responsible for handling the complaint.
Students
If you are a student and you wish to raise a complaint about the actions of Cambridge SU, its services or facilities (not including the Advice Service), or the conduct of Cambridge SU staff, you should use the Member Complaints Procedure. This is specified in full in By-Law 10.
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You should normally submit your complaint to the Chair of the Cambridge SU Executive Committee. Please clearly indicate your desire to make a complaint and include the details of the issue, details of any harm caused, and a way for us to contact you about the complaint.
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If the Chair of the Executive Committee has been involved in the matter about which you are complaining, or you are uncomfortable with raising a complaint with that person for any other reason, you are entitled to raise your complaint with any other sabbatical officer.
If you are a student and you wish to complain about the Student Advice Service, you should use the Student Advice Service complaints procedure.
If you are a student and you wish to raise a complaint that is solely about the conduct of another member of Cambridge SU, you can make a referral to the Member Disciplinary Procedure. This will trigger an investigation into whether there has been a breach of the member code of conduct, and potentially lead to the Union taking disciplinary action. You can find the Code of Conduct in full in By-Law 18 and the Member Disciplinary Procedure in full in By-Law 16.
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You should make your referral to the Member Disciplinary Procedure by writing to the Cambridge SU CEO here. Please clearly indicate your desire to refer someone to the Member Disciplinary Procedure and include the details of the issue, why you think there has been a breach of the Member Code of Conduct, and a way for us to contact you about the complaint
Commercial partners
If you are a commercial partner or customer of Cambridge SU who is not a member, you should raise grievances informally in the first instance with your contact at the SU. If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of this, you should raise your complaint with the CEO on email here.