RNID staff and volunteers have the right to work without being subjected to discrimination or abuse.
Introduction
We have a duty to safeguard the health and safety of our staff and volunteers and a duty of care towards our service users. We may therefore decide to restrict access to our services, including premises where we hold RNID events or services, where we consider a person’s behaviour to be unreasonable, discriminatory or abusive and likely to have a negative effect on our staff, volunteers or the work and support we give.
This policy sets out actions and behaviours that may have a negative effect on RNID staff or volunteers, and what we’ll do if they occur.
It applies to everyone who interacts with us, including service users, storytellers, donors and supporters.
We understand that at times people act out of character or find expressing themselves difficult, especially when anxious or upset. We also realise it’s not easy for everyone to consider how their behaviour affects others.
We’ll always provide support and consider reasonable adjustments if we’re aware of a medical condition or disability that affects how someone interacts with us.
If you have communication needs, we have BSL via Convo at our face-to-face services and when you contact Contact RNID.
What is unreasonable, discriminatory or abusive behaviour?
The following types of behaviour fall within this policy; however, this is not an exhaustive list. Please note, behaviour does not need to be aimed directly at at RNID staff and volunteers for it to be considered within the scope of this policy.
Aggressive or abusive conduct:
- Use of, or threats of, violence or physical harm
- Behaviour or language (verbal, physical or written) that is unwanted and/or may cause staff or volunteers to feel afraid, threatened or abused
- Use of insulting, degrading, obscene and derogatory language including swearing
- Harassment and discrimination such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia
- Sexual harassment including sexual advances, comments and gestures, sexually offensive jokes, images and content
- Refusing to leave premises, stop making phone calls or making other contact when formally requested to do so
- False allegations against a staff member, volunteer or RNID
- Continued communication on an excessive level.
Unreasonable demands towards RNID:
We may decide a demand is unreasonable if it requires a disproportionate amount of time and resource to address it. For example:
- Demanding a response within an unreasonable timescale
- Excessive contact – via any of our communications channels including phone calls, live chat, emails, letters and/or social media
- Insistence on seeing or speaking to a particular member of staff
- Repeatedly raising new complaints without affording us the opportunity to resolve earlier complaints
- Repeatedly changing what your complaint is about
- Persistent refusal to accept a complaint outcome including contacting different members of staff to try to get a different outcome
- Requiring responses to correspondence where the content is malicious
- Refusing to follow the policies and procedures of the RNID services you are using. This includes misusing the service and demanding support that is outside of its remit.
Unreasonable behaviour at RNID events and services:
We deliver some of our services in third party venues which we ensure are welcoming and safe. We ask all service users and participants, for their co-operation in maintaining a safe and respectful environment. Alongside the examples given above, unreasonable behaviour at these events might include:
- Disorderly conduct, such as causing a disturbance, shouting and/or causing a nuisance to RNID staff, volunteers or visitors
- Congregating in the building and/or obstructing walkways and emergency routes and access points
- Entering or attempting to enter restricted and/or non-public areas of the building
- Theft/attempted theft of RNID equipment
- Recording or photographing people without their permission
- Intentional damage or interference with property belonging to the charity or venue
- Failing to leave the premises when asked by a team member or venue representative
How we manage unreasonable, discriminatory and/or abusive behaviour
When we consider that a person’s actions or behaviour are likely to have a negative effect on our staff, volunteers or work, we will, where appropriate and possible, tell them and give them the opportunity to change their conduct.
If they continue to act or behave in a way that we consider to be unreasonable, discriminatory and/or abusive we may take any of the following actions:
- Restrict or end contact on the matter by immediately ending a phone call or in-person conversation
- Require that contact is with a specific member of staff only
- Require that contact is made via a specific method only e.g. email
- Suspend access to services for a specific period of time or permanently
- Request, where appropriate, that all future contact is made through a designated third party
- Not reply to communication
- Ban or block all future contact across different communication channels
- Report the matter to the police or appropriate governing body or take legal action. In such cases, we may not give the person prior warning.
Where appropriate and safe to do so, we will let the individual know about the action we are taking and the reason for it. This may include how long restrictions will be in place.
You will find full details of the complaints procedure below.
When making a decision, we may consider:
- How it affects our staff, volunteers and/or work
- How it affects the individual (including their personal circumstances and any reasonable adjustments)
- The extent to which we are able to engage or provide support
- The extent to which the process or subject matter has been exhausted.
Decisions may be reconsidered if the individual commits to behaving in line with our policies and procedures and:
- An agreed period of time has passed
- There is a more suitable alternative action available
- We receive evidence to explain exceptional reasons for the behaviour
The welfare of our staff, volunteers and service users is paramount, as is our ability to carry out our work safely and effectively.
Decisions will only be reconsidered, if it is evident the above will not be unreasonably and/or detrimentally impacted.
Share your feedback
We’re committed to providing high quality, inclusive and accessible services and we welcome your feedback as it helps us to understand what we are doing well and where we can learn and improve.
There are many ways to contact us, including phone, email, post, live chat, SMS, social media, Relay UK and BSL Video calls and in-person.
Our complaints process
Please follow the instructions below to tell RNID.
You should give your feedback to the RNID manager you are dealing with. If this is not possible, please email our Governance Lead: [email protected]
I want to comment on the service I have received from RNID: Please contact the person you have been dealing with.
I want to complain, what can I do: If you’re not happy with the answer we have given, or if we need to formally investigate your complaint, a formal process will start. We may ask you to give us information, in writing, to help us investigate your complaint.
When will you contact me?
Within two working days: We will write to you to tell you we have received your complaint. We will let you know the name and job title of the person responsible for investigating the complaint.
With 21 working days: We will give you a full answer and confirm our conclusions.
If you are satisfied with the conclusion, this will be the end of the feedback process. We will keep your feedback and note any changes we make as a result of our investigation. We use your comments to improve our service.
What happens if I am not satisfied?
We are sorry if you are unhappy with our answer. You can appeal by writing to the Director we identified in our letter. The Director will answer within 10 working days.
If you are still not happy, you can appeal to our Chief Executive, who will make a decision within 21 working days. This is the final stage of RNID’s process.