Our approach
At Bluesoup, we believe in treating people fairly, acting responsibly and being accountable for the impact of our business and our actions.
We welcome feedback and recognise that concerns or disagreements can sometimes arise in our work with clients, suppliers, partners and other stakeholders. We are committed to providing a clear and accessible way for anyone to raise a concern and to having it considered fairly, consistently, confidentially and as promptly as possible.
We will take every concern seriously, listen to those involved and aim to resolve issues constructively. We are also committed to protecting anyone who raises a genuine concern from retaliation or disadvantage.
1. What can I raise as a grievance?
A grievance is a formal complaint about an action, decision, behaviour or situation involving Bluesoup that you believe is unfair, inappropriate or has had a negative impact on you or others.
This may include, but is not limited to:
- The way you have been treated by someone representing Bluesoup.
- Bullying, harassment, discrimination or unfair treatment.
- Concerns about our business practices, conduct or decision-making.
- A disagreement relating to a business relationship or agreed commitments.
- Concerns about our ethical, social or environmental responsibilities.
- The impact of our activities on individuals, communities or other stakeholders.
- A concern about how a previous complaint or issue has been handled.
If you are unsure whether your concern falls within this procedure, please contact us and we will help identify the most appropriate way to address it.
2. Raising a concern informally
Where appropriate, we encourage concerns to be raised informally in the first instance. You can speak to your usual Bluesoup contact and explain what has happened and how you would like the matter to be resolved.
We will make reasonable efforts to understand your concerns and find a practical, constructive solution.
If the matter cannot be resolved informally, or is too serious or sensitive to be dealt with informally, you can raise a formal grievance.
3. Raising a formal grievance
To raise a formal grievance, please submit your complaint in writing to your usual Bluesoup contact or a member of the company's senior management team.
If your grievance concerns the person you would normally contact, please direct it to another senior member of the team.
Please make clear that you wish to raise a formal grievance and include as much relevant information as possible, such as:
- The nature of your complaint.
- Relevant dates, times and locations.
- The people or organisations involved.
- Any supporting information or evidence.
- Any steps already taken to resolve the matter.
- How you would ideally like the matter to be resolved.
We will acknowledge receipt of your formal grievance within three working days.
4. Discussion and investigation
Following receipt of your grievance, we will normally arrange a meeting or discussion with you within five working days to understand your concerns in more detail.
This will provide an opportunity for you to explain what has happened, share any supporting information and suggest how you feel the matter could be resolved.
We will consider the information provided and decide whether further investigation is necessary. This may involve speaking to relevant individuals, reviewing documents or gathering additional evidence.
We will approach any investigation objectively and give those involved a fair opportunity to provide their account.
We will also explain who needs to be involved in handling your grievance and why. Information will only be shared with those who need it to consider and resolve the matter. We will seek your consent before sharing information with additional parties, wherever appropriate and practicable.
If you are concerned that raising a grievance could lead to retaliation or disadvantage, you can request that your identity is kept confidential. We will consider this request carefully and take reasonable steps to protect your identity wherever possible. We will explain if there are circumstances in which confidentiality may be limited, for example where information is essential to a fair investigation or disclosure is required by law.
If further investigation is required, the process may take longer. We will keep you informed of relevant progress and any revised timescales.
5. Grievance outcome and resolution
Once the grievance has been considered and any necessary investigation completed, we will make a decision and communicate the outcome to you in writing, normally within five working days of the conclusion of the investigation or final discussion.
The outcome will explain:
- Whether your grievance has been upheld, partially upheld or not upheld.
- The reasons for the decision.
- Any appropriate action Bluesoup intends to take.
- How you can request a review if you are dissatisfied with the outcome.
Where appropriate, we may seek to resolve the matter through an agreed action plan, a facilitated discussion, independent mediation, changes to working arrangements or business practices, or other reasonable steps.
Where action is agreed, we will take responsibility for implementing it and, where appropriate, follow up to check that the issue has been addressed.
How to raise a grievance
To raise a grievance, please use our general Contact Us form.
