Unacceptable behaviour policy

Guidelines for maintaining a safe and respectful environment

ScreenSkills is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. It is an industry-led organisation that articulates the voice of the UK screen-based industry on the skills and training of the UK workforce.

ScreenSkills is committed to being open and accessible and we welcome all
comments on our work and the service we provide. We strive to provide the very highest standards of professionalism and customer service.

Introduction

This policy aims to define unacceptable behaviour within our organisation and to set out procedures for addressing incidents, so as to ensure a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all staff and those associated with our services.

This policy is intended to assist everyone in managing unacceptable behaviour.

The vast majority of people who we engage with act entirely reasonably. Occasionally, individuals may act inappropriately towards our staff or those associated with our services. Our staff and those we deal with always deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect, and so if frustration or upset on any issue turns into unreasonable behaviour, we will take action to manage it.

Application of this policy

This policy applies to:

All areas of our work whether provided in person or provided online
All our people: our staff, our trainers, and any third-party agents or organisations providing training on our behalf anyone who contacts us
All methods of contact including telephone, face to face, letters, emails, socialmedia and other digital channels
Any content shared in user-to-user features such as forums, chat, group
messaging, discussion boards and comments

Our approach

Our people will make clear their expectations of individuals in terms of behaviours, which should help to avoid any individual behaving in a way that is not acceptable.

We will identify those situations in which an individual might be behaving unacceptably and suggest ways of responding which are fair to both our people and the individual.

We recognise that handling unacceptable behaviour by individuals places a great strain on time and resources and can cause undue stress for both the individual and our people who may need extra support.

An individual who behaves in a way that is unacceptable will be provided with a response to their genuine grievances. In some cases, it will be helpful to provide the individual with the links to our complaints policy. In other cases, it may be helpful to provide details of any relevant organisations that may be able to assist them. However, there can be times when there is nothing further which can reasonably be done to assist the individual or to rectify a real or perceived problem.

Before we make any decisions under this policy, we will look at what has happened and consider the individual’s circumstances. If we decide to take action to manage unreasonable behaviour, we will let the individual know why.

Aggressive or abusive behaviour

It is unacceptable for our people to experience aggressive or abusive behaviour while at work or undertaking any of the services we offer. We will not accept or tolerate behaviour that we consider to be violent, insulting or threatening, such as:

Offensive language
Any form of discrimination
Inflammatory statements, which are intended to upset someone or make them angry
Any threat of physical violence
Persistent disruptive behaviour
Malicious communication, for example indecent, offensive or threatening letters, emails or articles, or any online content intended to upset the person receiving them
Unlawful or unethical acts
Bullying harassment or intimidation, including online harassment
Seeking to contact our people outside of the working environment
Obtaining personal information through social media channels to intimidate our people
Recording meetings or calls without the prior knowledge and consent of the other parties involved.

Unreasonable demands

We will always help individuals understand what they can expect from our service. But if an individual makes unreasonable demands, that may mean we cannot provide the service we want.

Examples of unreasonable demands include:

Insisting on a response or action within an unreasonable time
Insisting on speaking to someone who we have explained is not the right person
Refusing to accept a decision made in relation to an application or provision of a service
Seeking to prolong contact by changing the substance of an existing complaint or raising the same issues with different staff while the complaint is being addressed
Refusing to accept that any relevant complaints process has been fully completed.

Excessive or inappropriate levels of contac

If an individual contacts us too often it can affect our ability to do our job well.

Examples of excessive or inappropriate levels of contact include:

Making the same request a number of times or to several members of our people without good reason
Repeated phone calls or contact online or through emails or letters or calls when we have already given a response or we have set expectations about when to expect a response
Pretending to be someone else, for example, a personal or professional representative
Unreasonable and persistent use of our service complaint process

Reporting and Investigation

All incidents of unreasonable behaviour should be reported promptly to a line manager or the Human Resources department. Reports will be investigated impartially, maintaining confidentiality as far as possible.

Actions we might take

Where we find the behaviour and demands of an individual to be unreasonable, we will consider whether we need to take more formal action. The action taken may include one or more of the following steps; the action taken will depend on the nature and severity of the conduct, and action taken is the absolute discretion of ScreenSkills:

Explaining to the individual why we think their behaviour is unreasonable and what action we might take if it continues
Informing the individual that we are stopping communication about a particular issue or question that we feel we have already responded to or answered
Informing the individual that we are stopping communication by phone and only making contact in writing
Informing the individual that we are stopping any direct communication and will only communicate through a representative
Setting out that any future correspondence or contact will be acknowledged but not answered.
Deciding that an individual must apply for written permission in advance of attending any event whether online or in person
Deciding that an individual must apply for written permission in order to apply for access to training, programmes, opportunities or services offered
Where behaviour is deemed vexatious or serious, or where an individual has not complied with a previous action, this may include banning an individual from engaging with the charity, including attendance at events, either online or in person, and access to training, programmes, opportunities or services offered on a temporary or permanent basis
Notifying relevant public authorities, including Ofcom or the police, and taking further action if necessary.

Support and guidance

Support is available for anyone affected by unreasonable behaviour. We encourage open communication and provide resources and guidance to resolve issues constructively, including access to safeguarding and online safety support where appropriate.

Resuming regular interaction

It is possible that individuals will cease behaving unacceptably after we have taken action. The individual may demonstrate a more reasonable approach or submit a further complaint for which the normal complaints process would appear appropriate.

In such cases, our people will use discretion and may recommend that the action we have put in place to deal with the unacceptable behaviour no longer applies.

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its effectiveness and relevance, and updates made as necessary.

Dated September 2026
Approved by Matt Fox, Interim Chief Operating Officer
Review date September 2027