Appeals process
New applicants & certified clients of SCUK have the right to appeal against any certification decision by SCUK, relating to the applicant organisation or certified client. Appeals shall be subject to a full investigation by an ‘independent person’ and shall not result in any discriminatory action against the appellant.
Note 1: An independent person is someone who has had no direct involvement with the audit or certification of the relevant appellant in the calendar year preceding the submission of the appeal, including the audit or certification that is the subject of the appeal.
Note 2: Investigations shall take into account results of similar appeals.
Appeals Procedure
Any client or applicant organisation of SOCOTEC Certification UK Ltd (SCUK) is entitled to appeal any decision relating to the certification process conducted by SCUK. The Appeals process is the mechanism to have the decision in question independently and impartially reviewed and shall not result in any discriminatory action against the appellant.
The following guidance is designed to assist you in making an Appeal and to ensure we follow the right steps.
The appeals process consists of three stages:
- Notification
In most instances we will probably be aware of your concern and wish to register an Appeal. We do require the appellant to formally submit the appeal in writing detailing the background to and the reasons for the appeal. We will acknowledge receipt of the appeal and anticipated timeframe for completion, where this may exceeded we will keep you updated with progress.
- Investigation
The person assigned and responsible for the appeal, conducting the investigation and provisional decision shall be independent (meaning no direct involvement with the audit or certification of the appellant within the last twelve months prior to the receipt of the appeal including the audit or certification decision forming the basis of the appeal).
- Outcome
The outcome of the investigation and provisional decision shall be reviewed and approved by the SCUK Operations Director prior to communication to the appellant. In order to ensure impartiality, the outcome of the investigation and provisional decision will be reviewed with an independent Appeals Panel of SCUK. The Appeal Panel makes recommendations that are implemented by SCUK. The recommendations will address the decision itself and may also highlight improvements to avoid a recurrence.
Upon completion of the investigation and a compliant impartiality review, the outcome shall be formally communicated to the appellant.
In the instance where the appellant wishes to challenge the decision of the appeals investigation, an additional appeal may be submitted to the SCUK Operations Director.
Complaints
Any interested party has the right to make a complaint to SOCOTEC Certification UK Ltd (SCUK) in regards to its certification activities or its clients. We have a clearly defined process for dealing with complaints and we wish to resolve concerns as soon as possible. Submissions, investigations and decision making in handling and closing complaints shall not result in any discriminatory actions against the complainant.
The following guidance is designed to assist you in making a complaint and to ensure we follow the right steps.
The complaints process consists of three stages:
- Notification
We will need full details of what the complaint is about in writing together with any relevant evidence to support the complaint, including your contact details. We will acknowledge receipt of the complaint and anticipated timeframe for completion, where this may be exceeded we will keep you updated with progress.
- Investigation
We will carry out an investigation looking into the details of what happened and the proposed resolution to remedy the situation. Any complaint relating to a client shall be referred to the organisation for comment and, where necessary, corrective action.
- Outcome
The outcome of the investigation and proposed resolution shall be reviewed and approved by the SCUK Operations Director prior to communication to the complainant.
Upon completion of the investigation and a complaint review, the outcome will be formally communicated to the complainant.
