Enforcement and Accountability
How we uphold professional standards
Overview
The Copywriter Code exists to support a culture of professionalism, learning and trust — not to be punitive or bureaucratic. When concerns arise about a member's conduct, we focus first on dialogue, understanding and resolution.
Important: This process exists to uphold professional standards and protect the reputation of our community. It is not a legal or regulatory process, and does not replace legal action where appropriate.
ProCopywriters is a professional membership body, not a regulatory authority.
Most concerns can be resolved through conversation and learning. Formal sanctions are reserved for serious or repeated breaches where a member shows disregard for professional standards.
Self-declaration
All Pro+ members subscribe to The Copywriter Code and agree to uphold its principles. This is a public commitment that appears on their member profile:
By displaying this statement, members signal to clients and colleagues that they take professional standards seriously and accept accountability for their conduct.
Raising concerns
Anyone may raise concerns about potential breaches of the Code — whether you're a client, colleague, collaborator, or member of the public.
How to raise a concern
- Concerns must be submitted in writing using our online form or by email
- You'll receive acknowledgement within 5 working days
- Complaints must relate to professional practice, not personal disagreements
Anonymous reports
We discourage anonymous reports because they make it harder to investigate concerns fairly. However, we don't exclude them entirely — if you have genuine concerns about identifying yourself, we'll consider your report on its merits.
Review and resolution
The Standards Committee (or a designated review panel) reviews all complaints. Our focus is on reflection, learning and resolution — not punishment.
The process
- Member response The member is invited to respond to concerns within 10 working days.
- Review The panel reviews the complaint and response, focusing on understanding what happened and why.
- Resolution Where appropriate, we recommend mediation, mentoring or CPD rather than sanctions.
- Outcome The review is normally completed within 20 working days of receiving the member's response.
Examples of proportionate outcomes
- A request to amend misleading website claims
- A constructive conversation about scope creep or undercutting
- A recommendation to complete a relevant CPD module or ethics refresher
Escalation
If a breach poses reputational risk to the profession or shows disregard for the Code, we may take more formal action:
- ProCopywriters may suspend or revoke Pro+ status
- Members may be removed from directory listings
- In rare cases, a formal warning or permanent delisting may occur
Appeals can be made in writing within 20 working days and will be reviewed by a second panel. Appeal decisions are final.
What constitutes a serious breach
More likely to be serious
- Deliberate misrepresentation of qualifications, experience or credentials
- Plagiarism or passing off AI-generated content as original work
- Breach of client confidentiality or data protection obligations
- Creating content that is illegal, discriminatory or harmful
- Repeated minor breaches after previous warnings
- Conduct that brings the profession into disrepute
More likely to be minor
- A first-time, isolated incident
- Genuine misunderstanding of requirements
- Prompt acknowledgement and willingness to put things right
- Limited or no harm to clients, colleagues or the profession
Interim measures
In cases involving allegations of serious harm or ongoing risk, ProCopywriters may temporarily suspend a member's Pro+ status and directory listing while the complaint is investigated.
The member will be notified of the reasons and given an opportunity to respond before any interim measure is applied. Interim suspension does not imply a finding of wrongdoing.
Reinstatement
Members whose Pro+ status has been suspended or revoked may apply for reinstatement after a minimum period of six months.
What we look for
Applications should demonstrate:
- Understanding of why the original breach was problematic
- Steps taken to address the issues (such as relevant CPD or changed practices)
- A renewed commitment to the Code of Practice
Reinstatement is not automatic and will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Standards Committee.
Confidentiality
All complaints are handled confidentially.
The identity of the complainant will not be disclosed to the member without consent, unless necessary for a fair process (for example, where the complaint cannot be properly investigated without revealing the source).
Both parties are expected to maintain confidentiality during the process. Any public statements about ongoing complaints may be treated as a separate breach of the Code.
Protection against misuse
The complaints process exists to uphold professional standards, not to settle personal disputes or harm competitors.
Complaints that appear vexatious, malicious or made in bad faith may be dismissed without investigation. Repeated misuse of the complaints process may result in the complainant being barred from submitting further complaints.
The Standards Committee
The Standards Committee is a group of volunteer members appointed by ProCopywriters to oversee professional standards.
Committee membership
Committee members:
- Must be Pro+ members in good standing
- Serve for a renewable term of two years
- Must declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from relevant cases
A review panel will consist of at least two Committee members. Where a conflict of interest exists, ProCopywriters may appoint an independent reviewer.
Record keeping
Records of complaints and outcomes are retained for five years from the date of resolution.
Records are stored securely and accessed only by those involved in administering the process. Members may request access to records held about them, subject to any necessary redactions to protect third-party confidentiality.
Transparency and learning
Each year, ProCopywriters publishes an anonymised report summarising:
- The number of complaints received and their general nature
- Common themes from complaints or breaches
- Lessons learned and actions taken
- Any changes made to the Code as a result
This helps our community learn from issues that arise and demonstrates our commitment to accountability.
Report a concern
If you have concerns about a ProCopywriters member's professional conduct, you can raise them with us confidentially.