Report a concern
This is not a review form and nothing you write here will be published. Reports made here go to the Standards Committee.
Most concerns can be resolved through a conversation. Formal sanctions are for serious or repeated breaches, and removal from the register is the last of five steps that we take when responding to concerns.
Examples of Code breaches:
✓They claimed work as their own that they didn’t write, or overstated their role on it (Conduct 1.4).
✓They presented AI-generated content as their own, or were dishonest about AI use when asked (Conduct 4.2, Practice 4.3).
✓They made claims in copy they knew to be false or misleading (Conduct 3.3).
✓They broke confidentiality, or used what they learned from you elsewhere (Conduct 2.3, Practice 5.2).
✓They took work they weren’t competent to do and weren’t honest about it (Conduct 1.2, Practice 1.3).
✓They behaved unprofessionally towards a client, a colleague or another writer (Conduct 1.1, 1.3).
We can't investigate:
A dispute about quality or taste. Copy you didn’t like isn’t a breach of the Code. We don’t review work or arbitrate creative judgement.
A fee or payment dispute on its own. Unless it involves dishonesty, this is a contract matter. Small claims or mediation will get you further than we can.
Anything already with a court or regulator. We pause while another process is live, so that ours can’t prejudice it.
Someone who hasn’t signed the Code. We have no standing over non-signatories. Check the register first.
What happens after you send this
1Raise a concern.You complete this form with any supporting evidence. We acknowledge it within two working days.
2Initial review.The Standards Committee reviews it against the Code. Concerns that are vexatious, malicious or made in bad faith may be dismissed without investigation.
3Response.The signatory is told what has been raised and given a fair opportunity to respond with their own account and evidence.
4Decision.The Committee decides whether the Code has been breached and what outcome is proportionate.
5Appeal.Either party may appeal in writing within 20 working days. Appeals go to a separate panel, and their decision is final.
The outcomes available
The Committee picks what’s proportionate. The aim is to raise standards, not to punish — where a breach reflects a gap in knowledge, we point people at guidance instead.
1Constructive conversationA private discussion and, where useful, a pointer to relevant guidance. The typical outcome for a first, minor breach.
2Request to amend practiceA formal request to change a specific practice, sometimes with a follow-up review.
3Formal warningA recorded warning that a breach has occurred and repetition may lead to suspension or removal.
4SuspensionThe record is marked as suspended while a case is open, and the badge stops being valid. A suspension is not a finding, and it expires automatically after 30 days unless reviewed.
5Removal from the registerPermanent removal, and the only outcome we publish. Reserved for the most serious or repeated breaches.
Safeguards, both ways
Protection against misuse
Complaints that appear vexatious, malicious or made in bad faith may be dismissed without investigation. Repeated misuse may bar someone from the process.
Confidentiality for both parties
Your identity is protected unless disclosure is necessary for a fair process. Both parties are expected to keep the matter confidential.
A right of appeal
Every decision can be appealed within 20 working days to a panel independent of the original one.
Conflict-of-interest checks
Committee members with any connection to a case recuse themselves from reviewing it.
Your concern
Take your time over “what happened” — a clear account with dates does more for your case than strong language.