This page provides guidance about when we can and when we cannot deal with your complaint.

Our UK-SBA Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct is our main process for considering complaints about poor or unethical practice by a UK-SBA member.

We can deal with complaints about:

• Behaviour analytic service provided by a named UK-SBA registrant
• Concerns over a registrant’s general conduct - for example if the registrant has been convicted of a crime or is said to have behaved inappropriately.

We can’t deal with complaints about:

• Individuals or organisations who weren’t UK-SBA registrants at the time of the event
• Any matters of a legal nature or claims for compensation
• Contractual matters or matters relating to fee levels
• We can’t deal with complaints that the Complaints Secretary and other board members consulted deem, after careful consideration, to be vexatious or frivolous – i.e. made to cause annoyance and with no serious purpose or value, or are a repeat of a complaint already dealt with previously by the UK-SBA and containing no new or material information.
• Complaints which we deem serious enough to raise with authorities other than the UK-SBA.

We can accept complaints from:

• Named consumers (anonymous complaints cannot be accepted)
• a consumer’s representative
• a representative for an adult who lacks mental capacity

If you are making a complaint on behalf of someone else, we may need their consent to consider the complaint.

Timescales

We must receive complaints within 1 year of the event you're complaining about, unless there are good reasons why it has taken longer.

What action we can take

Our aim is to ensure that registrants address the poor practice that leads to complaints. If a complaint is upheld then, depending upon the seriousness of the issue, possible sanctions include:

• A period of training in a specified area
• A referral to an appropriate supervisor for additional support
• Period of probation supervised by an appropriate supervisor
• Removal from the Register

(See Possible Sanctions for further details)

If a registrant fails or refuses to comply with sanctions, we may withdraw their membership and publish that fact.

The UK-SBA can take the actions above, and publish them, but cannot stop a practitioner from continuing to practise or help you to get financial compensation.