Grievance Policy

Sussex Impact Pathway is committed to operating responsibly, ethically, and transparently. We welcome feedback and concerns from anyone impacted by our business activities and are committed to addressing them fairly and promptly.

Grounds for Accepting a Grievance

Grievances may be submitted where a stakeholder believes Sussex Impact Pathway has caused, contributed to, or is directly linked with:

  • Environmental harm

  • Social or community harm

  • Unethical or irresponsible business practices

  • Breaches of our policies

Grievances that fall outside of these grounds will be dealt with our Co-Founders in line with our usual feedback mechanisms.

Scope

This procedure is open to all stakeholders equally. The same procedure applies to all groups, unless stated otherwise.

How to Raise a Concern

Concerns can be raised in the following ways:

When raising a grievance please include:

  • Name and contact details

  • Are you acting on behalf of another person/organisation? If yes please provide evidence of your authority to do so.

  • Would you like your submission to remain confidential?

  • Against whom is the grievance being raised?

  • What is the grievance issue? Please provide a clear and concise summary of the key facts and an outline of events.

  • Have you already raised the issue with the company? If yes in what form? What response did the company provide?

  • What resolution are you seeking?

Process for Handling Concerns

  • All grievances will be acknowledged within five working days.

  • Concerns will be reviewed by Co-Founder Ella Turner.

  • Investigations will be carried out fairly and impartially.

  • Confidentiality will be respected throughout, unless disclosure is legally required.

Protection from Retaliation

Sussex Impact Pathway will take steps to protect any stakeholder who raises a grievance from retaliation, negative treatment, or disadvantage. This includes:

  • Allowing stakeholders to request their identities remain confidential if they anticipate retaliation.

  • Clearly informing stakeholders at the outset about who will need to be involved or informed.

  • Seeking consent before sharing information with additional parties.

  • Maintaining confidentiality regarding the outcome of the process.

  • Providing training for staff handling grievances on confidentiality and anti-retaliation principles.

  • Enforcing disciplinary action in cases of confidentiality breaches.

  • Collaborating with independent third parties where necessary to assess risks for vulnerable stakeholders.

Resolution and Response

We will aim to provide a response within 30 days of receiving the concern. Sussex Impact Pathway will respond to grievances by either:

  • Regularly communicating each step in the resolution process and its outcome to the complainant, which may include updates on the decision-making process, timelines for review, scope of grievances accepted, the resolution management approach, corrective or preventative action, and further dialogue.

  • Then confirming when the grievance has been resolved; or
    Explaining why the issue has not been accepted as a grievance.

Monitoring and Reporting

Sussex Impact Pathway will keep a record of all grievances received and annually review this information to improve our practices. 

Monitoring and Reporting

This procedure will be reviewed every 3 years to ensure it remains effective and aligned with our values. Ella Turner is the senior leader responsible for reviewing this policy.

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