Stage 1 – Enquiry
- Make sure you are familiar with the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Check the individual is in current CIOL membership. You can do this by using the Member Check facility.
- If the individual is in membership, complete the online eligibility check (via the link to the form at the end of this page) to determine whether or not there is a potential case to investigate.
- All complaints must be submitted by using the online Referral Form which is accessed after the eligibility check. Please note that you will be asked to specify which section or sections of the Code you feel have been breached.
- You must be able to supply evidence to support the allegation. This might be in the form of emails, statements and other relevant information, which you will be asked to upload as part of the submission. Hearsay will not be accepted as evidence.
- You are asked to cross-reference the evidence to the area of the Code it relates to. Failure to do so may result in our ability to progress the complaint being delayed.
Confidentiality
All information supplied to CIOL will be treated in confidence, but it will need to be shared with those progressing the enquiry (and any subsequent investigation) ultimately including the member about whom you are making a complaint. We are not able to progress anonymous complaints and in order to progress any subsequent information we will need to identify from whom the allegation has come. All parties included in the process are expected to treat all information as confidential and to not disclose any aspect of the allegation to any other person.
Stage 2 – Referral
On receipt of the Referral Form CIOL will review the allegations and the evidence supplied. The Executive Officer and/or Head of Membership, in conjunction with the Chief Executive will determine whether the allegation:
- Should be referred for investigation to a Professional Conduct Panel in whole or in part
- Stay on hold awaiting the completion of parallel proceedings
- Cannot be referred for one or more of the following reasons:
- The submission is incomplete or unclear
- The allegations are inadmissible as the evidence provided has not clearly supported the alleged breach
- The allegations do not refer to specific behaviours or actions covered by the Code
- The allegations fall outside CIOL’s remit
If the alleged breaches are not referred for investigation, you will be advised accordingly. This will normally bring the process to a close and no record will be held against the member’s record (the member will only normally be notified if the complaint is referred for investigation). CIOL’s decision at this stage will be final.
Stage 3 – Investigation, decisions and disciplinary action
If it is determined that the allegation has met the threshold to proceed to the investigation stage, this will normally be conducted by a Professional Conduct Panel (PCP) appointed as directed by CIOL Council. If the allegation is referred (in whole or in part), the member concerned will be notified. The member will be sent the allegation and supporting evidence and will be given the right to reply.
The PCP will assess the referral which will include:
- The original complaint and evidence
- Any additional evidence sought by CIOL at Stage 2
- The response from the member (as applicable)
- The subsequent response from the complainant (as applicable)
The PCP may seek further information, via the Executive Officer or Head of Membership, from you or the member and may also seek evidence or clarification from any other appropriate source(s). The PCP will normally conduct its business by email or videoconference e.g. Zoom, Teams, Skype.
Following completion of the investigation the Executive Officer/Head of Membership will receive a summary report from the PCP with one of the following recommendations:
- The allegation(s) should be dismissed for one (or more) of the following reasons:
- There is insufficient evidence to support the allegation
- The allegation is deemed to fall outside or misuse the professional conduct procedures
- The allegation does not justify further action
- Where the PCP determines that there is sufficient evidence to support the allegation that there has been a breach, but has also determined that the issue does not warrant a full disciplinary sanction, it may advise the member as to their future conduct and or direct the member to apologise to the complainant. The PCP’s decision at this stage is final
Where there is clear evidence that the Code has been breached, disciplinary sanctions will be considered by the PCP. The PCP will reach a conclusion on the seriousness of the breach and agree the the sanction to be applied. The range of sanctions available include (but are not limited to):
- Advising the member about their future conduct
- Asking the member to satisfy certain conditions
- Suspending membership
- Suspending chartership
- Expulsion from membership (and the register of Chartered Linguists as applicable)
- If deemed in the public interest or the interests of the profession, publishing details of the allegations and the sanction(s) applied on the CIOL website.
Withdrawals
Q: Can you withdraw the allegation/complaint?
- You may withdraw the allegation at any time. However, if CIOL has commenced the investigation, it may choose to continue with the process.
Q: Can the member resign during the process?
- Yes, but the investigation will continue and if the allegation is upheld full details may be published on the CIOL website.
Q: What happens if the member does not engage with the process, fails to respond or does not attend the hearing?
- The investigation and conduct proceedings will continue as outlined above.
Appeals
You and the member will have the right to appeal the decision of the PCP, in regard to the outcome or the sanction imposed. The appeal must include sufficient detail to enable it to be assessed. New evidence may be submitted by either party at this stage.
The appeal will be heard by a Disciplinary Appeals Panel (DAP) who shall be appointed as directed by CIOL Council. The decision of the DAP will be final.
Next Steps
- Eligibility check
- Referral Form (accessible online once the Eligibilty Check has been completed)
