CONTACT AND SUPPORT

Getting guidance, requesting support, and raising concerns

Contact and Support is the central Commons route for people who need guidance, assistance, an alternative participation route, clarification, problem resolution, or a way to raise a concern.

It is available to public visitors, registered non-members, Individual Members, Institutional Members, authorized representatives, Community Group participants, Working Space participants, volunteers, contributors, authors, reviewers, editors, researchers, providers, partners, funders, sponsors, event participants, Repository users, and other people engaging with the Commons.

Contact and Support should help people identify the right route, understand relevant conditions, access appropriate support, resolve practical issues, and raise concerns safely and responsibly.

It is not only a general contact page.

It is a structured support and triage route through which the Commons may receive, acknowledge, assess, direct, respond to, record, protect, escalate, review, and close enquiries and concerns.

GET GUIDANCE OR ASK A QUESTION

Use Contact and Support if you are unsure where to begin, need help using the Commons, cannot find the right route, or need clarification about a page, process, event, application, Membership, Group, Working Space, publication, Repository record, Partnership, funding arrangement, or another Commons activity.

Contact and Support

REQUEST ACCESSIBILITY OR PARTICIPATION SUPPORT

Use this route if you need an alternative format, accessible form, communication support, translation, interpretation, captioning, transcription, accessible event arrangements, a reasonable adjustment, or another form of support to participate meaningfully.

Request accessibility or participation support

RAISE A CONCERN OR MAKE A COMPLAINT

Use this route if you have a concern about conduct, safeguarding, discrimination, privacy, data, confidentiality, access, research integrity, editorial independence, a conflict of interest, funding, sponsorship, Partnership activity, a Community Group, Working Space, event, project, publication, Repository record, or another Commons matter.

Raise a concern or make a complaint

You may use Contact and Support if you:

• Are unsure which Commons route is appropriate
• Need help using a page, form, account, system, service, event platform, or resource
• Need information about public access, registration, Membership, Community Groups, Working Spaces, Critical Issues, Events and Learning, research, publication, Repository activity, Partnerships, funding, sponsorship, volunteering, or Calls and Opportunities
• Cannot access a form, page, resource, event, or service through the standard route
• Need an accessible, alternative, translated, interpreted, or otherwise supported participation route
• Need help before applying, submitting, joining, contributing, attending, depositing, publishing, volunteering, seeking access, or making an enquiry
• Need support relating to payment, expenses, honoraria, Membership, event registration, a Call or Opportunity, a role, or another approved activity
• Need guidance on privacy, data, confidentiality, intellectual property, authorship, attribution, access restrictions, or Repository permissions
• Wish to make a Partnership, External Collaboration, funding, sponsorship, donation, grant, provider, or support enquiry
• Need to raise a concern about conduct, harassment, discrimination, safeguarding, privacy, data, access, conflicts of interest, research integrity, editorial independence, peer review, funding, sponsorship, Partnership activity, a Community Group, Working Space, event, project, publication, Repository record, or another Commons matter
• Wish to make a complaint, request a review, provide feedback, or report a problem

HOW THE COMMONS CAN HELP

The Commons may provide guidance, information, practical assistance, signposting, reasonable adjustments, routing, escalation, and support in relation to eligible Commons activity.

Contact and Support may help you:

• Understand the purpose of the Commons
• Identify whether public access, registered non-member access, Individual Membership, Institutional Membership, Community Group participation, Working Space access, a Call, an Event Proposal, a Commission Request, a Partnership enquiry, or another route is appropriate
• Find the correct page, form, process, guidance, event, Call, policy, record, or contact route
• Access information in an alternative format where appropriate
• Request participation support or reasonable adjustments
• Resolve account, registration, profile, communication, access, event, submission, or system issues
• Understand the conditions of a Community Group, Working Space, event, Call, role, project, publication, Repository item, Partnership, or funding arrangement
• Clarify an application, submission, Membership, role, publication, Repository, research, or event process
• Raise a concern or make a complaint
• Seek support when an issue affects your participation, access, safety, dignity, privacy, or ability to contribute
• Be referred to the appropriate Commons authority, process, or external service where necessary

The Commons may not be able to provide specialist legal, medical, mental-health, financial, immigration, employment, emergency, or other professional advice unless it has expressly stated that such a service is available.

Where appropriate, the Commons may provide general information, explain relevant Commons processes, or direct a person to a more appropriate support route.

TYPES OF ENQUIRY

Contact and Support may receive different kinds of enquiry.

Public access and account support

You may seek help to:

• Find public Commons knowledge and resources
• Create or use an account
• Register for an event
• Access a public or Member resource
• Update account or communication information
• Understand access conditions
• Resolve a technical issue
• Find an alternative route where a standard online process is not accessible

Membership support

You may seek guidance about:

• Individual Membership
• Institutional Membership
• Eligibility
• Application requirements
• Fees, reduced rates, bursaries, waivers, or access support
• Authorized institutional representatives
• Membership access and permissions
• Renewal, review, suspension, or ending Membership
• Membership records, communication, privacy, or account information

Community Group and Working Space support

You may seek guidance about:

• Finding a relevant Community Group
• Joining an eligible Community Group
• Understanding Group participation conditions
• Access to Group events, discussion, consultation, resources, or activity
• Working Space access
• Working Space roles, invitations, permissions, confidentiality, data, or project conditions
• Community Group conduct, moderation, participation, access, or support concerns
• Starting or suggesting a Community Group, Working Space, or related activity

Critical Issues support

You may seek guidance about:

• Finding a relevant Critical Issue
• Suggesting a Critical Issue
• Contributing evidence, professional knowledge, community knowledge, lived experience, resources, questions, or ideas
• Identifying related Community Groups, Events and Learning activity, research, publications, Repository records, Partnerships, or Calls and Opportunities
• Raising concerns about the framing, handling, participation, or representation of a Critical Issue

Events and Learning support

You may seek help to:

• Find an event, workshop, seminar, webinar, training activity, or learning resource
• Register for an eligible event
• Request accessibility, interpretation, captioning, translation, venue, digital, communication, or participation support
• Clarify event access, recording, photography, streaming, transcription, publication, privacy, confidentiality, or conduct arrangements
• Suggest an event, workshop, learning activity, or Event Proposal
• Volunteer, contribute, speak, facilitate, chair, moderate, train, or support an event
• Raise a concern about an event, contributor, facilitator, participant, partner, sponsor, recording, access arrangement, or other aspect of activity

Volunteer and Contributor support

You may seek guidance about:

• Volunteer and Contributor Opportunities
• Eligibility and application processes
• Role descriptions, time commitments, agreements, induction, training, supervision, support, expenses, payment, honoraria, recognition, or attribution
• Community contribution and lived-experience participation
• Confidentiality, data, safeguarding, conduct, conflicts of interest, intellectual property, or access conditions
• Withdrawing from a role
• Raising a concern about a role, selection process, treatment, supervision, access arrangement, payment, recognition, or other issue

Calls and Opportunities support

You may seek guidance about:

• Current Calls and Opportunities
• Eligibility
• Application, submission, nomination, proposal, or expression-of-interest requirements
• Deadlines, extensions, amendments, or closure
• Accessibility, participation support, or reasonable adjustments
• Assessment and selection processes
• Feedback, outcome communication, review, or appeal
• Payment, expenses, funding, honoraria, provider terms, or other conditions
• Privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, data, safeguarding, or conflicts-of-interest requirements

Research support

You may seek guidance about:

• Commissioned Research
• Commission Requests
• Concept Notes
• Research opportunities
• Provider opportunities
• Research participation
• Research governance
• Research integrity
• Data, ethics, safeguarding, confidentiality, consent, access, dissemination, preservation, or project conditions
• Research outputs and Repository deposit
• Raising a concern about a research process, project, provider, participant arrangement, finding, report, or other research matter

Journal Publication support

You may seek guidance about:

• Journal scope and author guidance
• Manuscript submission
• Publication status and review processes
• Editorial, reviewer, author, or contributor opportunities
• Citation, authorship, attribution, licensing, permissions, correction, retraction, or publication concerns
• Raising a concern about editorial independence, peer review, conflicts of interest, publication ethics, conduct, or another Journal matter

Repository support

You may seek guidance about:

• Finding, accessing, citing, or using Repository material
• Repository deposit
• Metadata
• Licensing
• Access conditions
• Restricted, embargoed, controlled-access, redacted, or metadata-only records
• Preservation
• Version status
• Copyright, ownership, consent, confidentiality, data, cultural, ethical, or legal requirements
• Requesting access to eligible restricted material
• Raising a concern about a Repository record, metadata, access condition, attribution, copyright, privacy, data, or preservation issue

Partnership and External Collaboration support

You may seek guidance about:

• External Collaboration
• Formal Partnerships
• Collaboration Confirmations
• Partnership enquiries
• Co-hosting
• Co-commissioning
• Joint research
• Shared learning or events
• Data collaboration
• Community engagement
• Repository, archive, preservation, dissemination, or programme-development activity
• Agreements, roles, conflicts of interest, independence, governance, data, intellectual property, communications, review, suspension, or closure

Funding, Sponsorship, and Support enquiries

You may seek guidance about:

• Grants
• Donations
• Sponsorship
• Institutional contributions
• In-kind support
• Technical support
• Venue support
• Translation, accessibility, training, research, Repository, or preservation support
• Funding proposals
• Support conditions
• Acknowledgment and branding
• Independence safeguards
• Conflicts of interest
• Financial, reporting, agreement, review, return, or closure arrangements

ACCESSIBILITY, PARTICIPATION, AND REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS

The Commons should make reasonable efforts to ensure that people can access information, services, events, opportunities, support routes, and participation pathways.

You may use Contact and Support to request or discuss:

• Information in an alternative format
• Accessible forms or an alternative application route
• Support with digital access
• Captioning, transcription, interpretation, translation, or sign-language support where available and appropriate
• Accessible event venues, seating, travel information, or participation arrangements
• Online or hybrid participation options where available
• Extended or alternative arrangements for a Call, application, submission, consultation, or event where appropriate
• Communication support
• Adjustments related to disability, health, neurodiversity, sensory needs, mobility, cognition, communication, caring responsibilities, financial barriers, language, location, time zone, digital access, or another relevant participation need
• Support relating to community participation or lived-experience contribution

The Commons should consider accessibility and support needs early.

A person should not be required to disclose more personal, medical, financial, family, cultural, or other sensitive information than is necessary to understand and respond to a support request.

The Commons may not be able to provide every requested adjustment. Where this occurs, it should explain the position appropriately and consider whether another reasonable route, format, arrangement, or source of support is available.

RAISING A CONCERN OR MAKING A COMPLAINT

You may use Contact and Support to raise a concern or make a complaint relating to Commons activity.

A concern may relate to:

• Conduct, harassment, bullying, discrimination, intimidation, coercion, or inappropriate behaviour
• Safeguarding or participant welfare
• Privacy, data protection, confidentiality, information security, or unauthorized disclosure
• Access restrictions or inappropriate access
• A Community Group or Working Space
• An event, learning activity, recording, facilitator, speaker, moderator, contributor, participant, partner, sponsor, or access arrangement
• A volunteer or contributor role
• A Call or Opportunity
• Research integrity, research conduct, research participation, research data, research findings, or research governance
• Journal editorial independence, peer review, publication ethics, authorship, attribution, correction, retraction, or publication conduct
• Repository access, deposit, metadata, copyright, licensing, preservation, privacy, or record accuracy
• Membership
• A Partnership, External Collaboration, sponsor, funder, donor, provider, or supporter
• A conflict of interest
• Financial, sponsorship, funding, procurement, provider-selection, or fair-process concerns
• Another serious concern relating to the Commons

The Commons should take concerns seriously and handle them fairly, proportionately, respectfully, and confidentially where appropriate.

A concern may be referred to a more specific process, such as a safeguarding route, privacy or data-protection route, Membership review, editorial process, research-integrity process, complaints process, financial review, Partnership review, or another appropriate authority.

Contact and Support should not be used to make knowingly false, malicious, discriminatory, abusive, defamatory, retaliatory, or vexatious allegations.

The Commons should distinguish between a good-faith concern, legitimate disagreement, a request for review, a complaint, an appeal, and inappropriate misuse of the support route.

SAFEGUARDING AND URGENT CONCERNS

The Commons should provide a route for raising safeguarding concerns relating to its activities, participants, events, Groups, Working Spaces, projects, research, volunteers, contributors, staff, partners, or other relevant people.

A safeguarding concern may involve actual or potential harm, abuse, exploitation, neglect, coercion, intimidation, unsafe conduct, inappropriate boundaries, risk to a child or vulnerable person, or another serious welfare concern.

If there is an immediate or urgent risk to life, safety, or wellbeing, contact the relevant emergency services, urgent health service, local safeguarding authority, or other appropriate emergency support before or in addition to contacting the Commons.

The Commons is not an emergency-response service.

It may not be able to provide immediate crisis intervention, medical support, legal representation, emergency accommodation, security, or urgent safeguarding intervention.

Where a safeguarding concern is raised, the Commons should:

• Take the concern seriously
• Record sufficient information to understand the concern
• Avoid promising absolute confidentiality
• Share information only where necessary, authorized, lawful, and proportionate
• Escalate the matter to the appropriate safeguarding authority or responsible person
• Consider immediate steps needed to reduce risk
• Support affected people appropriately within the limits of its role and capacity
• Maintain appropriate records
• Act in accordance with applicable safeguarding, privacy, legal, ethical, and institutional requirements

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN AN ENQUIRY OR CONCERN

You do not need to provide every detail before making contact.

However, it may help the Commons respond if you include:

• Your name and preferred contact details, if you are comfortable providing them
• Whether you are a public visitor, registered non-member, Member, authorized representative, Group participant, Working Space participant, volunteer, contributor, author, reviewer, provider, partner, funder, sponsor, event participant, or another type of user
• The relevant page, Group, Working Space, event, Call, project, publication, Repository record, Membership, Partnership, funding arrangement, or other Commons activity
• A clear description of your question, request, issue, concern, or complaint
• Relevant dates, times, links, records, reference numbers, screenshots, correspondence, or other information where available
• The support, information, clarification, review, adjustment, action, or outcome you are seeking
• Any relevant accessibility, communication, language, privacy, confidentiality, safeguarding, or safety needs
• Whether you believe the matter is urgent
• Whether you have already contacted another Commons route or authority

Do not include unnecessary personal information about yourself or another person.

Do not send confidential, sensitive, restricted, personal, research, commercial, legal, safeguarding, culturally protected, or otherwise sensitive material unless the Commons has provided an appropriate secure route or specifically requested it.

If you are unsure what information is safe or necessary to provide, make a brief initial enquiry and ask how to proceed.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU CONTACT THE COMMONS

The Commons should acknowledge receipt of an enquiry or concern where appropriate.

The Commons may:

• Provide information or guidance directly
• Request clarification or further information
• Refer you to a relevant page, form, policy, record, event, Call, Group, Working Space, or service
• Route the matter to the appropriate Commons team, role holder, editor, project lead, administrator, moderator, safeguarding contact, data contact, financial authority, Partnership authority, or other responsible person
• Identify an alternative accessible or supported route
• Escalate a concern for appropriate review
• Explain that the Commons cannot provide the requested support or that another organization or service may be more appropriate
• Close the enquiry where it has been resolved, withdrawn, completed, referred, or cannot be progressed

The Commons should aim to respond within a reasonable time.

Response time may depend on the nature, urgency, complexity, sensitivity, volume, evidence, access requirements, availability of relevant staff or authorities, and whether the matter requires financial, legal, ethical, safeguarding, data, governance, editorial, research, or other specialist review.

The Commons should not promise a response time that it cannot reasonably meet.

Where a matter cannot be resolved quickly, the Commons should provide an appropriate update where feasible.

PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND ANONYMITY

The Commons should handle enquiries, support requests, complaints, concerns, and related information responsibly.

Information should be collected, accessed, shared, stored, retained, restricted, archived, or disposed of only for legitimate and stated purposes, including:

• Responding to enquiries
• Providing support
• Managing access
• Making reasonable adjustments
• Safeguarding
• Investigating or reviewing concerns
• Meeting legal, ethical, institutional, financial, regulatory, contractual, or governance requirements
• Improving Commons activity, systems, services, and support

The Commons should collect only information necessary for the purpose concerned.

The Commons may need to share information with an appropriate authorized person, service provider, partner, employer, institution, professional body, safeguarding authority, regulator, legal authority, or other body where this is necessary, lawful, proportionate, and consistent with applicable requirements.

The Commons should explain relevant limits to confidentiality where appropriate.

The Commons cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality where there is a safeguarding concern, legal obligation, significant risk of harm, serious misconduct concern, data-security incident, fraud concern, or another circumstance in which information may need to be shared.

A person may raise a concern anonymously or ask for confidentiality where appropriate.

However, anonymous or confidential reporting may limit the Commons’ ability to investigate, verify information, respond directly, provide feedback, take action, or offer a review process.

The Commons should not disclose the identity of a person raising a concern unless this is necessary, lawful, proportionate, or agreed, subject to the limits described above.

FEEDBACK, REVIEW, APPEAL, AND ESCALATION

The Commons welcomes constructive feedback about its pages, systems, events, services, participation routes, support arrangements, policies, accessibility, and activity.

Feedback may identify what is working well, what is difficult to understand, where access barriers exist, what support is needed, or how the Commons can improve.

Where an enquiry, application, access request, role decision, Membership decision, Call outcome, complaint, safeguarding concern, editorial decision, research decision, funding decision, Partnership decision, or other matter has a formal review or appeal route, the relevant process should explain:

• Whether review or appeal is available
• Who may request it
• The timeframe for requesting it
• What information is required
• What grounds may be considered
• Who will consider the matter
• How conflicts of interest will be managed
• How an outcome will be communicated
• Whether a further route exists

Not every decision can be appealed.

For example, some decisions may be discretionary, time-limited, based on eligibility, subject to confidentiality, dependent on limited resources, or governed by another organization’s legal or contractual process.

The Commons should explain the available route as clearly as possible.

CONTACT AND SUPPORT OPERATIONAL TOOLS

The Commons should maintain proportionate operational tools and procedures to ensure that enquiries, support requests, concerns, complaints, and escalation are handled consistently.

Contact and Support Enquiry Form

The Contact and Support Enquiry Form should enable people to request guidance, assistance, an alternative route, accessibility support, clarification, or practical help.

It may include:

• Name and contact details
• Preferred contact method
• Preferred language or communication format where relevant
• User type or relationship to the Commons
• Relevant Commons page, activity, Group, Working Space, event, Call, project, publication, Repository record, Membership, Partnership, funding arrangement, or other route
• The nature of the enquiry or request
• Relevant support, access, accessibility, communication, or adjustment needs
• Whether the matter is urgent
• Relevant links, records, reference numbers, or supporting information
• Consent to the relevant privacy and support arrangements
• Confirmation that the information provided is accurate to the best of the person’s knowledge

Concern and Complaint Form

The Concern and Complaint Form should provide a safe route for people to report an issue or request review.

It may include:

• Name and contact details, where the person chooses to provide them
• Whether the person wishes to remain confidential or anonymous
• The relevant Commons activity, page, Group, Working Space, event, Call, project, publication, Repository record, Partnership, funding arrangement, or other matter
• A description of the concern or complaint
• Relevant dates, people, roles, links, records, correspondence, or evidence
• Any immediate safety, safeguarding, privacy, data, access, conduct, research-integrity, editorial-integrity, financial, or other concern
• Whether the matter has been raised previously
• The outcome or action sought
• Accessibility, communication, language, support, privacy, or safety needs
• Consent to the relevant privacy, confidentiality, and review arrangements

Enquiry Triage and Routing Procedure

The Commons should maintain a procedure for receiving, categorizing, routing, responding to, escalating, recording, reviewing, and closing enquiries.

The procedure should identify:

• Types of enquiry
• Relevant responsible roles or teams
• When a matter can be answered directly
• When further information is needed
• When a matter should be referred to another page, form, process, authority, partner, or external service
• When accessibility or alternative participation support is needed
• When a matter requires financial, legal, data, safeguarding, editorial, research, governance, Membership, Partnership, or other specialist review
• When a matter is urgent
• How response and closure are recorded
• How personal and sensitive information is protected
• How recurring issues are identified and used to improve Commons activity

Safeguarding and Urgent Concern Procedure

The Commons should maintain a safeguarding and urgent-concern procedure.

The procedure should set out:

• How safeguarding concerns are received
• Who holds safeguarding responsibility
• What information should be recorded
• When urgent action or external referral may be required
• How confidentiality and information sharing are managed
• How affected people are supported
• How incidents are escalated
• How records are retained and protected
• How learning from safeguarding concerns improves Commons activity

Privacy, Data, and Confidentiality Enquiry Procedure

The Commons should maintain a procedure for privacy, data, confidentiality, access, correction, deletion, breach, and information-security enquiries.

The procedure should explain:

• How privacy and data enquiries are received
• Who is responsible for responding
• How identity and authority are verified where necessary
• How access, correction, deletion, restriction, or other requests are assessed
• How restricted information and confidentiality are protected
• How data incidents are escalated
• How relevant legal, ethical, institutional, and contractual requirements are met
• How outcomes are communicated

Complaint, Review, and Appeal Procedure

The Commons should maintain a proportionate Complaint, Review, and Appeal Procedure.

The procedure should set out:

• What constitutes a complaint, review request, or appeal
• Which matters are covered
• Which matters should be referred to another process
• How concerns are assessed
• Who may investigate or review a matter
• How conflicts of interest are managed
• How evidence, confidentiality, privacy, fairness, and participant safety are protected
• How outcomes are communicated
• When a decision may be reviewed or appealed
• How records are retained
• How learning from concerns improves Commons activity

Accessibility and Participation Support Guidance

The Commons should maintain guidance on accessible participation and reasonable adjustments.

The guidance should address:

• Alternative formats
• Accessible forms and digital access
• Communication needs
• Captions, transcription, interpretation, translation, and sign-language support where available and appropriate
• Accessible events, venues, travel, seating, and participation
• Online, hybrid, asynchronous, or low-visibility participation routes where appropriate
• Time zones, deadlines, working patterns, caring responsibilities, and participation barriers
• Financial, practical, and access support where available
• Community participation and lived-experience contribution
• Privacy and proportionate handling of adjustment requests

CONTACT THE COMMONS

Use Contact and Support if you need guidance, assistance, clarification, an alternative participation route, accessibility support, or help identifying the right place to begin.

You may also use this route to raise a concern, make a complaint, request review, report a safeguarding issue, ask a privacy or data question, or seek help with a Commons activity.

Before contacting the Commons, include only the information necessary to explain your request or concern.

If you are unsure what to include, begin with a short description of what you need help with and the relevant Commons page, activity, event, Group, Working Space, Call, project, publication, Repository record, Membership, Partnership, or other route.

Contact and Support

Request accessibility or participation support

Raise a concern or make a complaint

RELATED PAGES

Getting Started

Frequently Asked Questions

Individual Membership

Institutional Membership

Community Groups and Working Spaces

Critical Issues

Events and Learning

Volunteer and Contributor Opportunities

Calls and Opportunities

Commissioned Research

Journal Publication

Repository

Partnerships and External Collaboration

Funding, Sponsorship, and Support

WHEN CONTACT AND SUPPORT IS WORKING WELL

Contact and Support is working well when:

• People can understand when and how to ask for help
• Public visitors, registered non-members, Members, contributors, institutions, partners, and other users can identify the right support route
• People who cannot use a standard form or process can access an appropriate alternative route
• Accessibility, communication, language, privacy, dignity, safety, and participation needs are treated seriously
• Enquiries are acknowledged, routed, and handled proportionately
• Urgent concerns and safeguarding matters are identified and escalated appropriately
• The Commons is clear about the limits of its role and does not present itself as an emergency, legal, medical, or crisis service unless it has explicitly established such a function
• Privacy, confidentiality, data protection, consent, information security, and record management are handled responsibly
• Concerns and complaints are treated fairly, respectfully, and without improper retaliation
• People understand available review, appeal, feedback, and escalation routes
• Recurring questions and barriers are used to improve Commons pages, systems, services, events, forms, opportunities, and participation pathways
• Contact and Support helps people move from uncertainty to an appropriate, safe, and meaningful next step

CONTINUE TO PRIVACY, DATA, CONSENT, AND CONFIDENTIALITY

It also explains consent, access conditions, confidentiality, data requests, information security, restricted information, and the rights and responsibilities that apply when people participate in Commons activity.

Privacy, Data, Consent, and Confidentiality explains how the Commons collects, uses, stores, shares, protects, retains, restricts, corrects, and disposes of personal, institutional, research, event, Membership, publication, Repository, Community, Partnership, funding, and other information.