Guidance
Accessibility
The ICGS is committed to being accessible to everyone. If you need any adjustments to take part in the investigation, please tell the investigator, the ICGS team, or the Lords Commissioners for Standards team. Investigators can be flexible and will work with you to make sure you can take part in a way that is safe, comfortable and fair for you.
Find out more about our approach to accessibility.
Who can make a complaint?
Any member of the parliamentary community who has experienced bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct can make a complaint.
If you are supporting someone else, the helpline can explain how you can help them.
Who can I make a complaint about?
You can make a complaint about any member of the parliamentary community. This includes incidents that happened:
- on the Parliamentary Estate
- in a constituency office
- anywhere else while doing parliamentary work
Can I complain about people who used to work in the parliamentary community?
Yes. You may make report or a complaint about bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct if both you and the other person were members of the parliamentary community at the time when the incident took place, even if one or both of you have since left.
If the person is no longer part of the parliamentary community, the ICGS might decide not to investigate if an outcome is unlikely to be meaningful.
Is there a time limit for making a complaint under the ICGS?
Yes, there is a time limit for some types of complaints.
You have one year to make a complaint about bullying or harassment from when the incident took place (or the most recent if there was more than one).
If you want to complain about a Member of the House of Lords or their staff, bullying and harassment complaints must usually be made within four years of when the incident took place.
There is no time limit for making a complaint about sexual misconduct.
What if I want to complain about a breach of the Behaviour Code that is not bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct?
If the behaviour might breach the Behaviour Code but is not bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct, you might be able to raise it with:
- your HR team
- your line manager
- your counter‑signing manager
Depending on who you work for, there may be an alternative complaints or grievance process available to you. If you are not sure where to start, the ICGS team can help you find the right route for your concern.
Facilitating Multiple Complaints
Some people may worry that they are the only one who has experienced the behaviour. The Facilitating Multiple Complaints process can help.
If you are thinking about making a complaint, you can leave your details with the ICGS Helpline. They will keep this information for up to one year.
You will be told if anyone else reports concerns about the same person during that year (or has done so in the previous 12 months). This is to help you decide whether you want to make a complaint.
How do I use the Facilitating Multiple Complaints process?
Contact the ICGS Helpline.
Phone: 0808 168 9281
Email: support@ICGSHelpline.org.uk
Explain that you are considering making a complaint about bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct, but you do not want to make a complaint yet.
The helpline will ask for:
- your name
- how they can contact you
- the name of the person you are concerned about
- some basic information about what happened
Your information is confidential. It will only be shared if there is a serious risk, such as a safeguarding concern or a risk to your safety or the safety of others. After one year, it will be deleted.
If another person has already registered concerns, or does so in the next 12 months, the helpline will contact you. They will ask whether you would now like to make a complaint.
If you decide to complain, the usual process begins. Your complaint still needs to pass the normal eligibility checks.
If you choose not to complain, you will be contacted again if more people come forward.
Will I be told who else has come forward about that individual?
No. To protect everyone’s confidentiality, you will only be told that another person has raised concerns about the same individual. You will not be given names, details, or any information about their experience, and they will not be given any details about your experience.
You must also not contact anyone you think might have made a report or a complaint. Doing so could affect, or appear to affect, any future investigation.
If more than one person raises concerns about an individual, does that make it more likely that a complaint will be upheld?
Each complaint is judged on its own facts and evidence by an independent investigator.
However, the decision‑making body may take earlier findings about the same individual into account when deciding what actions or sanctions may be needed.
How to make a complaint
You can make a complaint in two ways:
Contact the ICGS Helpline
Phone: 0808 168 9281
Email: support@ICGShelpline.org.uk
The helpline can send you a disclosure form and help you fill it in. They can also help you complete it over the phone.
Find out more about the ICGS Helpline.
Download the disclosure form
Download the disclosure form (docx, 43KB), fill it in yourself and send it to ICGS@parliament.uk. If you need help at any point, you can still contact the helpline.
Collective complaints
You can make a complaint on your own or with other people if it's about the same incident and you are complaining about the same people. This is known as a collective complaint.
Can I withdraw my complaint once it has been made?
Yes, you may withdraw your complaint at any point until the draft full assessment report has been shared with you and the respondent for the Factual Accuracy Check. If you withdraw, the investigation stops.
If you are part of a collective complaint, you may withdraw from the collective complaint, but the investigation will continue to use and keep the evidence you have already given. This is because the investigation does not stop if the other collective complainants want to continue.
If you tell us you do not want to take part any further, we will not:
- ask you for any more information
- ask you to attend any more meetings or interviews
How long does it take for a complaint to be concluded under the ICGS?
Every complaint is different, and how long it takes will depend on the availability of everyone involved and how complex the investigation is.
To help the process run smoothly, everyone should try to meet the deadlines set by the investigator for sharing documents, attending meetings and completing other tasks.
Will I be updated during the process?
Yes, both the person making the complaint and the person who the complaint is about will be updated on a regular basis.