Complaints, Appeals & Confidentiality Procedure

Animal Star Awards (ASA)

Complaints Review Process

Upon receipt of a formal complaint, ASA will undertake an initial assessment of the information provided. Where appropriate, the complainant may be asked to supply further clarification or supporting evidence.

If, following the preliminary review, ASA determines that the matter does not constitute a breach of ASA’s Ethics or Terms & Conditions, the complainant will be notified in writing. No further action will be taken unless additional relevant information or evidence is submitted within seven (7) days of that notification.

Where sufficient information is provided to indicate a potential breach, ASA will conduct a full review of the matter. After careful consideration of the circumstances and the nature of the incident, ASA may determine one or more of the following outcomes:

Provision of guidance, education, or formal advisory notice

Withdrawal of award status

Permanent removal of the right to use ASA logos, badges, or branding

Removal of the right to refer to oneself or an organisation as an ASA award recipient

All decisions are made at ASA’s sole discretion, based on the evidence available.

Appeals

Any individual or organisation wishing to appeal an ASA decision must submit their appeal in writing within twenty-eight (28) days of the original decision date.

All appeal submissions will be reviewed by the ASA Complaints Officer and handled in strict confidence.

A final determination will be made within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the appeal. The outcome will be communicated in writing via email. The decision following appeal is final.

Confidentiality

Strict confidentiality will be maintained by all parties throughout the complaints and appeals process.

Once a determination has been reached, relevant parties will be notified accordingly. In certain circumstances, ASA may contact one or more parties by telephone prior to issuing a final written decision.

All details relating to a complaint, investigation, evidence, or decision will remain private and confidential.

ASA will not breach the confidentiality of any individual or organisation involved in its awards, nor will it publish statements regarding disputes on its social media platforms. ASA respectfully expects the same standard of confidentiality from all parties.

Any breach of confidentiality by a party involved in the process may itself constitute a violation of ASA Ethics and may be taken into consideration during the investigation.

Submitting a Complaint

All alleged violations must be submitted in writing to the Founder, Mary Burgess, preferably by email at:

animalstarawards@gmail.com

Correspondence will be forwarded to our newly appointed  ASA Complaints Officer for review.

All submissions must include:

A clear and detailed description of the alleged breach

Relevant dates and contextual circumstances

Any available supporting evidence

Incomplete submissions may result in delays to the review process.

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