This complaints policy is for applicants to or participants in Watershed’s Creative Projects.

These include Film Hub South West, BFI NETWORK South West, Bristol+Bath Creative R+D, BFI Film Academy, Creative Workforce for the Future, MyWorld and the Pervasive Media Studio.

If your complaint is about your experience of Watershed as a venue (Café & Bar, cinema, events), please email communications@watershed.co.uk with the details and we will get back to you.

This policy does not cover complaints from staff, who should refer to Watershed handbook.

We welcome feedback

Across our various roles as project lead, producers and partners, Watershed is committed to maintaining positive relationships with the people and communities we work with whether they are grant recipients, partners, freelance practitioners, external stakeholders or others.

Watershed is a registered charity and social enterprise, with a well-established set of values and ethics as well as responsive policies on inclusion, dignity at work, safeguarding and the environment underpinning its approach.

We welcome feedback, positive and/or negative on your experience of working with us. When we are not as good as we should be, we want to know about it so that we can put things right. Most of the time, concerns can be dealt with through informal discussions with the people involved directly.

This is the approach that we encourage as a first step because, in most cases, matters can then be resolved quickly and straightforwardly.

However, if this is not appropriate for any reason, we have a structured process for handling complaints.

If we receive a complaint, we will always work our hardest to:

• Make it as easy as possible for you to voice your concerns
• Handle your complaint quickly and effectively
• Maintain confidentiality (see Your Personal Information)
• Be fair and objective
• Inform you of the outcome
• Ensure we take your feedback on board

What does Watershed consider a complaint?

A complaint is anything that has caused you to be dissatisfied about the interaction with Watershed, or someone acting on our behalf in relation to our Creative Programme.

We track all complaints and results are used to help us improve our approach. You may have a comment or suggestion about our approach that isn’t a complaint, or you may wish to pay us a compliment. We will consider all feedback we receive and decide if any further action is necessary.

Your Personal Information

Watershed is committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about what information we hold about you. We use your information in accordance with all applicable laws concerning the protection of personal information. For more information, take a look at our Privacy Policy.

Complaints will be investigated in confidence, only involving those whose views are necessary to establish what has happened.  Further information or evidence may be sought from you as part of the investigation.

If you use our formal complaints procedure, you are agreeing that we can use some of the personal information you send us for purposes connected with your complaint as follows:

• Using your details so that we can contact you with regards to your complaint
• Passing on details of your complaint to relevant members of staff so that the complaint can be investigated
• Any reports of fraud or criminal activity will be treated very seriously and where appropriate, we will involve the police. In such an instance, we would consult with you first before sharing your personal information.

How to make a complaint?

Either send us feedback anonymously and confidentially

To send us feedback anonymously and confidentially fill in this short form.

This means we will be aware of your concerns and take them on board, but will not respond to you directly.

Or make a formal complaint

1) Register a formal complaint by email addressed to:

• Jo Lansdowne, jo.l@watershed.co.uk, Executive Producer, Pervasive Media Studio
  or
• Maddy Probst, maddy.p@watershed.co.uk, Managing Producer, Film Hub South West and BFI NETWORK South West

Alternatively send a letter to either of the above at:

Watershed
1 Canons Road
Harbourside
Bristol
BS1 5TX

Watershed’s Executive Team will be informed of all complaints.

Details to include

• Please include return contact details or preferred method of communication. If you have specific access requirements, let us know.
• Tell us what went wrong, when it happened and who you dealt with.
• We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days of us receiving your complaint and will clarify anything we need to investigate further.
• We aim to give you a full reply within 10 working days of our acknowledgement and will keep in touch if the process takes longer.
• At that point, we will suggest any further steps that we think are necessary and invite suggestions from you.

2) If your complaint concerns the contacts above please send your complaint to Clare Reddington (CEO), clare.r@watershed.co.uk

Clare Reddington (CEO)
Watershed
1 Canons Road
Harbourside
Bristol
BS1 5TX

3. If, after taking these steps, you would like to appeal against the outcome (or your complaint concerns Clare Reddington), please contact James Touzel (Chair of Board) chair@watershed.co.uk

James Touzel,
Chair of Watershed Board
Watershed
1 Canons Road
Harbourside
Bristol
BS1 5TX

Any appeal must be made within four weeks of receiving the outcome of your complaint. Please mark all correspondence as confidential. The Trustees may, in some circumstances, vary the complaints procedure for good reason, such as to avoid a conflict of interest.