Updated September 2025
1. About Our Behaviour Policy
Cool Ventures is committed to supporting our clients and providing excellent service. In return, we expect clients to conduct themselves appropriately and treat our employees, advisers, mentors, suppliers and other clients with respect, consideration and courtesy.
We recognise that sometimes people may act out of character in times of difficulty or distress. Our team is trained to identify and support vulnerable clients, and we regularly review our procedures to ensure this.
This policy explains what we consider unacceptable behaviour and sets out the actions we may take if such behaviour occurs. It applies to all clients across group sessions, one-to-one programmes and other services.
If you wish to make a complaint about our service, please see our Complaints Policy.
2. Unacceptable Behaviour
It is not possible to list every example, but the following categories and examples illustrate the types of behaviour we consider unacceptable:
2.1 Unreasonable demands and vexatious complaints
- Excessive or repeated communication without allowing reasonable time for response.
- Refusing to follow the Cool Ventures complaints procedure.
- Insisting on only working with one member of staff when alternatives have been offered.
- Not accepting that certain issues (e.g. legal, regulatory) are outside the scope of Cool Ventures.
- Expecting business support when ineligible for funded programmes or after a funded programme has ended.
- Not accepting that funding has constraints which limit how support can be provided.
- Inappropriate or excessive contact with advisers/mentors (calls, texts, emails, social media, or contact outside agreed hours).
- Requests for financial assistance or investment from advisers/mentors.
- Excessive or disruptive contributions in group training preventing progress for others.
- Inappropriate or repeated visits to our offices.
If we consider a complaint vexatious, or a client to be making unreasonable demands, we will inform you that future correspondence will be reviewed. If no new issues are raised, it will be filed without acknowledgement.
2.2 Abusive or aggressive behaviour
Behaviour (verbal, written or physical) that could cause others to feel bullied, harassed, intimidated or offended. Examples include:
- Threats of any kind, including by phone, email, text or in person.
- Physical violence or threats of violence.
- Malicious allegations.
- Offensive or abusive language, swearing or shouting.
- Sexist, ageist, racist, homophobic, or otherwise discriminatory remarks.
- Inappropriate comments on disability, gender, religion, belief or any protected characteristic.
- Inappropriate use of social media.
- Seeking personal relationships with employees/advisers outside work scope, including private social media contact.
3. Steps We May Take
Our employees, advisers, mentors and suppliers do not have to tolerate unacceptable behaviour. Depending on the circumstances, actions may include:
- Ending a phone call, online meeting or in-person meeting immediately.
- Asking a client to leave a workshop, webinar or programme.
- Refusing to meet a client alone or in person.
- Moving a client to a different adviser/mentor.
- Restricting or terminating support.
- Logging the incident and escalating to management.
- Triggering referrals/signposting under our Vulnerable Client Policy.
- Reporting to the police if a criminal offence is threatened or committed.
Where appropriate, we will first advise clients that their conduct is considered unacceptable and give them the opportunity to moderate behaviour before further action.
4. Communication Restrictions
If behaviour is serious, or continues after a warning, Cool Ventures senior management may impose restrictions, which may be temporary or permanent. Restrictions may include:
- Communicating only with a named individual or via a dedicated email/phone channel.
- Communication limited to writing.
- No in-person meetings (online or phone only).
- Blocking access to social media channels.
- Filing correspondence without response if no new issues are raised.
- Seeking legal restrictions (injunction/court order) in extreme cases.
5. Contact
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact:
Email: sandra.merrell@coolventures.co.uk
Telephone: 08000 418293
Address: Cool Ventures Ltd, 7 High St, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol BS37 6BA
Reviewed: 24/09/2025 | Next review: 24/09/2026
