Life after Cancer Zero Tolerance Policy 2026

Policy Approved - August 2026
Next reviewed - August 2027
Policy Owner - Stephanie Davies - Founder / Designated Safeguarding Lead at Life after Cancer

This policy will be reviewed annually or following any concerns and/or updates to national and local guidance or procedures.

This policy should be read alongside Life after Cancer’s Safeguarding Policy, Data Protection Policy, Complaints Policy, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy. It is not exhaustive and may be updated in line with changes to legislation or best practice.

Introduction

Life after Cancer exists to bring people together after cancer treatment, supporting their physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. We are committed to ensuring that all staff, volunteers, participants, and partners are treated with dignity and respect.

To achieve this, we operate a Zero Tolerance Policy towards abusive, discriminatory, or threatening behaviour in any form. Everyone engaging with Life after Cancer has a responsibility to contribute to an environment that is safe, respectful, and supportive.

Life after Cancer recognises that individuals may communicate or respond differently due to trauma, distress, disability, neurodivergence, mental health, cultural background, or the impact of cancer and its treatment. We are committed to responding fairly, compassionately, and proportionately while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to:

Protect the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, participants, and partners.
Set clear expectations about acceptable behaviour.
Provide a transparent procedure for responding to unacceptable behaviour.
Ensure consistency with other Life after Cancer policies, including our Safeguarding Policy and Complaints Policy and Procedure.

This policy supports Life after Cancer’s duty of care to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone engaged in our services. It is consistent with our responsibility to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of staff and volunteers.

Scope

This policy applies to all:

Participants and service users
Family members or carers
Volunteers, contractors, and staff
Partners and members of the public

This includes behaviour occurring within online workshops, support groups, messaging platforms, emails, social media interactions, and other digital spaces connected to Life after Cancer activities.

Principles

We are committed to:

Taking a zero tolerance approach to abusive, discriminatory, threatening, or intimidating behaviour in any form.
Responding promptly, proportionately, and fairly to incidents.
Taking individual needs and circumstances into account where appropriate.
Ensuring confidentiality in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Signposting to our Complaints Policy and Procedure where someone wishes to challenge a decision made under this policy.
Balancing safety, dignity, inclusion, and proportionality when responding to concerns or incidents.

Definition of Unacceptable Behaviour

Unacceptable behaviour includes, but is not limited to:

Verbal abuse, shouting, swearing, or offensive language
Discrimination, harassment, or bullying of any kind (including racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, ageism, ableism, or religious intolerance)
Threats, intimidation, or physical aggression
Malicious, negative, or deliberately disruptive conduct
Invasion of personal space or unwanted contact
Alcohol or drug-fuelled abuse
Damage to property or attempts to cause harm
Online harassment, abusive messaging, trolling, intimidation, inappropriate use of digital platforms, or repeated unwanted contact.

Responding to Incidents of unacceptable behaviour

We take all incidents of abusive, threatening, or discriminatory behaviour very seriously. Protecting the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, and participants is our priority.

Immediate action: Staff or volunteers should ensure their own safety and that of others. Sessions may be paused or stopped, and serious incidents (such as physical assault or credible threats) will be reported to the police straight away.
Reporting: Any incident must be recorded promptly using the Incident Reporting Form and submitted to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) within 24 hours.
Review and decision: The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will review the incident, consider all relevant circumstances, assess any risks, and determine an appropriate and proportionate response. This may include verbal or written warnings, adjustments to participation, temporary suspension, withdrawal of services, safeguarding referrals, or referral to the police where necessary.
Support: Support will be offered to anyone affected if required. Adjustments may be made to ensure ongoing safety and wellbeing.

Persistent or serious breaches of this policy may result in immediate and permanent exclusion from Life after Cancer services. Decisions can be challenged under our Complaints Policy and Procedure.

Learning from Incidents

We view incidents as opportunities to learn and strengthen our practices. Incidents may inform:

Changes to staff and volunteer training
Revisions to policies and procedures
Improvements to how we deliver our support services

Recording and Monitoring

Information relating to incidents will only be shared on a need-to-know basis and in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, safeguarding responsibilities, and Life after Cancer policies.

Records relating to incidents will be retained securely in line with Life after Cancer’s Data Protection and Retention policies.

Contact Life after Cancer

To get in contact with Life after Cancer, contact: Stephanie Davies: hello@life-aftercancer.co.uk

This policy is the intellectual property of Life after Cancer and is intended for our sole use. It may not be copied, reproduced, or used in full or in part by any other organisation without our prior written permission.

Life after Cancer Zero Tolerance Policy 2026

​​​Introduction

​Purpose

​Scope

​Principles