Independent Oversight
Protect your organisation with independent verification that your disciplinary process follows your own policy and the ACAS Code.
We attend disciplinary hearings in person or remotely via Microsoft Teams, verifying the process was followed fairly, without ever taking part in the decision itself.
Why This Matters
25%
the maximum a tribunal can adjust compensation by, either way, for ACAS Code compliance
Jan 2027
the statutory cap on unfair dismissal compensation is removed entirely
£8,500
the average cost of an Employment Tribunal claim that reaches a hearing
6–12 months
how long a contested tribunal claim can drag on without a clear, evidenced process
Sources: ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures; Employment Rights Act 2025; British Chamber of Commerce.
Your organisation leads the hearing. You investigate the allegation, chair the meeting, and make the decision. Our role is to sit alongside as an independent professional. We verify that the process, informing the employee properly, giving them a genuine chance to respond, and basing the decision on the evidence presented, was followed consistently with your own policy and the ACAS Code.
"Most employers don't lose at tribunal because their decision was wrong. They lose because they can't show the process that led to it."
We do not investigate the allegation. We do not chair the hearing. We do not question the employee or witnesses. We do not decide the outcome. That decision remains entirely with your own appointed decision-maker, as it does today.
This is a deliberate choice, not a limitation. Bringing in an external party to chair or decide a disciplinary hearing is flagged by employment law commentary as carrying its own risks. Our role avoids that entirely by design: we are a witness to your process, not a substitute decision-maker.
We also do not replace an employee's statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative. Both exist at the same hearing, for different reasons: the companion supports the employee, we verify the fairness of the process itself.
Your Obligations
ACAS Code of Practice
Tribunals must take the Code into account, and can adjust compensation awards by up to 25% for unreasonable failure to follow it.
Investigator and Chair Separation
ACAS recommends the person investigating an allegation should not be the same person who chairs the hearing, so the decision-maker has not already formed a view.
Right to be Accompanied
Employees can bring a colleague or trade union representative. Our role sits alongside this right, not in place of it.
Employment Rights Act 2025
From January 2027, the cap on unfair dismissal compensation is removed entirely, increasing the financial stakes of a flawed process.
Transparent Pricing
The same rates apply whether you're booking recruitment or disciplinary oversight.
Single Session — Remote
up to 45-minute session
Independent observation and process verification for a single candidate. Includes criteria review and written assessment record.
Best Value
up to 4 hours via Teams
Independent observation for 3 to 5 candidates remotely. Includes process documentation and written assessment record.
Full Day — Remote
up to 8 hours via Teams
Full day independent observation for larger hiring rounds. Includes full process documentation and written record.
Single Session — In Person
up to 45-minute session
Independent observation at your site for a single candidate. Includes criteria review and written assessment record.
Best Value
up to 4 hours at your site
In person independent observation for 3 to 5 candidates. Includes process documentation and written assessment record.
Full Day — In Person
up to 8 hours at your site
Full day in person independent observation for larger hiring rounds. Includes full process documentation and written record.
In-person attendance for a Single Session includes travel within 25 miles of Swansea. Half Day and Full Day in-person attendance includes travel within 50 miles of Swansea. Beyond these distances, travel costs are agreed in advance. All fees exclude VAT. Criterion Panel Group is not currently VAT registered.
Not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute call. A no-obligation conversation by phone or Microsoft Teams to talk through what independent oversight could look like for your organisation.
Book a free 15-minute callFrequently Asked Questions
No. Your organisation's appointed decision-maker decides the outcome, as they would without us present. We verify that the process followed to reach that decision was fair and consistent with your policy and the ACAS Code.
No. The statutory right to be accompanied by a colleague or trade union representative is completely separate from our role, and is not affected by our presence. Both exist at the same hearing for different purposes.
No. The investigation is carried out entirely by your organisation, before we are ever involved. We attend the hearing itself to verify that the process at that stage, and the process leading up to it, was followed fairly.
A written Assessment Record confirming whether your policy and the ACAS Code were followed, produced at the time of the hearing, not reconstructed afterwards.
Yes. Many organisations use us for both, since the underlying principle, independent verification of a fair process, is the same in each case. See our Recruitment Oversight page for details on that service.
Get In Touch
Tell us about your upcoming appointment and we will get back to you within one working day.