Governance
Main entrance to the British Museum. © The Trustees of the British Museum.
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The Museum's aim is to hold a collection representative of world cultures and to ensure that the collection is housed in safety, conserved, curated, researched and exhibited.
We're committed to ensuring the Museum is run in an open and honest way. The processes and policies by which the Museum is governed are publicly available, as are many documents outlining developments, plans and priorities.
The Museum's story
The British Museum is unique in bringing together under one roof, the cultures of the world, spanning continents and oceans. Discover more about the history, architecture, people and acquisitions that have shaped the Museum.
Governance
The British Museum was established by an Act of Parliament in 1753 and is currently governed by the British Museum Act 1963.
The British Museum is an exempt charity under Schedule 3 to the Charities Act 2011. Its principal regulator is the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
The British Museum is a non-departmental public body (NDPB), operating at arm's length from government, but accountable to parliament. It's sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport with whom it has a Management agreement.
Tracy Emin has been appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the nomination of the Royal Academy as a Trustee of the British Museum for a term of four years, commencing 16 November 2023.
Current Trustees
- Professor Abhijit V Banerjee
- Professor Dame Mary Beard DBE, FSA, FBA
- Dame Elizabeth Corley DBE
- Ms Tracey Emin CBE, RA
- Ms Clarissa Farr
- Professor Chris Gosden FBA
- Mr Philipp Hildebrand
- Dame Vivian Hunt DBE
- The Rt Hon Lord Jonathan Marland
- Sir Charlie Mayfield
- Mr George Osborne CH (Chair)
- Mr Mark Pears CBE
- Sir Paul Ruddock FSA
- Mr Alejandro Santo Domingo
- Baroness (Minouche) Shafik DBE (Deputy Chair)
- Mr Weijian Shan
- Ms Priyanka Wadhawan
- Professor Sir Mark Walport FRCP, FRS, FMedSci, HonFRSE
- Mr George Weston
- Professor Dame Sarah Worthington DBE, KC (Hon), FBA
Minutes of the Board of Trustees
The Board meets quarterly to consider issues of strategic significance and to review progress against the Museum's plan. The minutes will be posted here after they have been approved by the Trustees.
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Becoming a Trustee
Most of the British Museum Trustees are appointed by the Prime Minister through a recruitment process run by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
The Board of Trustees comprises up to 25 members.
One Trustee is appointed by His Majesty The King, 15 are appointed by the Prime Minister and five appointed by the Trustees themselves.
The remaining four Trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on the nominations of the presidents of:
- the Royal Academy
- the British Academy
- the Society of Antiquaries of London
- the Royal Society
The Chair is elected by the Board from among its members.
Vacancies are advertised from time to time on the Cabinet Office Centre for Public Appointments website and the British Museum website.
Trustees of the British Museum are from a range of backgrounds and expertise, reflecting the breadth and complexity of the Museum's work. Appointments are made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. Those appointments made by government ministers are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). Applications are welcomed regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, ethnic origin, political opinion, sexual orientation, or whether or not you have dependents.
The Register of Interests for Trustees and Directorate Group is available here:
A register for Co-opted members of the Board and wider Senior Staff is open to the public and may be consulted by contacting the British Museum:
Phone: +44 (0)20 7323 8241
Email: directorate@britishmuseum.org
The roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and the Director are set out in the British Museum's Governance Principles and Procedures.
Sir Mark Jones FRSE took up the post of Interim Director of the British Museum in September 2023. Previously he was Assistant Keeper in the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum (1974–1990) and then Keeper of Coins and Medals from 1990 to 1992.
He moved on to direct the National Museums of Scotland (1992–2001) which saw the opening of the Museum of Scotland in 1998, the creation of the National War Museum of Scotland at Edinburgh Castle and the Museum of Scottish Country Life at Kittochside in East Kilbride.
As Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum (2001–2011) he led a ten-year, £120 million programme of renewal of the museum and its displays which transformed two thirds of its building. From 2011–2016 he was Master of St Cross College, Oxford. His time there saw a significant growth in student numbers and the construction of a new building, providing a new library, lecture theatre and seminar rooms.
In 2012, Mark established an independent bookshop in Edinburgh, the Golden Hare, which went on to be named Independent Bookshop of the Year 2019. He is Chair of the Pilgrim Trust and the National Trust for Scotland.
The Museum's governance policies and principles regulate the proceedings of the Board, and facilitate the exercise of its functions in pursuit of the Museum's planned objectives.
A full range of policies covering every area of Museum activity has been adopted by its Board of Trustees. These policies are constantly updated in line with new legislation and developments in best practice.
Acceptance of donations and sponsorship policy (PDF 171KB)
Acquisitions policy (PDF 357KB)
Anti-money laundering prevention of tax evasion and refusal of donations policy (PDF 376KB)
CCTV policy (PDF 122KB)
Conservation policy (PDF 35KB)
De-accession policy (PDF 293KB)
Equality and diversity policy (PDF 127KB)
Fire safety policy (PDF 193KB)
Fraud, bribery and corruption prevention policy (PDF 124KB)
Health and safety policy (PDF 28KB)
Human remains policy (PDF 80KB)
Further information on the Museum's human remains research, collection and policy
Independent review: recommendations (PDF 116KB)
Independent review: terms of reference (PDF 158KB)
Information risk policy (PDF 106KB)
Loans policy (PDF 113KB)
Reporting thefts procedure (PDF 161KB)
Risk management policy (PDF 79KB)
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults policy (PDF 203KB)
Standards of conduct policy (PDF 136KB)
Sustainable development policy (PDF 30KB)
Volunteer policy (PDF 149KB)
Whistleblowing policy (PDF 125KB)
The annual report and accounts give an overview of the Museum's activities and show how the Museum's resources are spent:
Annual and biennial reviews of the Museum's work in London, in the UK and in rest of the world.
Access to information about the British Museum
The scheme explains what information the Museum makes available to the public and where possible provides an easy method of accessing this information.
British Museum Publication Scheme
Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) obliges every public authority to adopt an approved Publication Scheme. The intention of a Publication Scheme is to require authorities to make certain kinds of information routinely available to the public.
The British Museum has adopted the model Publication Scheme for Authorities established to manage museums, libraries, and archives taking effect from 1 January 2009 in compliance with guidance from the Information Commissioner.
The information listed in the Publication Scheme is generally made available in electronic format but can be provided as a hard copy on request in writing (email is acceptable) or by phone.
Fees
All information listed in the Publication Scheme is available free of charge.
Copyright
Information which is generated by the British Museum and included in this Publication Scheme may be reproduced for information and personal study only. Please refer to our Terms of use for information about reproducing images.
Permission to reproduce information in the Publication Scheme does not extend to any material which is identified as being the copyright of a third party. Authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned.
How to make a request for information not included in the Publication Scheme
Requests for information not listed in the Publication Scheme should be made in writing to the Museum and should provide as much detail as possible to enable Museum staff to identify the information sought.
If you require the information in a particular format, for example, in hard copy or electronically, this should be stated in your application.
If you have difficulty in identifying the precise information you require, or difficulty in making the application in writing, Museum staff will be pleased to help.
In general the British Museum is required to respond to requests for information within 20 working days. If a fee is to be charged, this will be calculated according to the Fees Regulations published by the Information Commissioner.
Under the Act, fees may be charged based on a standard hourly rate in respect of the time spent in determining whether the Museum holds the information, locating the information or a document which may contain the information, retrieving the information or a document which may contain the information, and extracting the information from a document containing it.
Where fees are payable, the enquiry will be answered within 20 working days from the date of receipt of the fee.
The Museum's postal address is:
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8000
Email enquiries:
For general visitor information and collection questions, please email info@britishmuseum.org.
Appeals and complaints procedure
If you're dissatisfied with the response you've had from the Museum in respect of a request for information you may invoke the appeals and complaints procedure.
The first step is to seek an internal review of the decision you have received. Requests for internal review should be submitted in writing to the Information Manager at the Museum.
If you're dissatisfied with the outcome or the handling of the internal review conducted by the Museum you may seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner.
Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing directly to:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Further information about this scheme and comments
If you need any further information about the contents of the Museum's Publication Scheme or have any comments about access to Museum information, please contact the Information Manager.
Publication Scheme
1. Who we are and what we do
Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts:
1.1 Roles and responsibilities
See governance and Trustees sections on this page
1.2 Organisational structure
See individual department pages
1.3 Trustees, management board members and senior staff
See Trustees section on this page and individual department pages
1.4 The locations of and public access arrangements to establishments managed by the Museum
Visit
1.5 Contact details for the Museum
Contact us
1.6 Subsidiary bodies
Registered addresses and details
2. What we spend and how we spend it
Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit:
2.1 Management Agreement
Management Agreement 2016–2020
2.2 Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
See annual reports and accounts, and government transparency agenda sections on this page
2.3 Purchasing plans for exhibits and planned expenditure for exhibitions
See annual reports and accounts and reviews sections on this page
2.4 Spending reviews
See annual reports and accounts, and reviews sections on this page, and the British Museum Management Agreement with DCMS
2.5 Grants and donations
See annual reports and accounts, and reviews sections on this page
2.6 Financial audit reports
See annual reports and accounts section on this page
2.7 Staff and board members' allowances and expenses
For trustees, see Governance Principles and Procedures
For staff, available on application to the Head of Finance
2.8 Pay and grading structures
See government transparency agenda and Jobs
2.9 Procurement and tendering procedures and copies of tender documents
On application to Head of Procurement
2.10 Contracts currently available for public tender
On application to Head of Procurement
2.11 Details of contracts awarded and their value and copies of contract documents (subject to redaction)
On application to Head of Procurement
2.12 Financial statements for projects and events
See annual reports and accounts, and government transparency agenda sections on this page
2.13 Internal financial regulations
On application to the Head of Finance
3. What are our priorities and how are we doing
Performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews:
3.1 Annual report
See annual reports and accounts, and reviews sections on this page
3.2 Internal and external reviews of the Museum's performance
See review sections on this page and National Audit Office
3.3 Funding agreement reports
See annual reports and accounts section on this page, and the British Museum Management Agreement with DCMS
3.4 Visitor figures and audience research
Available via DCMS website
Additional information available from Learning and Audience Department
4. How we make decisions
Decision making processes and records of decisions:
4.1 Minutes of senior level meetings
See trustees section on this page
5. Our policies and procedures
Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities:
5.1 Policies and procedures for the conduct of business
See governance section on this page
5.2 Policies and procedures for the provision of services
See governance section on this page
5.3 Policies and procedures for the recruitment and employment of staff
See governance section on this page and Jobs
5.4 Customer service
Contact us
Access facilities
5.5 Records management and personal data policies
Website terms of use
5.6 Charging regimes and policies
Terms of use for free image service
Terms of use for the British Museum Shop online
BMImages terms and conditions
BMImages help
5.7 Collection and collection care
Collection online
6. Lists and registers
6.1 Asset registers
See annual reports and accounts section on this page
6.2 Disclosure logs
On application to the Information Manager
6.3 Register of gifts and hospitality provided to Trustees and senior personnel
On application to the Head of Finance
6.4 Register of interests
On application to the Governance and Planning Manager
7. The services we offer
Information about the services we currently provide including leaflets, guidance and newsletters produced:
7.1 Information about the collection and related research material, including catalogues
and other finding aids:
Research
Collection online
7.2 Access arrangements
Visit
7.3 Exhibitions
All current exhibitions
7.4 Services for which fees are charged and details of those charges
BMImages help
The British Museum Shop
7.5 Opportunities for volunteers
Volunteer
7.6 Educational services
Learn
7.7 Publications, leaflets, booklets and newsletters
On request from Information Desk
email: info@britishmuseum.org
phone: +44(0)20 7323 8000
See newsletter sign up at the bottom of this page
7.8 Advice and guidance
Visit
7.9 Media releases
News and press releases
7.10 Publication for the purposes of Part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007
Protection from seizure
As part of the UK government commitment to transparency, the British Museum is making available information about its structure, pay and expenditure. If you would like to read further information on transparency, visit the DCMS website.
Staying COVID-19 secure
We can confirm we have complied with the government's guidance on managing the risk of COVID-19.
Invoice payment
From 1 April 2015 all central government departments, including their Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies, are required to publish the percentage of their invoices paid within i) five days and ii) 30 days on a quarterly basis.
Financial year 2022/2023
1st quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 7%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 93%
2nd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 2%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 94%
3rd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 4%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 91%
4th quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 5%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 94%
Financial year 2021/2022
1st quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 1%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 90%
2nd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 2%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 83%
3rd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 12%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 81%
4th quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 5%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 87%
Financial year 2020/2021
1st quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 6%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 85%
2nd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 4%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 91%
3rd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 2%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 83%
4th quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 6%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 87%
Financial year 2019/2020
1st quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 9%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 91%
2nd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 6%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 90%
3rd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 7%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 91%
4th quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within 5 days: 6%
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 92%
Financial year 2018/2019 (2017/2018)
1st quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within five days: 7% (3%)
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 88% (73%)
2nd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within five days: 5% (3%)
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 87% (74%)
3rd quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within five days: 5% (5%)
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 78% (86%)
4th quarter
Percentage of invoices paid within five days: 9 (3%)
Percentage of invoices paid within 30 days: 87% (89%)
Diversity Summary and Gender Pay Gap Report
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2023 (PDF 118KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2022 (PDF 135KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2021 (PDF 174KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2020 (PDF 102KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2019 (PDF 132KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2018 (PDF 195KB)
Diversity summary report, 31 March 2017 (PDF 195KB)
Grading structure and pay ranges
The Museum has a job family pay structure. Members of staff are allocated to pay spines within each job family according to their responsibilities and competencies.
Job families
Each of the five families is made of a number of clusters, level one being the most junior.
Collections:
C2 – C3 – C4 – C5 – C6
Service delivery:
SD2 – SD3
Resources functions:
R1 – R2 – R3 – R4 – R5
Supervisory and management:
M1 – M2 – M3 – M4 – M5
Support:
S1 – S2 – S3 – S4
The British Museum Company Limited Retirement Benefits Plan
The British Museum Publications Ltd Supplementary Retirement Benefits Scheme
Payments to suppliers over £25,000
The Freedom of Information Act aims to develop a culture of openness in government and public bodies. The Act establishes a right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities and imposes obligations on them to disclose information, subject to a range of exemptions. The British Museum is a public body under the terms of the Act.
Anyone can make a request for information to the Museum, although the request must be in writing (letter or email). The Act gives applicants two related rights:
- The right to be told whether the information exists
- The right to receive the information, where possible in the manner requested
In some cases, where information is exempt from disclosure, the Museum is required to consider whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption in question outweighs the public interest in disclosure.
The Public Sector Information (PSI) Directive is a European open data policy intended to encourage the availability, circulation and re-use of documents generated and stored by public institutions, for private or commercial purposes, with minimal constraints. It takes its form in UK law as the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 (the PSI Regulations).
Introduction to the PSI Regulations
The PSI Regulations regulate the re-use of documents created, stored and disseminated by public institutions in the UK in the course of fulfilling their public task. The PSI Regulations are based on the principles of fair, transparent, consistent and non-discriminatory access.
What is re-use?
Re-use is the use of a document for a purpose other than the initial purpose within a public institution's public task for which it was produced.
What is a document?
For the purposes of PSI, a document is any collection of information or data in any form, including print, visual, digital, electronic and sound recordings.
What is a public institution's public task?
A public institution's public task is a description of the institution's core aims, functions and responsibilities as determined either by law or custom.
Are all documents created, stored or disseminated by a public institution available for re-use?
No. Only documents that are created, stored or disseminated in order to fulfil a public institution's public task are under the scope of PSI.
There are additional restrictions to the documents that will be available for re-use. Some of the exclusions to PSI are:
- Documents which contain third-party intellectual property (that is, where the relevant copyright is not owned by the public institution)
- Logos, trademarks and crests or insignia, or documents containing only those
- Documents containing information that is protected under data protection legislation or exempt from disclosure within the Freedom of Information Act
The British Museum and the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015
As a public cultural sector body in the UK, the British Museum is under the scope of the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015. This means that the majority of documents the British Museum creates, stores or disseminates in order to fulfil its public task will be available for re-use.
What is the British Museum's public task?
The British Museum's 'public task' under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015 ('the Regulations') consists of its functions under the British Museum Act 1963, the Museums and Galleries Act 1992 and related legislation, such as the Treasure Act 1996, the Public Records Act 1958 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It also includes objectives set for the British Museum by its sponsoring government department in its Management Agreement and administrative practices for which the Museum is responsible, but for which there is no specific statutory or regulatory provision, including the management of the UK government-funded Portable Antiquities Scheme and the provision of general advice relating to museology and cultural heritage to the public sector in the UK.
The Museum holds and uses documents for the following purposes within its public task:
- The promotion and provision of access to the Museum's collection and exhibitions: in the Museum; on loan, in partnership with other museums, art galleries, research, educational or cultural establishments or communities, nationally and internationally; and in all and any media formats.
- The production of exhibition and collection-based, educational, scholarly, conservation, archaeological, laboratory, research and other documents related to the collection: whether directly; through partnerships with museums, art galleries, research, educational or cultural establishments or communities, nationally and internationally; or through Museum-associated companies or third parties.
- The distribution of those documents: whether in printed, filmed, digital or any other format or media; and whether directly or through partnerships with museums, art galleries, research, educational or cultural establishments nationally or internationally; or through Museum-associated companies; or through third parties commercially or non-commercially.
- The maintenance, development, safety and security of its buildings, galleries, infrastructure and grounds.
Information about the Museum's general activities in carrying out its public task will be found in the About us section.
The Museum permits (whether directly or as above described) the commercial or non-commercial re-use of certain documents created for its public task. More information about the categories of Museum documents available for re-use and terms on which they are available.
Questions about the Museum's public task statement or complaints about the decisions made by the Museum under the Regulations may be submitted via the Contact us page of the Museum's website.
This statement of the Museum's public task is reviewed regularly and is due to be considered again in May 2021.
What documents are available for re-use and how can they be requested?
You may find a summarised list of the categories of documents the Museum has available for re-use, as well as information on how to request them. Please note this list is not exhaustive. We are working to make more of our documents available for re-use and may update this list as more documents become available. If you have any questions regarding the re-use of documents that aren't listed under this section, please contact us at permissions@britishmuseum.org. Requests for re-use should be submitted in writing and, when possible, via email to the addresses provided. Your request should include the following information: your name and address for correspondence (it can be an email address), the document you are requesting and the purpose for which you intend to re-use it. The Museum will endeavour to respond to your requests for re-use within 20 working days of submission.
Will the Museum always make documents available for re-use?
No. The Museum will not make available for re-use the documents that fall outside the scope of PSI (exclusions list).
In addition, as a public cultural sector body, the Museum has the right to decline a request if it deems the intended use of the document unsuitable or inappropriate, or when the document contains culturally sensitive information. The Museum also has the right to decline a request for re-use of any document, so long as we have not used it for a similar purpose, or allowed an external party to use it for a similar purpose.
As a cultural sector body, the Museum also has the right to apply conditions of re-use and charge fees for certain re-uses. For information about the fees the Museum charges for different types of document, please contact us at permissions@britishmuseum.org.
When you contact us to request re-use of a document you may be asked to complete a form detailing the characteristics of the re-use. We require the information to determine which conditions need to be applied and if any fees need to be charged. Please complete these forms carefully and provide as much detail as you can.
Appeals and complaints procedure
If you're dissatisfied with the response you have received from the Museum regarding a request to re-use a document, or the conditions applied to such re-use, you may submit a formal appeal. The appeal should be submitted in writing and, when possible, by email to permissions@britishmuseum.org. Your complaint will be reviewed in the first instance by the Museum's Rights Manager. You'll receive an initial response within 20 days of submission.
If you're dissatisfied with the outcome of the first review, you can request for your complaint to be reviewed by the Museum's legal department. The outcome of this second stage will be communicated to you by email within 20 days of submission.
Should you be dissatisfied with the outcome of the second review, you may seek independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing directly to:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Exclusive arrangements
In the public interest, the British Museum has exclusive arrangements in relation to the following activities:
- Book publishing
- Image licensing in select countries
Further inquiries about these arrangements can be made here: permissions@britishmuseum.org.
Further information
If you need any further information about the re-use of British Museum documents under the Public Sector Information Directive, please contact us here: permissions@britishmuseum.org.
Enquiries and feedback handling procedure
The British Museum welcomes questions and values opinions and comments from visitors and members of the public. In order to constantly improve the experience of our visitors and the service we offer, we pay close attention to the feedback and enquiries we receive. These messages are reported on a monthly basis and inform decisions taken around the Museum. All the enquiries and feedback addressed to the British Museum will be handled with security and confidentiality. Public enquiries and feedback records are kept for up to two years. Beyond this, an anonymised log will be kept in the form of monthly reports and anonymised data sets.
Here are some ways you can get in touch:
Email info@britishmuseum.org
We aim to respond to emails within seven to ten working days.
Leave a review or direct message us at facebook.com/britishmuseum
We aim to respond to messages within five working days.
Tweet us @britishmuseum
We aim to respond within two working days.
Write to us
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
We aim to respond to letters within 20 working days of receipt.
Written feedback is preferred to ensure accurate record-keeping. However, you also have the option to leave a voicemail message by calling +44 (0)20 7323 8750. If contact details are provided, we aim to respond to voicemail messages within 10 working days. Please note that only written feedback can be formally escalated.
If your message is of a particularly complex or sensitive nature it may need to be escalated or shared with another department or more senior member of staff to investigate and develop an appropriate response. If this is likely to take longer, this will be communicated to you as early as possible.
To report suspected wrongdoing, fraud, bribery or corruption, please contact us via feedback@britishmuseum.org
This procedure works alongside the British Museum visitor regulations. We expect visitors to be patient and considerate, and won't tolerate any abuse to any member of staff in any form.
Please note that the British Museum is not able to consider and reserves the right not to investigate and respond to the following:
- Object valuation requests and sale offers
- Speculative applications for jobs, internships and work experience
- Any matter which is the subject of any legal dispute or legal proceedings
- Any enquiry or feedback containing abusive language
- Enquiries and feedback which don't comply with the British Museum Social media code of conduct
- Enquiries and feedback causing unacceptable levels of stress for staff and using disproportionate resources
- Feedback which is considered to have no basis or genuine substance
- Ongoing correspondence which is repeated and vexatious
We reserve the right to update this list at any time.
If you feel your message hasn't been addressed properly or within a reasonable time frame, please let us know. This will be reviewed by another manager who will determine whether further investigation or escalation is required and respond accordingly. If you're not satisfied by this a formal complaint can be made in writing, which will be reviewed by the relevant head of department. If considered appropriate, a final attempt will be made to provide a satisfactory response. If you remain dissatisfied, you'll be advised to contact the Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:
Helpline: +44 (0)345 015 4033.
More information is available at ombudsman.org.uk.