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DIUS Complaints Procedure

Our promise

DIUS is committed to providing a quality service and achieving the highest standards of conduct. One of the ways in which we can continue to improve our service is by listening and responding to the views of our customers.

Therefore we aim to ensure that:

  • making a complaint is as easy as possible;
  • we treat a complaint as any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for a response;
  • we treat it seriously whether it is made in person, by telephone, by letter, by fax, or by e-mail;
  • we deal with it promptly, politely and, where appropriate, informally (for example, by telephone);
  • we respond in the right way - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken, etc;
  • we learn from complaints, use them to improve our service, and publish information on complaints - for example, in our Departmental Report.

This section explains how to make a complaint about the Department's services we provide to the public. This concerns our information, how we handle enquiries and a number of specialist services.

This procedure is not applicable for complaints about related organisations, issues and decisions. If you have a complaint about a particular Government policy, you can contact the Minister for that subject area of policy, or alternatively contact your local MP. Information on how to contact your MP can be found on Directgov.

How to make a complaint

You can make a complaint by writing, fax, e-mail, telephone or in person (by appointment, please).

If you are writing or faxing your complaint, please provide your telephone number if a response by telephone would be convenient.

If you are e-mailing, please state if a reply by telephone is acceptable or if a response by e-mail is required, if not, please provide your full postal address.

If you know the part of DIUS which is relevant to your complaint, or the name or title of an appropriate member of staff, please make your complaint direct to them.

If you do not have this information please contact our Public Communications Unit who will give you the contact details for the most appropriate person.

Postal address

Please send all written correspondence to the postal address listed below:

Public Communications Unit
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Castle View House
East Lane
Runcorn
WA7 2GJ

Tel: 020 7215 5555
Textphone/Minicom 01928 79 4274
Fax : 01928 794248
Complaints.DIUS@dius.gsi.gov.uk

What happens next?

We will reply within 15 working days from when we receive your complaint. If it is not possible to give you a full reply within this time, for example, if your complaint requires more detailed investigation, we will give you an interim response telling you what is being done to deal with your complaint, when you can expect the full reply and from whom.

The full reply will include details of who to contact next if you believe that your complaint has not been dealt with properly. This will normally be the appropriate senior Departmental official (a Divisional Manager).

If you are still not satisfied following the second response, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to Ian Watmore, the DIUS Permanent Secretary.

You can also ask your MP to request the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) to review your complaint and how it has been handled.

(If the Ombudsman is satisfied that your complaint has been dealt with fairly, he will close your case and, normally we will not respond to further approaches about the matter.)