You might wish to complain about a service we have provided when:
- You disagree with a decision we have reached about the legislation we are responsible for and want us to review it;
- You feel we have failed to meet our published service standards; or
- You are unhappy about some other aspect of our service and want to bring it to our attention.
When we review a case or investigate a complaint about our services there may be positive outcomes for both you and us. You may receive an apology or your case may be reconsidered. We may be alerted to staff training needs, weaknesses in our procedures or other general improvements we can make.
To request a case review or complain about our services
You should complete our Case review and service complaint form explaining exactly what you think we did wrong. We have designed this form to help you give us all of the information we need to deal with your complaint.
You can request a form from the member of staff you have been dealing with, from our Helpline or you can print a copy from our website.
Please note:
- You must send us your complaint within six months of the relevant incident occurring (for example within six months of us closing your case or within six months of a failure to comply with our published service standards). We will not usually consider complaints sent later than that.
- You must make your complaint in writing. It is important we have a record of exactly what you want to complain about, so we can address your concerns properly.
- We will acknowledge receipt of your form within five calendar days.
- The Information Commissioner will not respond to your complaint personally, even if you write directly to him. He has delegated responsibility for dealing with complaints to managers within his office.
Case reviews – The Freedom of Information Act 2000
If you disagree with a decision notice we have issued about your Freedom of Information Act complaint, we cannot review our decision. Instead, you can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights), which can be contacted at:
First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights)
Arnhem House Support Centre
PO Box 9300
Leicester
LE1 8DJ
Tel: 0300 123 4504
Email: informationtribunal@tribunals.gsi.gov.uk
Unless special circumstances apply a notice of appeal must be served on the Tribunal within 28 days of the date on which decision notice was sent to you.
Please note that the First-tier Tribunal (Information Rights) does not consider complaints from individuals about decisions we have made under the Data Protection Act or the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
Complaints to the Ombudsman must be made through your MP. For further information about the Ombudsman’s service please visit their website (www.ombudsman.org.uk) or call their Helpline on 0845 015 4033.
If your complaint relates to the way in which we have interpreted the law then the Ombudsman cannot help you. If you want to challenge our interpretation of the law, you should consider seeking legal advice.
Compliments
Our process for dealing with compliments is less formal. If you think there is something we have done well, we would be happy to hear from you by whatever method is convenient.
Make your complaint
Please note: some of our online complaints forms are undergoing development. In the meantime, please choose from the following options.
-
By email: If all your supporting evidence is available electronically, you can send your form via email by taking the following steps. Please be aware that email may not be secure and could be intercepted before reaching the ICO.
Case review and service complaint form (Word version)
1. Complete and save the form to your computer.
2. Open a new email, with 'Complaint to the ICO' in the subject line.
3. Attach this form and any other documents you wish to send us.
4. Send to casework@ico.gsi.gov.uk
Send to:
First Contact Team
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF
For information about how we handle your data, please read our privacy notice.
