Complaints procedure
How to complain about the service provided by Office for the Independent Examiner of Complaints and how complaints are handled.
Office for the Independent Examiner of Complaints considers complaints about its service, administration or conduct within its remit. A complaint is not a substitute for a statutory appeal, tribunal case, judicial process or other review route where the law provides one.
Before you complain
Use the service or casework route first where the issue can be corrected as part of the underlying transaction. If a decision carries a review or appeal right, use that route rather than the complaints process to challenge the merits of the decision.
Making a complaint
Send the complaint through the organisation’s published contact or complaint route. Explain what happened, when it happened, the service or case concerned, the effect on you and the outcome you are seeking. Do not publish sensitive personal, policing, immigration or security information on a public channel.
How we handle complaints
We record the complaint, identify the responsible function, consider the evidence and relevant records, and provide a response through the authorised route. Complaints are handled fairly, proportionately and with appropriate confidentiality. Where the complaint falls within another independent body’s jurisdiction, we explain the correct route.
Learning and escalation
Complaint information is used to identify recurring service failures and improvement needs. A final response explains any further review, independent examination, ombudsman or other escalation route that applies.