What can you expect?

Before we investigate

• Details of this procedure will be made available to you when you raise a complaint about how your personal data has been handled.
• Your complaint will be considered free of charge.
• Where a complaint is made on behalf of another individual, we may need to confirm your authority to act for them.
• We will aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days and with details of how it will be handled.

During the investigation

• We will aim to provide you with updated timescales on when we will be able to respond in full to your complaint.
• Your complaint will be assessed and investigated by an appropriate officer who was not directly involved in the matter. We may contact you to confirm and agree the scope of your complaint before we begin our investigation.
• We will let you know when you can expect a response, and we will keep you updated if there are any delays. To help us provide you with a timely response, we ask that you wait until this date has passed before contacting us. Any additional enquiries may impact our ability to respond as quickly as possible.
• Where complaints involve children, we will ensure that they are handled appropriately and in a way that respects their rights.

When we respond to your complaint

• We aim to investigate and respond to complaints without undue delay, as per the statutory requirement. Where your complaint is complex or requires more detailed investigation, this may take longer. In such cases we will explain the reasons for any delay and provide an updated timescale.
• We will consider the issues you have raised and assess whether the council has complied with its obligations under data protection legislation.
• Where your complaint is upheld, we will explain:
  • What we have found
  • What action will be taken to address the issue
  • Any steps we will take to improve our processes
• Where your complaint is not upheld, we will explain the reasons for our decision.
• In all cases, you will be informed of your right to raise your concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
• We will use the outcomes of the complaints to improve our practices and prevent similar issues occurring in the future.