Complaints Handling Procedure
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
Our Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint about our service, the level of our fees, or the way in which we have handled your work, please write to Kax Chana,Head of Dept, at Etchell House, Etchell Court, Bonehill Road, Tamworth. Staffordshire B78 3HQ, with the details. If you have a complaint about how we use your personal information, please write to Lucy Cooling (Data Security Manager) at Etchell House, Etchell Court, Bonehill Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 3HQ.
What Will Happen Next?
1. For general complaints that do not relate to how we use your personal information, we will contact you to acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days of receiving your letter. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint. For complaints relating to how we use your personal information, we will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days. We will record your complaint in our central register when we acknowledge it.
2. For general complaints not relating to how we use your personal information, the person investigating your complaint will normally ask the member of staff who acted for you to respond to you about your complaint within a further 5 working days. They will then examine their response and the information in your file. If necessary they may also speak to that member of staff.
3. Complaints relating to how we use your personal information will be dealt with by the Data Security Manager. We are unable to give an exact time frame for response to a complaint regarding how we use your personal information because this will vary due to the nature of the complaint, the complexity involved and we may need to ask you for further information. However, we will attend to your complaint and respond to your complaint in full without undue delay. We will keep you informed during the investigation of the complaint and provide updates and estimated timescales where possible.
4. We will either write to you with a formal response to your complaint or invite you to a meeting to discuss it. We will do this within 5 working days of completing our investigation. We will then write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions that have been agreed.
5. If you are still not satisfied you can write to us again. We will then arrange to review our decision. One of our Directors will review the matter within 10 working days for general complaints or without undue delay for complaints relating to how we use personal information. If we have to change any of the timescales above we will let you know and explain why.
6. We will let you know in writing the result of this review within 5 working days of its conclusion.
7. If you are still not satisfied with our response to a general complaint that doesn’t relate to how we use personal information, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint. The Legal Ombudsman helpline number is 0300 5550333, and the address is PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH . Their e-mail address is enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk/.
8. If you are still not satisfied with our response to a complaint about how we use personal information, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on 0303 123 1113. You do not need to wait for us to complete our review for you to complain to the ICO.
The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email address: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
6. Alternative complaints bodies such as Ombudsman Services, exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme.
Who has ultimate responsibility for complaints handling within our firm?
This responsibility rests with our MD, Kate Pearce. She may not be the person who has the day to day handling of the investigation into a complaint but the ultimate responsibility is hers.
A complaint against the MD will be handled by another Director.
Pickerings Solicitors, Etchell House, Etchell Court, Bonehill Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B78 3HQ
Tel 01827 317070
