*Office of the Schools Adjudicator*
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Complaints procedure

Complaints procedure

We will:

1.  treat as a complaint any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our service which calls for a response;

2.  ensure that making a complaint is as easy as possible;

3.  treat seriously whether it is made in person, by telephone, by letter, by fax, or by email;

4.  deal with it promptly and politely;

5.  respond formally - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, or information on any action taken etc;

6.  learn from complaints, use them to improve our service.

Office Staff

The following procedure covers complaints arising from the services the Office of the Schools Adjudicator provides to LA's, governing bodies, parents and the general public. These services generally involve relaying information between the parties involved in a referral and the adjudicators and answering queries from whatever source. The Office is not responsible for complaints arising out of an adjudicator's decision.

The Process

  • We will acknowledge any complaint immediately (within one working day) and send a response within 15 working days of receiving it. If we cannot reply in full within this time - for instance, because a detailed investigation is required - we will give you an interim response, telling you what is being done to deal with your complaint, and when you can expect a full reply.

  • All complaints about the office will be dealt with by or on behalf of the Secretary to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. The reply will include details of who to contact next if you believe your complaint has not been dealt with properly.

  • If, following that second response, you are still not satisfied, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the DCSFs Permanent Secretary.

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

Adjudicators

The Chief Adjudicator will handle any complaint about the way in which an adjudicator has dealt with a case. He will follow the same timescales as set out above.

If you are not satisfied with that response you can then write to the Secretary of State.

Please note the Chief Adjudicator does not have any power to change a decision, this can only be done by the Courts through a Judicial Review

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