Complaints procedure
How to complain about customer service at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
Making a complaint
Our complaints process is there to help you if you have concerns about our service or the management of your claim. We want to hear from you so that we can work together to resolve your concerns. We are committed to providing a service which is sensitive in the way we support victims, fair and accurate in the way we assess entitlement to compensation according to the schemes we operate and efficient in the operation of our processes.
What is a complaint?
We regard a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction about our action or lack of action or about the standard of service we provide. We will aim to resolve your concerns to your satisfaction within an agreed timescale. When we consider your complaint, we must also consider the rules set out within the compensation schemes we operate and the resources available to us.
For example, you can make a complaint about things such as:
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you feel we have made a mistake that has led to an avoidable delay in your application
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you feel the level of service you have received from us is not to a high enough standard
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you feel we have mishandled your personal information.
There may be some things that you have concerns about that are not within our control. This may mean we can’t deal with your concerns through our complaints process. Examples of these include:
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dissatisfaction about the outcome of your application. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Schemes (the Schemes) provide statutory rights of review and appeal, should you disagree with a decision.
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concerns regarding the terms of the Scheme itself. This is because the amount of compensation that can be awarded and the rules which apply are set by the Secretary of State and approved by Parliament.
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a concern relating to a third party, or other government body or organisation. For example, a police force. Concerns relating to a third party should be raised to the relevant department, body or organisation directly.
The standard of service we aim to provide is set out within our Customer Charter. If you are unsure if your concerns can be considered as a complaint by CICA, please let us know and we will work with you to help with your next steps.
How to complain
We want to make it as easy as possible for you to let us know if you are dissatisfied. CICA can consider concerns raised by an applicant or their representative. You can complain by:
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using our online complaint form
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calling us (0300 003 3601)
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writing to us (CICA, 10 Clyde Place, Buchanan Wharf, Glasgow, G5 8AQ).
What should you expect once you make a complaint?
Complaint registered
If you make a complaint through the online complaint form, your complaint will be registered automatically. If you call to tell us that you are dissatisfied, we will try and resolve your concerns over the phone. However, if you do wish to make a complaint you will be offered a link to the online complaint form. Alternatively, details will be taken from you and passed to our Customer Resolution team who will register your complaint as soon as possible. If you complain by letter, once we receive it, it will be passed to the Customer Resolution team, who will register the complaint as soon as possible.
To help us resolve your complaint you will need to tell us what you are complaining about and what we can do to address your dissatisfaction. Your input is crucial, and we may not be able to progress your complaint without it, so please help us as much as you can.
Acknowledgement
We will aim to acknowledge your complaint (or escalated complaint as explained below) within 5 working days of receiving it.
We will communicate with you by email, but if this isn’t right for you just let us know. This acknowledgement email will usually let you know your complaint has been registered, introduce you to your complaint handler and explain the next steps.
Investigation
We will then carry out a thorough investigation on your behalf.
We take your concerns seriously. Through our investigation we aim to establish what has happened and why. This allows us to shape our resolution to your needs.
Occasionally, we may contact you throughout the investigation. This will often be to gather more evidence. This may also be to understand what action you would like us to take in order to resolve your complaint. Your co-operation at this stage is vital and much appreciated.
Resolution
Once our investigation is complete, we will then send you our resolution letter (typically by email). We aim to provide this to you within 20 working days of your complaint being received. There may be occasions when we are unable to finalise our resolution letter within 20 working days. If this is the case, we will let you know and explain the reasons why.
Regardless of whether your complaint is upheld or not, we are committed to working with you to resolve your dissatisfaction. Although we can’t always provide you with the resolution you ask for, we will always aim to provide you with solutions and/or options aimed at resolving your concerns.
Once your complaint response is sent to you, your complaint will be closed. However, if you still have concerns, we will be happy to discuss these and clarify anything that you feel is unclear in our response.
Sometimes we can resolve your concerns quickly, and where this is possible our acknowledgement and resolution may be provided to you at the same time. If this is the case, we will explain this to you.
Escalation
We understand that despite our best efforts you may still be dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint. In these instances, you have the option to escalate your complaint. We operate a 3 stage complaints process:
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stage 1 – your complaint will be managed by a complaint handler.
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stage 2 – your complaint will be escalated and managed by a manager.
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stage 3 – your complaint will be escalated and managed by a senior manager.
At each of the 3 stages all of the steps above will be followed. This includes us aiming to acknowledge your escalated complaint within 5 working days and aiming to resolve your escalated complaint within 20 working days.
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint and/or the resolution provided after Stage 3, you can contact the relevant Ombudsman with your concerns:
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if you live in England or Wales, you will be advised to contact your local Member of Parliament who may then contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on your behalf.
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if you live in Scotland, you will be advised to contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman directly.
Before contacting the Ombudsman, you will be expected to have exhausted our internal complaints process and for your complaint to be unresolved.