http://www.nwda.co.uk/docs/Complaints%20Policy2009v6

NORTHWEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY COMPLAINTS POLICY AND PROCEDURE Section 1

COMPLAINTS

Aim of the Complaints Policy and Procedure The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is committed to provide, at all times, a level of service that is friendly, efficient and customer focused. Whilst wishing to provide the highest possible standards of service we acknowledge that things might go wrong for some of our customers and/or partners. On the occasions that this may happen we aim to: • • • • •

Ensure making a complaint is as easy and straightforward as possible.

Treat all complaints seriously and confidentially.

Resolve the problem quickly, effectively and, where possible, to the customer’s/partner’s satisfaction Fully explain in our response why things went wrong and apologise if we accept that we are at fault.

Learn from the complaint, so improving the service for the future.

Types of complaints The type of complaint we may receive could include dissatisfaction with: • • • • • • • • •

Policies and/or procedures or failure of the NWDA to follow those policies or procedures The level or quality of service, and the failure to achieve the required standard of service.

The way in which the NWDA has reached a decision, or with the action taken in implementing that decision The NWDA’s delay in taking action or replying The administrative process in handling any application The action/or lack of action by the NWDA The NWDA’s response, or handling of a response, in respect of Freedom of Information.

The way NWDA has discharged its duty to manage its programmes including the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The attitude or behaviour of an NWDA employee.

The NWDA’s complaints procedure is about the standards of our service. We welcome comments and complaints as they help us review our service and identify where it can be improved.

1a)

Informal Complaint

We encourage customers/partners to contact, in the first instance, the NWDA member of staff with whom they have been dealing whether in person, by telephone or in writing. They will try to deal with the issues quickly and informally and should respond to you within five working days of receiving your complaint. Should this course of action be inappropriate or you are not satisfied with the response you can make a formal complaint.

1b)

Formal Complaint

If you are not satisfied with the informal response you can put your complaint in writing and email or post it to: Barbara Woods Head of Governance and Scrutiny Renaissance House Centre Park PO Box 37 Warrington WA1 1XB Email: Complaints@nwda.co.uk Once your complaint has been received we will contact you, within five working days, and provide you with a reference number which we will quote on all correspondence relating to your complaint.

Upon receipt the Governance and Scrutiny Team will: • • •

Make sure the complaint is clear; Check that the complaint had been considered informally, if appropriate; Pass to the relevant Executive Director to investige.

The Executive Director will then: • • •

Consider all the issues, taking into account any additional information you may have provided; Make a decision based on these circumstances; and Write to you within 20 working days to tell you what they have decided. ( The 20 day period starts on the first working day following receipt of your formal complaint weekends and bank holidays do not count as working days.)

If it is not possible to give you a full response within the 20 working days, we will write to you to explain why there will be a delay and when you can expect a full reply.

1c)

Appeal

If you are not satisfied with the response you have received from the Executive Director, you should write to Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive and explain why you are not happy: The Chief Executive Northwest Regional Development Agency PO Box 37 Renaissance House Centre Park WARRINGTON WA1 1XB

We will write to you to acknowledge receipt of your appeal within five working days.

The Chief Executive will send a full reply within 20 working days. If it is not possible to give you a full response within this time, we will write to you to explain why there will be a delay and when you can expect a full reply In his response, the Chief Executive will advise you of the results of his investigation into your complaint. He will also explain what other action you can take if you are still not happy with the response to your complaint.

Complaints received via the Ombudsman If you are still not happy with how NWDA has dealt with your complaint you can ask your Member of Parliament (MP) to pass your complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is an officer of the House of Commons appointed by the Queen (but is totally separate from the Government).

The Parliamentary Ombudsman will only consider a complaint that has been passed by an MP. The Parliamentary Ombudsman will not normally consider your complaint unless you have already complained to us in writing.

You can find more information about the Parliamentary Ombudsman by visiting the website: www.ombudsman.org.uk or by writing to: Office of the Parliamentary Commission for Administration Millbank Tower Millbank LONDON SW1P 4QP

Section 2 2a)

FREEDOM OF INFOMATION APPEALS PROCEDURE

Freedom of Information (FOI) Request

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 give you the right to ask to see information held by NWDA. A request for information held by NWDA should be in writing to FOI@nwda.co.uk or by writing to: FOI Northwest Regional Development Agency PO Box 37 Renaissance House Centre Park WARRINGTON WA1 1XB We aim to be open and provide you with the information you require. However, we may on occasion hold back certain information that we believe is not eligible for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, or if we believe it would not be in the public interest to reveal it.

The relevant Executive Director within NWDA will respond to your Freedom of Information request detailing our decision to provide or withhold information. We will always explain why we have withheld the information detailing the relevant exemption that is being applied and which section of the Act it comes under. We will also give you advice about your right to appeal against our decision to withhold information.

2b)

Appeals

We have the right to let you see information you have asked for under section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and regulations 5 and 12 of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

If you have made a request to see information and you are not satisfied the way we have handled your request, or if you are not happy with our decision to continue to withhold information, you can appeal against our decision by writing to the NWDA’s Chief Executive: The Chief Executive Northwest Regional Development Agency PO Box 37 Renaissance House Centre Park WARRINGTON WA1 1XB We will write to you to tell you we have received your appeal within five working days and will make a decision about your appeal as soon as we can (Freedom of Information Act within 20 working days and the Environmental Information Regulations within 40 working days).

The 20 and 40 day periods start on the first working day following receipt of your appeal.

Weekends and bank holidays do not count as working days. If we need further information

from you, we will stop counting the days at that point and will resume counting when we have received the information we need to continue.

If your appeal is totally or partly successful, we will advise you about what action we plan to take. If we decide to release information that we withheld before, we will tell you when you can expect to receive this or if we decide to uphold our original decision to withhold information.

The Chief Executive will write to you to advise you what we have decided and will also tell you about: • your right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office against our decision; • the Information Commissioner’s enforcement powers (how they have the final say); and • your right and our right to appeal to the Information Tribunal after the Information Commissioner’s decision.

You can find more details about the Information Commissioner by visiting the website www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk or by writing to: The Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF. Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Regulations 18 of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 give you a right to appeal against our decision to withhold information.

Section 3

EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (ERDF)

If you have a complaint about the way NWDA has administered the ERDF Programme, including rejection of a proposal at any stage of the process, we will deal with this under the standard NWDA complaints procedure detailed in Section 1.

In particular you should follow the procedure from 1b) Formal Complaint.