CSU Complaints Procedure

If for any reason you are not satisfied with the service you have received, please let us know so that we can improve on this service for our future customers.  A complaints’ procedure is in place and gives you a number of ways of doing this.

a) Informal Procedure

In most cases it is possible to resolve a complaint on the spot by speaking directly to the person you have been dealing with, or to his or her immediate supervisor.  This is usually the best way to resolve problems or minor differences of opinion that have arisen.  If you are not satisfied with the answer you have received you may use our formal complaints procedure. 

b) Formal Procedure

Our formal complaints procedure has two types:    

Type 1

Write to the manager of the office involved, setting out full details of your complaint.  We will ensure that all complaints are thoroughly and impartially investigated.  If it is not possible to deal with your complaint within 10 days, for example, because it involves complex matters or requires detailed investigation, we will explain the reason for any delay and let you know when you can expect a response. 

Type 2 

It is desirable that the complaint has already been dealt with as a Type 1 and if you are not satisfied with the response, you may write to: 

Dr Norman Caven
Chief Executive
NISRA
McAuley House
2-14 Castle Street
Belfast BT1 1SA

Please mark your envelope ‘Personal and Confidential’

The Chief Executive will look at your complaint and the original response, and will reply to you, again within 10 working days. 

If he cannot give you a full reply within this timescale, he will let you know how it is progressing and when you can expect a full response. 

What you can expect

Your complaint will: 

• Be acknowledged immediately and investigated thoroughly
• Be treated confidentially; and
• Not affect your continuing right to be treated fairly by us.

Our reply will:

• Provide details of the outcome of our investigations
• Give an apology where we have made a mistake; and
• Let you know what we have done to put things right. 

The Assembly Ombudsman

If you are still not satisfied with our response, you may request an MP (it does not have to be your local MP) to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman).The Ombudsman will expect you to have used our complaints procedure before referring a complaint to her/him.

The Ombudsman is totally independent of NISRA and of Government. You can contact the Ombudsman’s Office for advice:

By Phone:
Freephone:  0800 343424

By Letter:
The Assembly Ombudsman
Freepost
Belfast
BT1 6BR
 
In Person:
The Ombudsman’s Office
Progressive House
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN

By Fax:
028 90234912

By E-mail:
ombudsman@ni-ombudsman.org.uk