Complaints Procedure
Quick Resolution
3.1 We know that customers complaining about an aspect of our service, will often want the matter dealt with as quickly as possible.
3.2 We aim to resolve problems as soon as possible. Often it is possible to sort them out straight away
3.3 If you wish to make a complaint, the first step is to contact COPFS
by telephone - call
0844 561 3000 from a landline or
01389 739 557 from a mobile telephone. For Crown Office call
0131 226 2626. Our office hours are 0845-1715 Monday-Thursday, and 0845-1645 on Friday. We also welcome calls through RNID Typetalk. Please prefix our telephone number with 18001.
3.4
You should do this as soon as possible after the matter you wish to complain about occurs.
3.5 You should provide details of the relevant Procurator Fiscal's Office or Crown Office Unit or Division and, if known, the specific section of the Office or the particular member of staff who dealt with the matter.
3.6 We will try to resolve your complaint immediately at this stage by noting details of your complaint from you over the telephone, and discussing it with you to clarify and, if possible, explain what has happened.
3.7 On occasion, we may need to make brief enquiries into your complaint and then call you back in order to provide an explanation and resolution of your complaint. We will do this on the same day or the next working day.
3.8 Alternatively, it may be possible for you to raise the matter, in person, with a member of staff, at the time it occurs.
3.9 If your complaint cannot be resolved straight away, you may progress to Stage One of our Complaints Procedure.
Timescales
3.10 If we cannot resolve your complaint immediately, at each Stage of the Complaints Procedure set out below:
- we will aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days;
- we will aim to provide you with a full response as quickly as possible, within 20 working days; and
- if we are unable to provide a full response, we will keep you informed of progres s within 20 working days, and every 28 days thereafter, until a full response is issued
3.11 Complaints should be made as soon as possible, and, in any event, within 6 months of the matter complained of.
3.12 If you are dissatisfied with the response to your complaint at Stage One or Two, you may escalate the matter to the next Stage of the Procedure. This should be done within one month of the date of the response.
3.13 We will usually decline to deal with complaints made outside these timescales.
There are three Stages to our Complaints Procedure.
Stage 1
3.16 You should indicate on all correspondence that you are making a complaint at Stage One.
Stage 2
3.17 If you are dissatisfied with our response at Stage One, you can contact us in any of the ways listed above (at para. 2.2) to request a review by a more senior manager, and you should provide details of why you are dissatisfied. This should be done within one month of the date of our Stage One response.
3.18 A Stage Two review will often be carried out by the Area Procurator Fiscal (or a senior manager nominated on their behalf), the Area Business Manager or the Head of the relevant Crown Office Unit or Division.
3.19 You should indicate on all correspondence that your complaint has already been dealt with at Stage One and you now wish to move to Stage Two. You must include the complaint reference number (e.g. R 0 0023) included on our Stage One response
Stage 3
3.20 Finally, a complaint that remains unresolved may be referred for a final review to the Crown Agent and Chief Executive (the Head of COPFS) or a senior manager nominated on their behalf. When requesting a review at Stage Three, you need to explain why your complaint should be the subject of a further review and any issues that are outstanding. A reply at this stage marks the end of the COPFS complaints procedure
3.21 To request a review at Stage Three, you should use the online form (see para. 2.2 for further details) or write to:
Crown Agent and Chief Executive
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
Crown Office
25 Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1LA