Complaints procedure
If you are unhappy with the service you get from Building Digital UK (BDUK) there are different ways you can complain.
Complaints specifically about Building Digital UK (BDUK)
BDUK is an executive agency (EA) sponsored by the Department for
Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT). Our mission is to ensure that homes and businesses across the UK can access fast and reliable digital connectivity, by investing in the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband across fixed and mobile networks.
BDUK is committed to providing a high-quality service to everyone and expects to be told when we get things wrong. In order to do this we need you to share as much detail as possible so we can help you resolve your complaint quickly.
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not.
What you can complain to BDUK about:
- the standard of service we provide
- the behaviour of our staff
- any action or lack of action by staff affecting an individual or group
- general complaints about BDUK
Our complaints policy does not cover:
- matters that have already been fully investigated through this complaints procedure
- anonymous complaints
- complaints about access to information where procedures and remedies are set out in legislation, eg Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act
- Complaints related to the procurement process. Suppliers should instead submit complaints via BDUK’s procurement tool, Atamis
Contacting BDUK
The easiest way to raise a complaint with BDUK is by contacting enquiries@bduk.gov.uk.
Please contact us as soon as possible after the event you are complaining about, usually within 90 days of the event you are complaining about.
In most cases the EA will deal with all enquiries and requests via email. If you require a response in an alternative format or need any other assistance, please let us know.
All other correspondence for the attention of BDUK should be sent to correspondence@dsit.gov.uk and we will aim to provide a response within 20 working days.
Service standards
When we receive a complaint we will:
- acknowledge receipt within seven working days
- determine whether the complaint falls within this complaints procedure (outlined above). If it doesn’t, we will write to explain why
- check that there is sufficient information for us to properly consider the complaint, and if needed contact the complainant to clarify any issues and/or request further information
- commission an internal review of the complaint and appoint a member of staff unconnected to the substance of the complaint to lead the review. The reviewer may discuss a complaint with anyone connected with it to establish any relevant facts
- write to the complainant within 20 working days with the outcome of the review, setting out the BDUK response and the reasons for it. If a complaint is complex, or requires extensive investigation, we may not be able to meet the 20 day deadline. If we can not, we will write to the complainant to explain why, and tell them when they can expect a response
If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive then you can also ask for the complaint to be reviewed by a senior official within the EA. If you wish to do this, please head your enquiry ‘Handling review request’. We will not reply to rude or abusive emails, calls or letters.
Separate arrangements are in place for complaints against board or committee members or the chair of BDUK: complaints concerning the conduct of any board or committee members will be logged and passed to the chair of BDUK for action. Complaints about the chair of BDUK will be logged and referred to DSIT who will manage the process.
Persistent and/or vexatious complaints
We are committed to dealing with all complaints fairly, fully and in a timely manner. Very occasionally, someone may make a complaint or behave in a way that takes up a disproportionate amount of time and resources, or adversely affects our ability to carry out our business. When this happens, we may need to restrict or discontinue contact with the complainant. This is likely to mean that we will not investigate their complaint, and even if we do, we may not report it to them. The judgement of what constitutes a trivial, vexatious and unreasonably persistent complaint lies with BDUK.
Other ways to complain
If, having followed our complaints procedure, you remain dissatisfied, you can ask to have your complaint reviewed externally by someone who does not work for the EA.
You should contact your Member of Parliament and ask for your complaint to be referred to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The Ombudsman can carry out independent investigations into complaints about government department, agencies and some public bodies, including DSIT.
Contact details for the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Complaints helpline: 0345 015 4033
Textphone (Minicom): 0300 061 4298
You can write to your MP at:
House of Commons
Westminster
London
SW1A 0AA
If you wish to complain about DSIT, or another of its agencies, visit the DSIT complaints procedure.
Complaints about Public Appointments
Complaints regarding public appointments will follow this procedure. However if, having followed the stages of our complaints procedure you still remain dissatisfied, you can ask to have complaints regarding Public Appointments reviewed externally by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
The Commissioner will investigate all instances which took place in the preceding 12 months that concern:
- an individual’s experience as an applicant
- the way a department or other responsible organisation has handled an appointments process
- if it appears that the Governance Code may not have been followed
The Commissioner investigates complaints and may conduct an inquiry into the policies and practices followed in relation to appointments’ processes which he/she regulates.
Details on how to make a complaint with the Commissioner can be found at website of the Public Appointments Commissioner.